Valentine's dinners for lovers and non

February 05, 2004|DINING OUT, Globe Staff

Ask what's the most romantic neighborhood in Boston, and the answer is most likely to be Beacon Hill: Narrow cobblestoned streets, antique shops along Charles Street, golden afternoon light pouring over steeply pitched roofs, the quiet hush of evening as townhouse lights twinkle on. Beacon Hill restaurants fit the mold, too. Most are not splashy big-deal spots, but intimate and personal, just right for a tete-a-tete on Valentine's Day.

Chef Benjamin Knack of Beacon Hill Bistro on Charles Street uses the lovers' dinner to add some extra luxury to his menu. "We like to spice it up a little bit," the chef says, with hamachi wrapped around oysters in a lemon ponzu and jalapeno sauce. Other dishes in the four-course menu include escolar with Hawaiian prawns flown in live so they'll be especially sweet, Knack says, and rack of lamb with Dauphinois potatoes and king oyster mushrooms. Dessert will be an extraganza of chocolate with chocolate ice cream rolled in a genoise and a cappuccino milkshake with dulce de leche foam. Cost of the dinner is $59 each. For information, call 617-723-1133.

The Hungry i, tucked in an alley off Charles Street, is dreamily romantic, tiny and upholstered, with French-inspired cuisine individually created by longtime chef-owner Peter Ballarin. Since Feb. 14 is a Saturday, Ballarin says he has created two menus. The more elaborate for Feb. 14 is called "Falling in Love Again;" for Friday and Sunday, simpler fare will be called `Foolish Valentine." On Valentine's Day, the menu for $175 a couple includes such dishes as asparagus spears wrapped with gravlax piercing a pumpernickel heart; veal scallops with sea scallops, Dijon mustard cream and a splash of Chablis, and a red devil gateaux with cappuccino cream. For Friday and Sunday evenings, such dishes as lobster bisque, a brace of quail wrapped in pancetta, and raspberry citrus custard rum cake will be offered. The three-course dinner is $75 each. Call 617-227-3524.

Evan Deluty, chef and co-owner of Torch, will start his menu with an "aphrodisiac theme," he says. The four-course menu begins with Wellfleet oysters with champagne and caviar vinaigrette; and butternut-squash risotto with rock shrimp in chive oil; rack of lamb with spinach and polenta and a triple-layer chocolate terrine. Cost is $85 each. Call 617-723-5939. Another romantic Beacon Hill setting is 75 Chestnut, where a four-course dinner both Friday and Saturday will be $75 each. Some of the dishes planned are: pan-seared foie gras with strawberry compote and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar; tenderloin of beef with potato-walnut confit; and lobster encrusted with pecans. A dessert creation will finish the meal. Call 617-227-2175.