“When
the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore…” —
Dean Martin
What better way to
express undying love than to present the object of your affection with a
taste-tempting, soul-satisfying, orgasmic bite to eat? Austin chefs, bakers,
confectioners, and pastry chefs are ready to entice you with their most
exquisite Valentine’s creations yet. Tantalizing appetizers, elegant
entr�es, and decadent chocolate treats abound — along with heart-shaped
confections of every possible description. Phone calls made last week to
favorite local romantic dining spots revealed a trend toward early
reservations. Popular eateries that don’t take reservations encourage diners to
get their names in very early on the evening of the 14th. Regardless of where
you intend to entertain your significant other, plan ahead to avoid
embarrassment or disappointment.
“Marriage, as I have often remarked, is not merely sharing one’s fettucine
but sharing the burden of finding the fettucine restaurant in the first
place.”
–Calvin Trillin
The fax machine has been hot with dazzling Valentine menus. The best bargain
I’ve seen on a prix fixe dinner is from the new Jean-Luc’s French
Bistro. With charming, informal European atmosphere, professional
French-accented service, and a very reasonably priced French wine list, they
offer a French country appetizer, entr�e, and dessert for $25 per
person. The most romantic suggestion comes from ancho’s, A Texas
Restaurant in the Omni Hotel; make reservations beforehand for an after-dinner
carriage ride with Die Gelbe Rose Carriages (517-1999), then enjoy the
Valentine menu at ancho’s ($65 per couple) to operatic accompaniment. Your
dinner receipt will qualify you for a special rate on the carriage ride around
downtown, and you’ll have lots of opportunities to snuggle.
For those who are enamored of sunset views of Town Lake, the Shoreline Grill
menu will include a mixed grill with chili and garlic cured rack of lamb and
slices of Muscovy duck breast in a porcini mushroom essence, and lobster with
their popular black bean ravioli. Reservations at Bertram’s will offer you and
your sweet baboo the opportunity to dine downstairs at 6:30pm, take dessert
upstairs at 7:30pm, and enjoy Christine Albert’s annual French Show with the
Cow Beret orchestra afterwards. The Bertram’s Valentine evening costs a mere
$40 per person, with a portion of the proceeds going to Austin Rape Crisis
Center’s Christine Albert Survivors Fund.
Dessert lovers will be enchanted by the spectacular array of sweets
planned for this Valentine’s Day. Jeffrey’s patrons will choose from a Meyer
Lemon Pucker-Up, a Bittersweet Embrace, or a Berry Red Kiss.
Diners at Coyote Cafe can decide between a Tart Tatin for Two, a
Chocolate Cherry Seduction, or a Passion Potion. Granite Cafe
customers loyal to the traditional favorite Chocolate Bag will find it, along
with an inspired creation of meringue layers filled with caramel ice cream and
poached pear ice cream garnished with caramelized pecans and blood orange
jus.
“There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making
dinner for someone she loves.”
–Thomas Wolfe
In the market for an edible gift to be shared in the privacy of your own home?
Drop by any Sweetish Hill location and pick up a heart-shaped white chocolate
eclair or some very large, hand-decorated gingerbread or shortbread heart
cookies emblazoned with a personal loving message ranging from the sweet to the
sassy. At Amandine, all your favorite fine European desserts (Opera Torte,
Amandine Torte, Linzertart) will be made in heart shapes, and there will be
Sweet Teddy Bears — huggable, edible one-pound sweet bread loaves — to make
your dear heart smile. If your beloved is one of the thousands with a jones for
Hyde Park Fudge Cake, order the special heart-shaped variety at any Texas
French Bread location around town and grab a few heart-shaped scones for the
inevitable morning-after repast.
Upper Crust will have red heart tins packed with chocolate Coeur a la
Creme, just enough for two, and Bags o’ Hearts, little packages of 2 dozen
tiny heart cookies. There will be a cellist playing all day at la Madeleine,
entertaining lovers as they linger lovingly over raspberry cheesecake for two.
Perhaps an almond tuile filled with white chocolate Snickers mousse decorated
with chocolate hearts would please yourenamorada; order one from Bread
Alone and while you’re there, pick up several of the lovely, hand-painted
hearts from Penny’s Pastries.
There are those lovers who speak of chocolate as though it were alive, and
the only prescription for their affliction (and often the key to their hearts)
can be found at Dr. Chocolate. The doctors have chocolate-covered everything;
fresh fruit, candied fruit, popcorn, pretzels, and biscotti. For those who
might prefer pasta to sweets, Bottega della Pasta has Heart-Shaped Ravioli
filled with goat cheese, artichoke hearts, shiitake mushrooms and asparagus
tips, eight pieces to the pound.
“After a perfect meal we are more susceptible to the ecstasy of love than
at any other time.”
— Dr. Hans Bazli n
This article appears in February 9 • 1996 and February 9 • 1996 (Cover).