For this column, I posed the same question to about a dozen local chefs and restaurateurs: “What is your idea of a romantic meal on Valentine’s Day?”
What surprised me was that their answers were quite revealing.
These multigenerational chefs are as different as can be, and yet, they have something in common, other than their passion for food—they are true romantics!
Thank you to the chefs for divulging such delicious tête-à-tête scenarios!
Read for yourselves:
Frank Ostini, chef/winemaker, Hitching Post II Restaurant & Winery:
“Your Valentine’s question brought up immediate thoughts of lobster and a little red dress. That was the best lobster, because of the red dress. No, the lobster wasn’t wearing the dress. It was my date, on our first Valentine’s night, after I worked the shift in the Hitching Post II; simple, fun, and full of new love. I remember the love part the most. Jami and I have been married for 21 years, and the thought of lobster always rekindles the flame.”
Jamie Gluck, owner, Bell Street Farm:
“I grew up working in my family’s restaurant. We had a fine-dining French restaurant … a very romantic spot. Valentine’s Day was known as the biggest workday of the year, and we would be booked for months in advance. Now as an adult, with my own restaurant—a casual wine country café—I love hearing about people’s plans for a romantic Valentine’s dinner at their favorite restaurant, but I prefer cooking at home with my husband and an expensive bottle of wine. We tend to keep the food simple and on the Italian side with veal chops, truffle risotto, a rocket salad, and, of course, something chocolate for dessert. … This year maybe profiteroles!”
Robbie Wilson, chef/partner, Mattei’s Tavern:
“A romantic meal should consist of four components:
- Playlist for prep together.
- Great movie.
- Dinner shared from one plate.
- Monumental bottle of wine.
“The couple preps together and listens to the playlist while drinking rosé. Move into the first course with the rosé and watch The African Queen (old-school Hollywood at its absolute finest.) For dinner the couple would eat from one plate, bringing them closer together, sipping this insane Hermitage and enjoying a Hollywood classic.
Playlist for prep: “Wild Horses,” by The Rolling Stones “More Than This,” by Roxy Music “This Must Be The Place,” by Talking Heads “Something,” by The Beatles “Let’s Stay Together,” by Al Green “Alone Kyoto,” by Air “I Want You,” by Common “Making Memories Of Us,” by Keith Urban “My Love,” by Lionel Richie “Everlong,” by Foo Fighters “Above The Clouds,” by Paul Weller “Just Breathe,” (live) by Pearl Jam
What to cook: “Something raw: Uni yuzu kosho and shiso leaf. Texture is what makes this course romantic—soft, spicy, and salty. Rosé Champagne, slow-roasted cote du boeuf, grilled matsutake mushrooms, wild arugula, sea salt. [Pair with] 2003 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage.
“Dessert: High-quality assorted chocolates. Nobody wants to spend any real time prepping technical desserts. Time should be spent together, watching the movie, and pacing yourself with great chocolates.”
Jeff Nichols, chef/co-owner, Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn and Sides Hardware and Shoes:
“Spending the evening at HOME, cooking in the kitchen with my beautiful wife, Heather, [and] then enjoying the meal together with a great local Santa Barbara County wine.”
Luca Crestanelli, owner/ partner, S.Y. Kitchen:
“For me, Valentine’s Day, being a day for love, should be light. All day: fish and seafood. I see a beautiful iced dish filled with oysters, shrimps, and fresh langoustines, accompanied by a beautiful rosé. Oh, and someone else to prepare it!”
Tiffany Wilson, chef, Rooney’s Irish Pub:
“Well, my idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day would be not working! The most romantic meal, for me, is one that is cooked for me by someone other than myself! It could be mac and cheese for all I care, but the fact that he put the effort into it is reward enough for me! Simple, I know. I love anything my husband (together for 20 years) does for me! But, after that, I WANNA DANCE!!”
Charles Weber, chef, Adelina’s Bistro:
“A romantic Valentine’s dinner would have to include … candlelight, tasteful music, [and] a coastal sunset in the background would be nice. Some culinary delicacies of choice … lobster, oysters, a great steak … or all of above, accompanied by a very delicious wine. A wonderful Champagne with a light berry dessert, like a delicate panna cotta and wild strawberries, for example, would be a great finish. That is, of course, if I didn’t have to work!”
Julie Menicucci, co-owner, D’Vine Wine Bar & Bistro:
“The perfect Valentine’s dining experience at D’Vine Wine Bar and Bistro begins with a bottle of one of our Santa Rita Hills pinot noirs. Sitting at an intimate fireside table for two in our 120-year-old historic building in the heart of Old Town Lompoc, start with an appetizer such as bruschetta or pesto pecorino crostini, while enjoying our live entertainment. Next, indulge with a cup of artichoke soup and our house chopped salad. A heart-shaped D’Vine Italian garlic pizza on a wafer-thin crust will be served next for you to share. Your perfect dinner is completed with two glasses of local sparkling wine and our signature triple chocolate mousse.”
Ryan Gromfin, chef and food consultant, The Restaurant Boss:
“This year, (Erin, I hope you’re not reading this), I am just going to cook her a lovely meal at home! No Champagne, because we are expecting our first little one soon, but I will definitely have purple roses on the candlelit table and I will pull out our wedding china that is still in boxes from six years ago. She loves lobster and pasta, so I will make a fresh pappardelle pasta with lobster, asparagus, and Champagne butter sauce. A few Morro Bay grilled oysters with a green apple and shallot mignonette will get us started. I will finish the dinner with a couple of really nice dark chocolate truffles!”
Theo Stephan, owner, The Caliterranean Cafe:
“My idea of a romantic meal is creating dessert for, and with, dinner! I’m a chocoholic. And I believe chocolate, like pomegranates, are an aphrodisiac, so why not combine both for a lovely, loving meal? I would create a lovely, heart-shaped, on-theplate alligator kale salad and pomegranate seeds, sprinkled with my own Global Gardens “Dream Dust” (a proprietary combo of spices, Madagascar Vanilla, and Fair Trade Cocoa), adorned with my favorite Farga—a nice chunk of feta cheese for protein. I would write ‘I LOVE YOU’ with a reduction of my fig balsamic vinegar along the side of a simple, wide-rimmed white plate. Lingering over that hearty salad and Olivets—oil-cured olives we dip into a Kalamata chocolate sauce—would lead to a NY cheese pie for dessert made with a crumbly EVOO [extra virgin olive oil] crust, and Sonja’s Suds (sparkling syrah rosé) from Casa Dumetz to top off with dessert.”
Rick Manson, owner, Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods:
“I suppose it’s because I’m in the business (and by the ‘business,’ I mean the ‘industry’) of entertaining a lot of folks every day that my idea of a romantic meal rarely equates with ‘going out.’ So, stay at home, buy a nice bottle of Champagne, an ounce or so of good caviar, maybe a piece of ‘sexy’ triple cream cheese, send the kids to grandma and grandpa’s, light a candle, and let the glow of the shimmering light and your love for each other fill your Valentine’s night, or any night, with beautiful romance.”
Sun wine and food columnist Wendy Thies Sell is still blushing. Contact her at wthies@ santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 13-20, 2014.