JFor lovers only

Valentine's daze

by Margaret LeRoux

Valentine's Day is coming; all you would-be romantics better get your restaurant reservations soon, or else have a pretty impressive back-up plan. Here are some suggestions for each approach.

For a romantic dinner for two, there are lots of choices available. At the top of the line is Harrington Farm Country Inn and Restaurant in Princeton, where you can really impress your sweetie with a gourmet-style dinner -- I recommend the pomegranate-glazed rack of lamb. On Valentine's Day there will be a four course, prix fixe dinner for two.

Harrington Farm, 178 Westminster Road, Princeton, (978) 464-5600.

If you don't want to be subtle, show your honey what's on your mind with dinner at Café Amoré. Speakers mounted at the entrance bring Frank Sinatra tunes right out onto Shrewsbury Street; inside, the lights are low, you can cuddle in one of the big, cushy booths, and share a dessert of marscapone-cream swirled with marsala served in oversized martini glasses. Café Amoré, 92 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, 757-3104.

Looking for something more offbeat? Try Bamboo Hut's four-course Valentine's Dinner for two that combines French and Vietnamese cuisine. In addition to the regular menu, the holiday meal features shrimp spring rolls, corn and crab soup, quail salad, and your choice among lobster, beef tenderloin, or rabbit stewed in red wine. (Substitutions can be made for vegetarians). Dessert choices are: French mocha buttercream torte, chocolate crème brulee, flan, and Vietnamese yellow pudding. The special dinner is $50 per couple and includes a long-stem red rose. BYOB.

The Bamboo Hut, 1394 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 754-1755.

There may be a song in your heart, but even if you can't carry a tune, your Valentine's date can still be serenaded if you take him or her to Stefano's on Grafton St. In addition to a special menu, this cute little basement bistro under the City Lights Pub is featuring singer Valerie Sneade performing love songs.

Stefano's, 395 Grafton St., Worcester, (508) 752-6660.

Take a moonlight drive to Sudbury and treat your date to a four course all-lobster dinner at the trendy Blue Lion Wood Grill and Bar. The special menu includes lobster consommé, lobster and porcini mushroom risotto, citrus, fennel and lobster salad, and wood grilled lobster tail.

Blue Lion Wood Grill and Bar, 694 Boston Post Road (Route 20) (978) 443-3970.

If your mood is retro, you can motor up Route 9 to the classy Rat Pack Café in Framingham. Live piano jazz and decor reminiscent of 1960s cocktail lounges create a romantic mood for sophisticated couples. On Valentine's Day there's a five course dinner for two: starting with smoked salmon and caviar, grilled pheasant salad, a palate cleansing raspberry sorbet followed by your choice among: sautéed lobster and scallops, roasted filet mignon, or grilled veal chop, with dessert, and a champagne toast. Two seatings at 6 and 9 p.m.; $65 per person.

Rat Pack Café, 50-60 Worcester Road, Framingham, (508) 628-1842.

If you're well past the "need to impress" stage with your Valentine, you can leave your pretensions at home and still be romantic at The Webster House. On Valentine's Day, they're featuring Greek specialties like shish kebab, moussaka and shrimp with feta cheese. Try the gruyere cheese and wild mushroom pita bread or the new dessert, baklava cheesecake. As for me, there's no more romantic dinner than a plate of the Webster House's fried clams along with a Domaine Chandon brut cuvée (A bonus for bargain-minded romantics is the reasonable price tag this excellent sparkling wine caries.)

Webster House, 1 Webster St., Worcester, (508) 757-7208.

How about a do-it-yourself romantic interlude? Start with a visit to George's Fruit & Produce for some elegant food choices. Put yourself in the hands of cheese and paté maven Norma Glodas who recommends Rougette, "a wonderful, soft, oozy cheese, more flavorful than brie." Pricey at $12.99/pound, but you can buy a small slice for a lot less. Or try the full flavored Dutch Prima Donna, an extra aged Gouda at $9.98/pound. I love George's selections of paté, either mousse trufée ($12.99/pound) a silky, smooth mixture of chicken and pork liver; or the more coarse grained duck paté with orange and pistachio ($10.99). There's also a beautiful pink and green seafood mousse: smoked salmon and spinach ($12.99/pound). Add a loaf of crusty Italian bread or baguette--both baked on the premises-- and a ripe pear or two. If you're looking for wine suggestions, two reasonably priced red wines I've recently enjoyed are Blackstone Merlot and Erath Pinot Noir, and my current favorite whites are Estancia Chardonnay, and Dry Creek Chenin Blanc.

George's Fruit & Produce, 347 Chandler St. Worcester, (800) 469-5650.

Instead of buying your Valentine a bouquet of flowers, how about immersing yourselves in the subtle perfume of orange trees, hibiscus plants and other hothouse exotics at the L'Orangerie at Tower Hill Botanic Gardens? Take a romantic stroll through this lovely greenhouse; it's more memorable than a dozen long stemmed roses and not so expensive either.

L'Orangerie, Tower Hill, 11 French Drive, Boylston, 869-6111.

Finally, what's Valentine's Day without chocolate? Surprise your sweetie with a heart-shaped chocolate mousse cake ($5.95) from Darby's Bakery and hope you get asked to share a slice.

Darby's Bakery, 76 Central St. (508) 835-6789.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at
feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.