Menu: Delicious ways to dine at home with your love this Valentine's Day
Award-winning Grá Chocolates has a new range of Valentine offerings
So many delicious ways to celebrate Valentine's Day.
A curmudgeonly calendar has this year thrown up a curveball by plonking Valentine’s Day right at the beginning of the week, on a Monday night, when most restaurants close to take a well-earned break after the weekend.
On the other hand, the entire country is longing for a little lovin’ after nearly two years so while some are bound to catch up on all those days of enforced closure and open specially for the night, many more will choose to make a weekend of it, with February 12 becoming the de facto VDay for the hospitality sector.
And then there are those who’ll carry on a habit born of lockdown and order in to dine at home—undoubtedly meaning more than a few choosing to ‘work at home’ on Tuesday morning! Fear not, however you choose to lavish romantic attentions on your own beloved, The Menu comes laden with suitable options.
The Menu is covering all bases, including those currently without a partner and what more appropriate night to possibly meet your future soulmate while swilling back good craft beers and eating some of the finest pizzas in the land.
OK, Sunday February 13 isn’t quite the day itself but it’s near enough and is when the Franciscan Well Brewery hosts its Valentine’s Socially Distanced Dating night, whereby you remain seated at your table, while perusing a map of the various numbered bar tables, identifying the object of your dreams and having your server buy said deity a drink or even pass on your number. All in all, a rather charmingly old school way to 'swipe right'.
What’s more, it seems there is only space left for gentlemen suitors.
- Email franciscanwellbrewery@gmail.com to book a table.
If The Menu is to choose to remain at home to put the woo on Mrs Menu, then one serious candidate for the dining table just has to be Caitlin Ruth’s Valentine’s Day package of food and wine, with zero cooking required.
The compostable box contains a cocktail mix, cocktail garnishes, selection of nibbles and starters, homemade bread & butter, main course of duck confit with white bean cassoulet (vegetarian option available), selection of desserts and sweets, homemade after dinner loose tea mix, and various other little surprises.
There is also an option of adding three lovely wines from Wines Direct: Romanian La Sapata (Pink Pet Nat, Babeasca Negra and Aligote). Collection is from Clonakilty, Feb 12, 4pm-6pm.
- caitlinruthfood.ie or instagram.com/caitlinruthfood
A special day demands a special drink, even if you are peering bleary-eyed at each other over piles of washing with Frank’s Songs for Swinging Lovers turned up to 11 to drown out wailing progeny, and a great Menu favourite, Craft Cocktails, has come up with trumps with four limited edition love-themed cocktails: Be Mine Strawberry Daiquiri; Grá mo Chroí Raspberry Negroni; True Love Cosmo; and Kiss Me Quick Bramble, all available as limited editions in 200ml bottles, each containing two serves, ideal for canoodling couples.
And there is even an option to pen a unique ‘message on a bottle’ with a personalised label is designed, printed, and shipped on the cocktail of choice within a week. Nationwide delivery (order by Feb 9).
Another splendid home dining option to really up the ante is the Valentine’s Supper for two from Niall Sabongi’s Sustainable Seafood, comprising oysters, caviar, lobster ravioli, whole roast turbot with champagne butter, and delectable Irish handmade chocolates for dessert. All you have to add is perhaps some steamed spuds and a fresh seasonal green vegetable to the main course and pop the cork on something chilled and bubbling. Available for nationwide delivery (on Feb 11 & 12).
One of the more popular dishes du jour on various menus around the country these days is the classic Beef Wellington and James Whelan Butchers is reintroducing a limited edition of their signature take on said creation to afford home diners a more elaborate offering from the oven with none of the hassle of preparation. Serving two and made with prime aged Irish beef fillet, wrapped in mushroom duxelles, buttery puff pastry with fresh herbs and sea salt, it’s just a matter of popping it in the oven and popping open a suitable bottle, and perhaps even popping the question?!
According to Mrs Menu, nothing says, “I love you,” like a small wheelbarrow full of chocolate. Grá Chocolates is opening a Dublin location at Brown Thomas on Grafton St, but Gráinne Mullins’ divine creations, made and hand-painted in small batches over three days, are also available for nationwide delivery, including two new offerings, the giant Croí Álaínn (raspberry filling, white chocolate shell) and Póigíní (milk chocolate, filled with smooth caramel and Achill Sea Salt).
Norma Kelly, of Praline, in Mitchelstown, has a lovely limited edition selection of handmade chocolate hearts: Salted caramel crunch; Passionfruit & raspberry; and Champagne Burst. Delivered anywhere in Ireland & Britain.
Tartare Café + Wine Bar, in Galway, make an entire weekend (Feb 11-14, 6pm-9pm) of it, with a special Valentine’s Day Menu (€45 per person), including glass of complimentary Pet Nat rosé, Irish charcuterie, cheeses, pickles and compote, before some deliciously toothsome main courses of finest fare from the West.
Valentine’s at The Morrison Room is a sumptuous sharing menu for two in The Morrison Room, at Carton House (Feb 12, 13 & 14), €140pp, including glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne, with luxurious accommodations an additional option.
‘Galentine’s’ Afternoon Tea, a celebration of female friendship, at the Cork International Airport Hotel runs the entire month of February, with pink-themed sweets and savoury nibbles served from 12.45pm to 4pm daily. Also available for takeaway collection.
