Edible Events: Last-Minute Valentine's Day Edition
Play your cards right, and this could be you. (Photo via ThinkStock.)
As Valentine’s Day is fast approaching (note: it’s tomorrow, for all of you slackers out there), it’s time to book a dinner reservation if you haven’t already. Whatever your mood, we’ve got you covered with options that still have availability (as of post time). — Jon Cheng
Spiced-up French at Market. Diners can look forward to a five-course menu (with two selections for each course), that makes use of local and exotic ingredients. A prelude of black pepper crab fritter is paired with sweet pear and endive, while the following course’s tuna tartare with avocado comes topped with crisp spicy radish and a broth of ginger, yuzu, and sriracha chili oil. Slowly cooked salmon, a more traditional option, is paired with sugar snap peas, mashed potatoes, and truffle vinaigrette. Round off the meal with with a house-made rose macaroon, decorated with raspberries and rose petals. $55 ($45 extra for wine-pairing), 100 Stuart St. (W Hotel), Boston, 617-261-872, marketbyjgboston.com.
Sadie Hawkins Dance at Saloon. Bring on the middle and high-school nostalgia, Sadie Hawkins-style at the new venture by the team that brought you Foundry on Elm. Still within the confines of Davis Square and a mere 10-minute walk from Tufts University, Saloon offers an affordable $25 four-course menu ($15 more with a bourbon or beer pairing). Expect hearty dishes like house-made charcuterie with mustard and toast, maple-braised pork belly with Boston baked beans, and grilled flatiron steak with creamed spinach and frites. Work off the heavy food with a romantic spin across the dance floor, backed by tunes from DJ Monster Carl. 255 Elm St., Somerville, 617-628-4444, saloondavis.com.
Persian Fare at Lala Rokh. The eclectic Beacon Hill eatery is offering a four-course prixe-fixe menu of Persian staples like Borani-e Garch, which is a dish of mushrooms and yogurt over grilled cornbread, Baghla Pollo, or braised lamb-shank with tomato saffron sauce and dill-spiked rice, and Khoresht-e Bademjan, a stew of slow-cooked beef with roasted eggplant and saffron tomatoes. 97 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, 617-720-5511, lalarokh.com.
Italian Sexytime at Restaurant Dante. Chef Dante de Magistris is featuring a four-course menu which turns up the sexual dial to maximum. From start to finish, the meal progresses from “smooch” to “foreplay,” followed by a “climax” course and a finale of “spooning.” (This is not the time or place for a first or second date, people.) $75 ($110 for wine-pairing) 40 Edwin H Land Blvd., Cambridge, 617-497-4200, restaurantdante.com.
Veggie Love at Temple Bar. For those dining with a vegetarian, the Cambridge pub is offering a three-course vegetarian menu for $49 (meat courses available for carnivores). Expect dishes like roasted beet carpaccio with avocado puree, candied pistachios, and goat cheese, and Moussaka with eggplant, mushrooms, root vegetables, and beluga lentils. $49, 1688 Mass Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-5055, templebarcambridge.com.
Singles Mingle at Lolita. In order to comfort single folk, the Back Bay Mexican eatery and tequila bar will be hosting a Matchmaking Mixer from 8 p.m. until late-night for only $2.14. Guests at the door will receive half of a heart-piece, and if by the end of the night a prospective couple strikes a chord and forms a complete heart, the restaurant will award two tickets to the House of Blues Boston for a date. Feeling shy or awkward? Guests will receive a complimentary glass of champagne upon entry. If Cupid leaves you empty-handed, Lolita holds over 200 choice tequilas — more than enough to drown your sorrows away. Reservations through EventBrite, 271 Dartmouth St., Boston, 617 369 560, lolitaboston.com.
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