My Edmonds Restaurant News: Valentine’s Day menus await you and your sweetheart

Extraordinary, Elegant, Euphoric, Ecstatic…mere words cannot describe our Edmonds Kinds of Valentine’s Day offerings!

We all know that chocolate is good for us, right? Just in case you need supporting data, here is a direct quote: “Chocolate is made from the cacao bean, and beans are considered legumes, which are considered vegetables” So eat your vegetables! BTW —  almost every one of our local restaurants offers a vegetarian option for their specials next weekend.

Spoiler Alert! Reading the descriptions below may incite ancillary weight gain!

AMERICAN BREWING CO Will be releasing “Decadence Imperial Chocolate Stout” on Thursday, Feb. 12! REALLY delicious! It will be on tap at 3 p.m.
ARNIE’S encourages customers to check out their FRESH SHEET for special dinner on Feb. 14
BAR DOJO says “We are already almost full and please know reservations will be required to dine with us. We will only be offering the prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day, no regular menu.” Cost is $70 per person and OPTIONAL 4-course wine pairing available at $30/guest.

FIRST
CRISPY TOFU SALAD- Artesian greens, crispy fried organic tofu, shaved vegetables, ginger dressing
SOFT SHELL CRABS BISQUE -Crab and pepper puree, crispy soft shell crab, chive oil
HAMACHI -Thinly sliced yellow tail sashimi, ponzu, house chili sauce, lime

SECOND
OYSTERS- Local kusshi oysters, chili daikon mignonette
CILANTRO SHRIMP TOWER- Sautéed shrimp, avocado, cucumber, cilantro aioli
BRAISED PORK BELLY- Honey lime braised natural pork belly, micro salad

THIRD
FILLET- Six ounce beef tenderloin, curry mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, crispy onions
SCALLOP RISOTTO- Pan seared New Bedford scallops, edamame shitake risotto, lemon butter preserve
PORK TENDERLOIN- spice rubbed seared pork tenderloin, wild rice, bok choy, miso plum sauce

FINAL
CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE- warm strawberries, ginger lace
BLACK BOTTOM RASPBERRY NAPOLEON- layered caramelized phyllo, fresh raspberries, chocolate & vanilla pastry, raspberry coulis, chocolate sauce
PREMIUM MOCHI TRIO -mochaccino, vanilla chocolate chip & salted caramel

CHANTERELLE offers a three-course dinner. Choose from:

Soup: Tomato Bisque or Soup du Jour.
Salad: Tossed Salad Greens dusted with chopped Hazelnuts with choice of dressing (vinaigrette, blue cheese, or creamy olivada), or spinach salad (+$2.50) or Caesar salad (+$1.50).
Entrée:
New York Steak and Other Loves
Organic Coffee and Chili Rub; grilled; Red Wine-Dark Chocolate-Bacon-Garlic Steak Sauce
House Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Vegetables 25.99
*Suggested Wine by the glass Pairing: Dreaming Tree CA Red Blend 7.

Seafood Trilogy
Filet of Salmon, Brown Sugar Bourbon Glaze; Two Coconut Prawns; Crab cake with Cajun Ribbon
Coconut Rice, Broccoli and Carrots 26.99
*Suggested Wine by the glass Pairing: Beringer CA Chenin Blanc 7.

Chicken Breast, Pomegranate Jewels, Ginger Cream Sauce
Finished with Fresh Pomegranate and Crispy Shallots
Roasted Red Potatoes and Vegetables 19.99
*Suggested Beverage Pairing: Barnard Griffin WA Chardonnay 7.

Pair the Pears with Gorgonzola and Pork Medallions
Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce and Pears, Rosemary dusted Pork
Roasted Red Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli 19.99
*Suggested Wine Pairing: Columbia Crest Grand Estate CA Chardonnay 7.

A Vegetarian Valentine
Butternut Squash, Adobo sauce, Black Beans, and a touch of Maple and Lime;
With Quinoa; finished with Queso Fresco, Cilantro, Pepitas; 17.99
*Suggested Wine by the glass Pairing: Waterbrook WA Malbec 7.
Their regular full dinner menu is available as well.

CHEESEMONGER‘S TABLE Still planning the details of some special menu items, BUT…check out an item that is a “must have” pour moi on
Valentine’s Day- Coeur Du Berry, a heart-shaped fresh Chevre! A perfect gift – Valentine’s Box with drunken cherries and chocolates, is great to share with your sweetie after dinner from their amazing menu. “Come in and indulge your love of cheese.”

