On Valentine’s Day, some folks float out of bed, breathe deep and feel their hearts brim with fondness for that special someone. Others eat more than one pint of Ben & Jerry’s, which is a fair substitute.
The following array of Valentine’s eating recommendations is for the former type of person — a V-Day celebrant with a love of high-end dining in particular. Think of this list as a shish kebab. Drunk with hunger, Cupid’s arrow has gone astray and impaled a series of romantic restaurants.
Readers in Greater Tampa Bay can pluck an entry from below for date night as taste sees fit.
Haven
For some, the mere survival of Valentine’s Day is a victory in itself. Appropriately, then, Haven’s website advertises the opportunity to “retreat from life’s challenges to enjoy life’s victories.”
Haven’s Valentine’s Day special replaces the restaurant’s standard offerings. It is a sophisticated four-course tasting menu with wine pairings. This includes a variety of goat’s milk cheeses, reminding patrons to pasteurize their love lives, and leave pathogenic relationships behind.
Mise En Place
Pronounced “meez-on-ploss,” this French phrase denotes the complete preparation of a meal’s ingredients before actually cooking or baking.
France has acquired a reputation for both fine dining and romance. It is, in fact a real place with just as many street thugs and reality TV series as the U.S. Yet, the stereotype of romantic elegance and exquisite eating is hard to ignore.
Mise En Place plays hard on this trope, but they do it with grace and charm.
Don CeSar
The Don requests a visit from Tampenos on Valentine’s Day. It offers lovable cuisine from high-end eateries including the Maritana Grille and the Sea Porch Restaurant.
For readers not in the know, the iconic, pink Don CeSar is a positively enchanting hotel and landmark. The resort flirts with the soft white bed of St. Pete Beach. In other words, get a room.
Rose Bar
Consider Rose Bar the playboy of V-Day dining. Culinary monogamy, this is not. Expect offerings from Thai to Cajun and Mediterranean.
On Swann
On Swann’s menu shows a lot of love to local businesses. This restaurant uses nearby ingredients from hardworking Floridians in the GTB area.
Instead of wine and beer, the menu lists vino and suds, putting to rest any inkling that On Swann is a casual dining experience. The open kitchen and fully stocked bar area add more than a touch of class.
Sacred Pepper
Looking to impress your date this Valentine’s Day? Sacred Pepper puts out all the stops. They boast a wide selection of shareable plates, plus wine on tap and classic cocktails to sip during your swanky evening.
Head to Carrollwood to make your lover’s heart sing, and be sure to save room for dessert. Sacred Pepper serves a Killer Chocolate Cake and if that doesn’t scream “romance” we don’t exactly know what does.
By Drew Mortier
