Valentine’s dining – Memphis Flyer

Light the candles. Start the mood music. Scatter the rose petals. And let Memphis area restaurants provide the romantic Valentine’s Day dinners. Several local establishments put all their hearts into creating dinners you can pick up and enjoy in the privacy of your own love nest. Here’s a sampling:

Erling Jensen: The Restaurant at 1044 South Yates Road (901 763-3700) is featuring its Valentine’s Day To-Go, which includes clam and potato bisque and an arugula, pear, chèvre, and almond salad with saba vinaigrette; your choice of a 16-ounce beef Wellington or prosciutto-wrapped sea bass served with au gratin potatoes and roasted asparagus; and chocolate-covered strawberries. The dinner for two is $190. There will be an additional cost to interchange the options. Note: Erling’s also will be offering a half-dozen chocolate-covered strawberries for $25 on February 12th, 13th, and 14th.

Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe at 668 Union Avenue (901 207-2598) is offering a Steak Valentine’s Box for two, which includes one tomahawk steak with buttered mushrooms, butter-herb asparagus, garlic smashed potatoes, four honey-butter rolls, grilled strawberry shortcake, two premium cocktails, and one bottle of champagne. Price: $165 with cocktails and wine or $140 without. Becky Githinji

Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza

Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza at 1761 Madison Avenue (901 410-8866) is providing a “fun, interactive Valentine’s meal” for two, says owner Miles Tamboli. His Valentine’s Dinner Date Meal Kit, which will be available February 13th and 14th, includes a bottle of rose or Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento (red or white) wine, an appetizer, pizza dough, sauce, and toppings; a recipe card so you can make your own pizza;, and tiramisu for two. Price: $59.95.

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen at 712 West Brookhaven Circle (901 347-3569), Catherine & Mary’s at 272 South Main Street (901 254-8600), and The Gray Canary at 301 South Front (901 249-2932) are offering a four-course Valentine’s Day Take & Bake dinner for two. First course: salmon tartare with trout roe, apple, crème fraîche, fine herb, versus bianco, and C&M cracker. Second course: Gemelli lobster amatriciana, with panna gratta and basil. Third course: beef tenderloin with root vegetable purée and black truffle bordelaise. Fourth course: chocolate sticky butter toffee pudding with brown butter pecan powder and salted caramel gelato. Wine is an Arnaud Lambert Château de Brézé Crémant de Loire cabernet rosé. The special can be ordered at any of the restaurants until February 11th. Pickup is between noon and 5 p.m. February 13th. Price: $125.

Iris at 2146 Monroe (901 590-2828). Iris partnered with Muddy’s Bakeshop, Joe’s Wine & Liquor, and Rachel’s Flower Shop. The package for two includes an artisan cheese and accoutrement plate, your choice of slow-roasted American kobe short ribs or red snapper and Gulf shrimp court bouillon. These are served with sides of grits and roasted Brussels sprouts. Also, two Muddy’s cupcakes, six roses from Rachel’s, two chocolate martinis from Second Line, and a bottle of Constantia Uitsig South African sparkling wine from Joe’s. And it comes with a card for you to pour your heart into to whoever you’re sharing (or not sharing) the package with. Price: $165.

Magnolia & May at 718 Mount Moriah (901 676-8100) is offering a Filet and House-Made Pasta Magnolia Farm Chef Box for two. It includes local veggies, including Bluff City Fungi mushrooms, and a mustard cream sauce. The box comes with a recipe card and a YouTube video link with preparation instructions. Wine pairings can be added, or you can order a cocktail box, which features Maker’s Mark whiskey and includes a recipe card and video link with directions to make an old fashioned and a blueberry basil smash. Price: $44 for the dinner box and $50 for the cocktail box if it’s ordered with the dinner box. The price is $55 for the cocktail box if it’s ordered separately.

Sweet Grass at 937 Cooper Street (901 278-0278) is featuring a Valentine’s Day Prime Rib Dinner for Two that includes a winter cobb salad, loaded baked potatoes, horseradish cream, Boursin- and pistachio-stuffed piquillo peppers with black garlic honey, artisan rolls with whipped butter, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a bottle of wine. Price: $99 plus tax or $79 plus tax without wine.

