Oops, you did it again. The most romantic day of the year is less than 24 hours away and you haven’t got a prayer of getting a romantic dinner reservation for your honey. Relax, Romeo. BiteClub made a few phone calls to pull your bacon out of the fire. You owe me. Big.
You can’t beat the wow-factor of having liquid nitrogen and cream churned tableside at Madrona Manor (1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, 433.1542). Despite the cutesy Victorian décor of this Healdsburg bed and breakfast, Chef Jesse Malgren’s haute cuisine is anything but old-fashioned.
Impress your date with your culinary savvy at Bistro 29 (620 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 546-2929), a spanking-new French spot headed up by Lolos’ kitchen alum Brian Anderson. Come on, how sexy are crepes a deux? They’ll be serving their regular menu (steak frites, sardines with sea salt and fois gras with black fig jam) throughout the weekend, but Anderson promises a few surprises.
Get warm and fuzzy with Wine Spectrum Lounge’s blind “Lover’s Tasting” “a guessing game involving five glasses and some sexy sipping “or their champagne flight paired with chocolate truffles ($10, 123 4th St, Santa Rosa, 636-1064). If you’re headed toward Healdsburg, Chef Mateo Granados’ hosts insiders-only dinner featuring five courses with a Latin touch at the intimate Costeaux Bakery (reservations, 433-2338).
Cafe Saint Rose (465 Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa, 546.2459) offers up their saucy Valentine’s menu through the weekend and Chef Mark Malicki says there are still a few tables left for procrastinators on Friday. To get you in the mood, check out their romantically-themed dinner and a movie tonight.
One of the most romantic recommendations for the adventuresome couple: Duck larb and karaoke at always colorful Vang Vieng (formerly Na Thong, 3446 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, 206-0884). Things get rocking on Friday and Saturday nights.
Syrah restaurant still has a couple of spots left for their four course prix-fixe Valentine’s dinner featuring a heart-palpitating lineup of aphrodisiacs: oysters, lobster Vol-au-Vent and Scharffen Berger chocolate mousse. ($85 per person, 205 Fifth Street, Santa Rosa, 568-4002). Still not satisfied? Take-out sushi from BiteClub’s Sushi Smackdown winner, Ume Japanese Bistro (8710 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 838-6700). If you can’t stomach the monkfish pate (which frankly shows a lot of style in my book), go for a spicy Saigon roll filled with salmon and a hot kick of chili and wasabi “best eaten using your fingers. Or, even better, your lover’s.