EPULO $70 per person – $50 additional wine pairing – tax & gratuity not included
Make selections from these choices:

AMUSE BOUCHE​-Caviar, Crème Fraiche, Sweet Bellini with Champagne or Sparkling Cider
1ST COURSE OPTIONS​- Quinoa Salad-Frissee,​Blood Orange, Pomegranate, Champagne Tarragon Dressing
Mint Pea Soup-Dungeness Crab, Avocado, Tomato
2ND COURSE OPTIONS​-Butternut Squash Raviolo-Lamb Sugo, Grana Padano
Hood Canal Oysters on the Half Shell-Citrus ​Mignonette, Pickled Asparagus
Roasted Beet Salad-Pancetta Dressing, Arugula, Feta
3RD COURSE OPTIONS​-Wood Fired Roasted Game Hen-Risotto Alla Arrabbiata, Sage Pistou
New York Steak-Grilled Painted Hills Beef, Parsnip Mash, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Horseradish-Truffle Butter, Cabernet Demi Glace
Sea Scallops-Fregola, Spinach, Foraged Mushrooms, Cara Cara Orange Beurre Blanc
Grilled Vegetable Pastitsio-Grilled Portabella, Tomato, Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper, Zucchini, Grilled and Layered with Penne, Chevre and Parmesan
4TH COURSE OPTIONS​- Salted Caramel and Theo Chocolate Torte-Theo’s​ Chocolate, Cocoa Nib Crumble, Caramel Macchiato
Mascarpone Honey Crespelle-Honey Mascarpone, Hazelnut Butter, Theo’s Cocoa Whipping Crème
Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta- Blood Orange Marmalade, Walnut Tuile, Honeycomb

ANTHONY’S HOMEPORT says a special FRESH SHEET is still in the works for Valentine’s Day dinners.

GIRARDI’S: All regular menu choices on Valentine’s Day this year. They offer suggestions for a great way to end a perfect meal! “We always recommend our homemade tiramisu! Sometimes our food can be filling and a cup of sorbet or shot of Limoncello can finish nice and light.”

THE LOFT is offering a three-course menu for two is $80. Call 425-640-5000 for reservations and menu options.

PAGLIACCI’S Baci di Dama, the Februrary special gelato, chocolate and hazelnut dessert, can be shared or just ribbon it with a pretty spoon and a gift card for their fabulous pizza, calzones or lasagna.

PCC NATURAL MARKETS: Heart-shaped cakes in Vegan Chocolate or Devil’s Food and an extensive selection of chocolate candy from local producers like Fran’s Chocolates! To keep your heart healthy after the chocolate indulgences, Race in the Love ’em or Leave ’em Valentine’s Day Dash 5K on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Green Lake Park. PCC is sponsoring the PCC Healthy Kids Little Heart Beet Run, a free non-competitive run for kids, and also is the official fruit sponsor of the race. The events kick off at 8 a.m. Register online www.pccnaturalmarkets.com

SCOTT’S BAR & GRILL Offers these valentine’s options: prix-fixe dinner-for-two or Treat your sweetheart Saturday or Sunday brunch!

STARBUCKS: special MATCH DATE menu on Friday, Feb. 13, participating company-operated and select licensed locations in the U.S. and Canada will feature a special pairings menu: a selection of coffee and treat pairings available for $5.
· Caffé Verona® Coffee Press for Two and a Double Chocolate Chunk Brownie
· Tall Flat White and Chocolate Croissant
· Grande Raspberry Mocha or Grande White Chocolate Mocha and Heart Cookie

Available from 2 p.m. to close, the special pairings menu will be complemented with in-store experiences designed to facilitate connection and celebrate love.

So many ways to say “ I love you”…and here is one more option that yours truly is hoping will get her spouse’s attention.

DINNER AND A SHOW! When you think of entertainment, you normally also think about where will you eat before or after the show, right? And what better way to launch this idea with the opening of a show called Death by Chocolate.
Well, the Edmonds Driftwood Players and Five Restaurant were thinking the same thing. Thus was born the Dinner & A Show idea. Show opens Feb. 20. This package makes it so easy to become the “Best Valentine” ever. You get to extend the glow of Valentine’s Day for another week.
The show itself tells you “what’s for dessert.” This could be fun! I am certainly excited about the marriage of food and art!
I hope to provide details of this special meal, dessert and show in my next column!

— By Kathy Passage
restaurantnews@myedmondsnews.com