Valentine’s Day isn’t until next week, but if you want any shot at reserving a fancy, romantic dinner for yourself and your date, you’d better get a move on now.
The most romantic holiday of the year is right around the corner, and at least two Concord restaurants are offering special menus in honor of the occasion. Since Valentine’s Day tends to be a big date night, getting reservations anywhere can be tricky, but considering the special offerings at O Steaks and Seafood and The Granite Restaurant and Bar, you’ll want to lock these down as soon as possible.
We only found two restaurants offering special Valentine’s Day menus, but we’re sure there may be more out there that weren’t yet established as of press time. As usual, consider this more of a jumping-off point than a definitive list.
The Granite
The Granite will offer a prix fixe menu for $70 per person that covers a four-course meal and live jazz from CJ Poole. The music will start at 6:30 p.m.
Each of the four courses will include three to four options to choose from, said Josie Nevers, restaurant manager. Among the options:
For an appetizer, there will be a local oyster flight.
For salad, there will be a classic wedge salad, and there will also be an option of tomato and parmesan bisque.
For entrees, one option will be pan-roasted Long Island duck.
For dessert, one of the options is a flourless chocolate cake.
The whole menu is available in PDF format at graniterestaurant.com under the calendar section.
And remember, you don’t want to sit around on this one.
“We’ve been getting a lot of reservations in the past couple days, so they certainly can give a call to make a reservation,” Nevers said last Wednesday.
“We don’t have a standard, but typically what happens is about a week or so ahead of time we get a whole bunch of calls,” she said. “We have availability earlier in the night, then it’s not until about 7:30 to 9 that we have something else available. It’s typically tables for two, but there should still be some four-tops available.”
If you can’t get a reservation, you might still be able to grab a seat at the bar, as long as you’re at least 18. There’s no guarantee of getting a spot there, but it couldn’t hurt to try if you’re in a pinch. If you do sit at the bar, you’ll be able to order individual items from the special menu, priced individually. There won’t be a kids’ menu, so plan accordingly.
The prix fixe meal price does not include tax, gratuity or alcohol. The phone number to book a reservation is 227-9005.
O’s
O Steaks and Seafood will be running a special menu Monday through Friday for Valentine’s Day – think of it as Valentine’s Week. It features a fixed-price dinner for two as well as several individual items.
The menu will include:
Wild Mushroom Strudel ($9) – Braised leeks and New Hampshire mushrooms, phyllo, madeira cream sauce.
Arugula & Tomatoes ($8) – Baby arugula, confit heirloom cherry tomatoes, crumbled ricotta salata, white balsamic basil vinaigrette.
Poached Pear ($8) – Red wine poached pear, roasted pistachios, goat cheese, Lef Farms of Loudon greens, aged balsamic.
Blackened Cod ($28) – Shrimp, scallion and Tasso ham grits, sweet tomato jam.
Duo of Duck ($27) – Asparagus & caramelized shallot risotto cake, blood orange glaze.
Dinner for 2 ($80) – 14-ounce Chateau Briand Roast, demi, butter poached Maine lobster tail, béarnaise sauce, baby carrots, mascarpone duchess potatoes (served with choice of two starters and dessert).
Flourless Chocolate Torte ($7) – Chocolate ganache, Luxardo cherries, Grand Marnier crème anglaise.
Other notes
Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, a popular date-night destination, is booked solid. In fact, Valentine’s Day has been booked at Angelina’s since last year, so we wouldn’t suggest promising this to that special someone – unless, of course, you’re one of the savvy ones who locked it down last year.
