MSP- Valentine's Day?

[i_heart_mushrooms]

I know it's already late to put in my reservations for many of the 'romantic' restaurants this week...but any suggestions for a place not too fancy and feels intimate with a great wine list? Where have you and your significant other dined at for Valentine's? I might even consider a good ol' recipe for a night at home.

[karykat]

How about the Heartland wine bar. They don't take reservations (I don't think) so you would have to be lucky. But we have done that on Valentines Day. They may have a fixed prixe thing in that room on V-day. I seem to remember that.

One time we went to 112 Eatery a bit later just for a glass of champagne and dessert. Again, we may just have been lucky, but that may work if the food and love gods are with you. You may need a back up plan.

[bob s]

If you choose 112, Saffron might be a good back up. It's across the street. Also Nami is a block away too.

[Michael Florey]

A place like Marin's table might have openings on V-day for dinner still. It is very cozy and the food is quite good. http://www.mairinstable.com/

If you stay home, go to Solo Vino wine on Selby in St. Paul and get a good bottle of rosé Champagne. They currently have a decent selection. That's pretty much all you need.

[cayjohan]

I don't know if rezzies are still possible, but we bought a gift certif for our College Boy and his girlfriend at Loring Pasta Bar (still my favorite romantic place-hmmmmm....). Nice room (if you're into "that"), and an affordable menu. Give them a call, if you don't mind eclectic. Decent prices, but check to see if they have a prix fixe.

Cay

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Loring Pasta Bar
327 14th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414

[AnneInMpls]

How about avoiding the crowds at the quote-unquote romantic places - pick a casual place for Thursday, and go to a great place on Wednesday or Friday? Me, I'm thinking of going to Keefer Court or Saigon Cafe for V-day.

Another option for great food, no reservations required, but perhaps not the ultimate in romantic settings (cafeteria ordering and noisy espresso machine)... The Birchwood Cafe has a fabulous "small plates" menu for the weekend (Thurs-Sat), culminating in a fancy-pants dinner on Sunday. Pretty decent wine list, too - extremely short, but all free-trade and organic wines. I'd be there on Sunday, if only I didn't have a colonoscopy scheduled for two days later! (Must eat a low-fiber diet all weekend) .

If you pick the dine-at-home option, go to Golden Fig, Clancy's, or Midtown Global Market for some great heat-and-eat options. (Clancy's sometimes has confit duck legs, which always sends my sweetie into raptures.) Both Golden Fig and MGM have those amazing chickens (uncooked) from Calister Farms.

Anne

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Midtown Global Market
920 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Birchwood Cafe
3311 E 25th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406

Chocolate Fig
790 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

Clancey's Meats & Fish
4307 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410

[reannd]

I will see you at Keefer for dessert on V-day! =) We were gonna go to Quang or Blue Nile.. same idea as you.

Separate note - the Etica wines are pretty nice.. if they are serving the same @ the Birchwood that they had at Common Roots. Someone go enjoy 'em for Anne..

[AnneInMpls]

We didn't make it to Keefer Court tonight - we went to the Birchwood instead, and we were too full for dessert. But I'm sure I'll get to KC before the weekend is over.

I wasn't planning on the Birchwood, as I feared it would be completely mobbed on V-day, but it wasn't very busy. For a review of the amazing dishes they have through the weekend, see this thread:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/489841

And yes, the Etica wines are very nice! I really like the Carmenere and the Pinotage. I love the Birchwood's wine list - it has gotten bigger since I last checked (8 or 9 wines instead of 4 or 5). Their house red, Les Heretiques (an organic French wine), is one of my very favorites. And it's great with the mushroom risotto.

Anne

P.S. The Birchwood was very romantic tonight - a candle and flowers at each table. Plus a beautiful half-moon in the sky outside. Who could ask for more?

[reannd]

We didn't get to Keefer, either. My husband suprised me and made cake from scratch.. a perfect present for me (:-o!)

We did get to blue nile (yay, always good. it's so not hip i love it).. they had valentine's candy for us on the tables & in the bar, too.. and 2 for 1 wine's (plus our 2 for 1 dinner discount).

Glad birchwood was such a hit. Thanks for the review! I love it there, too.. never disappointed.. except when the tables are full, but even then I'm happy because it's good business for them!

[cayjohan]

reannd, even though V.D. is over, I would hold up Blue Nile as a lovely romantic spot to eat. Hello? Gosa gosa patters eaten by hand? The yummy Blue Nile mango-rita? The lovely slow pace?

Hopefully V-ness will spill into all the restaurants mentioned on this thread. We'll still be romantic in March, right?

<g>
Cay

[KTFoley]

From the Search function (I accuse myself of sounding like a broken record but c'mon now, it's that little link at the top of this frame and it does not hurt a bit) two very recent threads on the identical topic:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/479198
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/473288

And one just as recent on a similar topic:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/487216

Recipes are found on the Home Cooking board.