Restaurants
for Romance
Where Soft Lighting and Culinary Magic Conspire
by John Mariani
British
playwright and wit Noel Coward once said that "ninety-five
percent of romance is good lighting." When soft, flattering
illumination, discrete décor, unobtrusive service and exquisite
cuisine and wine conspire, love has a better-than-even chance of
success—especially in a world where noise, hard surfaces and
bare wooden tables are considered trend-setting.
With
such beneficial factors in mind, here are some of my top picks for
restaurants that are likely to up the odds for your romantic evening,
whether it falls on Valentine’s Day or any other.
 |
| Montagna |
Aspen’s
most stylish hotel, The
Little Nell, has Aspen’s most stylish restaurant, Montagna.
Its seductive powers begin in the bar-lounge, set with rattan bistro
chairs, linen walls and white marble tables, and then grow stronger
in a dining room with walls finished in a yellow glaze and a ceiling
decorated with rustic wood and iron chandeliers. There is also a
beautiful wine room for private dining, with a splendid fireplace
and walls of wine bottles from the Nell’s award-winning list.
The
menu features "Alpine Cuisine," which stresses the kind
of hearty fare enjoyed in high-mountain ski resorts. Chef Paul Wade
delivers big flavors in dishes like a superb grilled veal chop with
fingerling potatoes and pear jus, wood-smoked tenderloin of beef
with a potato gratin and mushroom ragoût, salmon pastrami
with corn blini and caviar, and roast duckling with vanilla-scented
mashed potatoes and an elderberry compote. Stellar desserts range
from an upside-down pear-and-honey spice cake with hazelnut ice
cream to a warm apple-and-huckleberry crisp with buttermilk ice
cream. Sommelier Rich Betts is on hand to make the choice of wines
effortless from a cache of more than 11,000 bottles and 800 selections.
|
The
Dining Room at Woodlands |
One
of the loveliest of all American estates, 30 minutes from Charleston,
SC, is Woodlands
Resort & Inn, on acres of rambling, landscaped
Low Country scenery. The pillared, two-tiered The
Dining Room at Woodlands features a cloud-painted ceiling,
amiable European-style service and a great wine list, making this one of the finest, most romantic
dining experiences in the South.
 |
| Spiaggia |
You
might begin with potato-crusted bay scallops with red corn polenta
and roasted celery root jus; or a pavé of kampachi with hot
ginger mignonette. Then, move on to such sophisticated fare as pistachio-roasted
venison with a blue cheese-yam purée and caramelized onion
sauce. End the evening on a promising note with a St. Domingue chocolate
cake with truffle cream and passion fruit mousse.
A
table on the second floor of Chicago’s Spiaggia looks out over the well-named Magnificent Mile and the city’s
majestic skyscrapers, a stirring sight. This 22-year-old restaurant
soars as one of America’s great Italian dining rooms. You
sit in a tall, caressing booth and admire the lights of the city
while feasting on Tony Mantuano’s fabulous cuisine, typified
by wood-roasted sea scallops with porcini mushrooms and shavings
of Parmigiano Reggiano; creamy risotto with wild mushrooms, summer
truffles and sweet corn jus; and charcoal-grilled veal chop with
Swiss chard and crispy veal sweetbread. Resistance is futile.
The
most romantic room in Philadelphia is Fountain Restaurant at the Four
Seasons Hotel. The menu eschews trendiness while also breaking
from conformity in a way that makes every new, seasonal dish appear
fresh, bright and seductive. The effusively handsome dining room
has a grand view of the eponymous circular outdoor fountain, and
you simply won't find a service staff that comes even close to the
cordial professionalism, without a whit of pretension, that you’ll
enjoy here. All the while, you’ll dine on delicacies like
braised black bass fillet with pickled cherry tomatoes, vegetable
barigoule and bouillabaisse reduction; sautéed Maine codfish
with green apple salad, carrot ribbons, micro-watercress salad and
shellfish jus; and roast squab breast with truffled jambonette,
leek tartine, potato and game jus.
 |
| White
Barn Inn |
Nestled
in its own neck of dark woods on Maine’s magnificent coastline
in Kennebunkport, the White
Barn Inn sets a standard for reclusive romance, from
the elegance of its rooms and amenities to the rustic charms of
its fine restaurant within what was once two 19th-century barns.
Chef Jonathan Cartwright sets a menu that changes with weekly seasonal
specials, all based on the finest New England provender, as in the
house-cured duck prosciutto in a pea foam, served with a crispy
duck confit, Yukon gold croutons, herb salad and plum wine vinegar;
a platter of salt cod fritters with sautéed calamari, a tomato
confit salad, chickpea flatbread and saffron aïoli; and a raspberry
soufflé with yogurt and raspberry ripple ice cream (which,
by the way, goes nicely with any of a slew of dessert wines from
the exceptional list). After dining so satisfyingly, you’ll
head back to your room to sleep under a turned-down quilt as the
Down East wind flits in from the sea and waves break over the rocky
shore.
New
York has so many romantic possibilities—from the Sea
Grill overlooking the Rockefeller Center skating rink to
the sophisticated élan of Le
Bernardin. But for sheer drama and excellent food via chef Ari
Nieminen, Water’s
Edge in Long Island City, reached via its own five-minute
ferry ride, can’t be beat for its breathtaking panorama of
the Manhattan skyline. You’ll be cordially received and graciously
served dishes like Dover sole with fondant potatoes, lemon and capers;
seared duck foie gras on baby spinach with huckleberries; and crisp
sweetbreads with an onion soubise and goat’s cheese gnocchi
in Madeira sauce. The view will touch your heart, which is why the
staff has gotten used to providing engagement rings at pre-arranged
moments many nights each month.
As
that last bit of information might suggest, choosing the right restaurant
is only the first step in creating the perfect romantic evening.
The rest is entirely up to you!
 John
Mariani is well known for his frank and poignant
writing in Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion and the Harper Collection.
He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food
& Drink, The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink and co-author, with his wife, of the Italian-American
Cookbook. |
|
(Updated: 03/07/08 HC) |
