Who said February is boring? There is so much going on that we had to add an extra day at the end of the month to make sure we get everything done! The next fortnight alone will see many of us celebrating Chinese New Year (go here for Chicken Balls!) watching the Super Bowl, stuffing ourselves with pancakes on Fat Tuesday and spending time with the family on Family Day. Did we miss one? Oh yeah, a little thing called Valentine’s Day, you don’t want to forget about that one!
This is the one day when you may want to treat that special loved one to a romantic dinner, perhaps one that you made yourself. Or maybe not. If you have kids around, it might be hard to get into that romantic spirit, and if you are not particularly adept in the kitchen, it is probable that the only thing you want to make for dinner are reservations.
With this in mind, today we are looking at just a few of the restaurants around town that are laying out a romantic spread for you, and we’re giving you lots of time to make your reservations for that special night two weeks from now. To get the juices flowing, have a look here at some of the romantic joints around the city that will be going all out for you and yours.
For you high rollers, Momofuku is running two Valentine’s Day menus the entire weekend, Friday the 12th to Sunday the 14th. At Shoto, chef Peter Jensen has a multi-course tasting menu for 175$ per person, and at Shoto’s sister restaurant, Daisho, a 3 course prix-fixe menu is available for 75$ and a 4-course prix- fixe for 95$.
Susur Lee’s restaurant Lee also has a special menu for lovebirds, a 4 course prix-fixe featuring Snow Crab Taco, Spicy Tuna Tartar, Baked Oysters Rockefeller, Japanese style Kobe beef Tataki, and Classic Beef Wellington. For dessert, a choice between a Wild Blueberry gelee butterfly or “Ebony and Ivory” chocolate mousse.
Now when it comes to fine dining restaurants in Toronto who are getting into the Valentine’s spirit you have to give a shout out to Oliver & Bonacini. All twelve of the restaurants and Bistros in the O&B empire will be wowing us with special Valentines menus, from the ski slopes of Blue Mountain in Collingwood to the picturesque city of Oakville and all the way down the QEW to downtown Toronto’s Biff’s Bistro, Jump and Canoe.
Of course, sharing Valentine’s Day with your loved one doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Toronto is lucky to have some of the best chocolatiers in the country, so if a box of chocolates or truffles is more your speed, get them the good stuff.
Finally, you may want to say it with cookies. Check out what Jacqueline Long is doing at her custom cookie bakery, Teeny Tiny Bakery.
Are these not the most adorable things you’ve ever seen? We’ve heard through the rumour mill that these little beauties will sell out, so, just like everything else, plan early!