Sunrise Memphis at 670 Jefferson Avenue (901-552-3168 ) is doing Valentine’s Day breakfasts: brioche bread with cheesecake frosting and a chocolate drizzle, topped with a chocolate-covered strawberry, for $14; and a Southern Surf and Turf Benedict: pan-fried country ham with fried oysters on an open-faced biscuit, topped with champagne hollandaise and scallions, for $15. Sunrise also will offer “breakfast in bed” delivery via Chow Now online at sunrise901.com. Sunrise recommends ordering early in the day because delivery orders between 10 a.m. and noon are sometimes severely delayed.

Cocozza American Italian at 145 S. Main Street patio (901 523-0523 to order), is offering a That’s Amore Valentine’s Dinner take-out special that includes an aperitivo: a Sicilian Spritzer, house-made of arancello, prosecco and pellegrino; a salad: roasted pepper Caprese with Buffalo mozzarella, re-roasted sweet peppers, basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze, or a Caesar with romaine, parmesan, croutons, and creamy garlic dressing; pasta: Seafood Cannelloni, which are delicate crepes filled with shrimp, lobster, and crab and baked in a sherry cream sauce with parmesan, or a vodka rigatoni: lightly spiced tomato vodka cream. Entree is a choice of a six-ounce filet mignon Barolo, with red wine reduction, cremini mushrooms, and roasted potato wedges; Herb Crusted Salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts, champagne citrus butter, and balsamic drizzle; or Chicken Cocozza: chicken cutlets sautéed with artichokes, peas, prosciutto, and basil Alfredo. Desserts are a chocolate raspberry torte or a Grande Marnier Creme Caramel. Price: $75 per person plus tax and to-go fee, which includes a cocktail.

Cocozza also is offering the Lady & the Tramp Package, which includes a red-and-white checkered linen tablecloth, a red glass globe candle, and a Cocozza Valentine’s Spotify playlist code. Price: $20. Ask about to-go Wine & Bubbles specials. The take-outs will be available for curbside pick-up at the time you specify on February 14th. Unless they’re sold out, orders may be placed up to 2 p.m. on February 14th.

If your significant other is anything like me, they appreciate a good meal out on the town — where someone else handles the cooking and the dishes and you’re able to enjoy a nice plate of food without having to lift a finger. I’m also quite food-motivated, so roses, while beautiful, aren’t necessary (they’re going to die after a few days anyway: sad face). My suggestion: Skip the flowers or heart-shaped box of chocolates and aim straight for the heart (the gut).

If you’re going to brave the dining crowds for Valentine’s Day, keep these things in mind.

Make a Reservation

If you’re looking for a romantic, sit-down experience, you’re probably not the only one. And with Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday this year — an already busy day/night for many restaurants — you may have a tough time getting seated if you just show up unannounced. This goes for the day of and likely the entire weekend. If you’ve got big plans in your mind but haven’t acted on them yet, stop reading this right now and call (or go online) and make a reservation. Do it. Now. We’ll wait.

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Plan Ahead

Will your restaurant of choice have a limited or special menu that night? Will there be special pricing? Since you’re already calling to make a reservation (ahem, have you done this yet?), ask some questions and know what you’re getting into.

Prepare for People

Remember that you won’t be alone out there. It’s going to be extra people-y, folks! Many groups and couples will be lining up for a taste of Valentine’s fare. Somewhere in the crowd, you may see a lot of hand-holding, or possibly some more-blatant PDA. If you’re flying solo, know that you might bear witness to a good bit of mushy, romantic verbal or physical proclamations of love — maybe order to-go or delivery if that sort of thing annoys you. If you’re the kissing couple, be mindful of others — we came to eat; we could do without a full-on show. (But we love that you’re in love!)

Be Patient and Polite

In a packed restaurant, things can get a little hectic behind the scenes. Be respectful of the servers who are busting butt to get your extra salad dressing and drink refills as quickly as they can while juggling multiple tables. Understand that the bartender has a dozen drinks to shake and pour before yours. And know that the kitchen staff is all-hands-on-deck churning out plate after plate of food for hungry V-Day diners. This is not the time to be impatient. Enjoy some good conversation with your dinner date between courses, and the night will unfold as it should.

Tip — and Tip Well

This should really go without saying — because DUH! — but absolutely tip your servers well. Over-tip even. The people making this happen for you are missing this time with their own loved ones. You don’t have to cook, and you don’t have to do the dishes. Make sure you show your appreciation for their time, attentiveness, and job well-done in the form of cold, hard cash (or a few extra dollars written in on the “tip” line of your credit card receipt). Show them the money!

If you follow these suggestions (the tip thing is more of a demand, really), you should be all set for a successful Valentine’s dining experience. Happy Day to you and yours and bon appetit!