Roses Are Red, Reservations for Two

Tables on Valentines Day

by Chronogram staff, February 09, 2011

While serious restaurant goers tend to avoid eating out on Valentine's Day--just like serious powder buffs don't ski on the weekends--the rest of just want somewhere to take our beloved for a treat. Prix-fixe dinners abound, and don't be surprised if your eatery of choice isn't offering their full menu, but a special two- or three-course "special" menu. Our advice: Call ahead and make sure. If your honey has her heart set on the bouillabaisse and it's not forthcoming, you might have ruined the evening. That said, not all set menus are built alike, and the following are some suggestions for prix-fixe dining and also some romantic locations for a la carte dining.

Prix-Fixe

Village Tea Room
This Valentine's Day, choose from minted lamb sliders, steak au poivre, fettuccine and beef braised in red wine, to name a few dishes. The Village TeaRoom Restaurant and Bake Shop in New Paltz is offering a
special prix fixe menu, as well as new additions to their regular menu.

Gomen Kudasai
Gomen Kudasai, a chic Japanese noodle shop in New Paltz offers an alternative to the typical Valentine's Day routine. Enjoy a choice of sushi or soba, and sip sweet hot cocktails made with Korean spirits. The proprietor, Youko, is a perfectionist. We expect nothing less on V-Day.




Terrapin
A restaurant house in old church would seem a fitting location to pop the question on V-Day. Josh Kroner's Terraping in Rhinebeck will undoubtedly be busy with diners lining up for his four-course menu, so call ahead.


A la Carte

Le Canard Enchaine
Only a couple of restaurants in the Hudson Valley get French cuisine right and Le Canard is one of them. Cassoulet, duck confit, escargot, all that you expect and prepared with precision. As the light fades over Kingston's  Old Dutch Church, you might just think you're in Montmartre.

Tuthill House at the Mill
A new fave. Housed in the hisoric 1788 Grist Mill just off Rt. 44/55 in Gardiner, Tuthill House charms with its decor and regionally sourced food.

Depuy Canal House
What put Hudson Valley cuisine on the map. Chef John Novi is still at the helm 40+ years later in High Falls (though rumor has it he's looking to retire). The 200-year-old tavern is gorgeous, and just about as romantic as it gets: room connects haphazardly to rooms in this labyrinth of low light and stone.

Charlotte's
Romantic fireside dining in bucolic hunt country outside Millbrook. Charlotte's offers all the favorites off its regular menu--poached sea bass, osso bucco, steamed Alaskan king crab legs--in addition to nightly specials.