Valentine's Day: eat in or go out?

[redheadbaker]

If you eat in, what do you make? 

[jcbarbee]

We have a tradition of eating in (for the last 2 years) and preparing our dinner together. I haven't decided on the menu for this year yet, but we have some staples.

Always a fun cocktail, usually involving champagne.

Past years menus:
Caesar salad in parmesan bowl
Lobster Ravioli in Champagne Cream Sauce
Bread

Seared Filet
Ruth Chris' Creamed Spinach
Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Dessert is always the same:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue, with angel cake, bananas, and strawberries as dippers

[TBM]

We eat in. We aren't big on Valentines day as the pinnacle of romance, but we enjoy an excuse for a fun splurge meal at home. Sometimes it is something labor intensive, but lately we've gone for simpler meals with quality ingredients, but we try to get something that is a bit different from the norm.

I read somewhere that Valentines Day is the worst for both quality of meals and service. Too many people, and set menus where cranking them out comes before quality. I believe it. We've had some disappointing meals in the past, and the prices were higher that night.

[mbcdefg]

We went out our first year together. Ooof. What a nightmare. So we usually make something at home, and if we want to go out we save it for a few days later ... and we typically go for something casual anyway, like pho or burgers or a low-key local steakhouse.

Dishes I've made in the past: seared scallops, lamb chops, pan-seared steaks, French onion soup, chocolate pots de creme

[udscoobychick]

We eat in. It's overpriced and crowded to go out. I usually make filets, since DH loves steak, so it's a good excuse to buy nice ones. I want to do crab in either the appetizer or side dish. Leaning toward a personal-sized cheesecake for dessert. We'll have champagne, for sure. DH always helps me in the kitchen, and we enjoy cooking together, so it works well to cook a nice meal together for V-day.

And he always gets me something cheese-related!

[boston340]

I generally make a nice meal for us and we stay in and eat and share a bottle of wine. This year I am making:

Lemon butter chicken
damndelicious.net/2014/12/31/lemon-butter-chicken/

Shrimp and veggie pesto pasta
peasandcrayons.com/2014/03/shrimp-and-veggie-pesto-pasta-an-epic-giveaway.html

Roasted asparagus

Chocolate caramel tartlets
www.annies-eats.com/2013/02/12/chocolate-caramel-tartlets-for-two/

Looking for wine(s) recommendations if anyone has any. Also, should I make an appetizer for this meal?

[popple]

We have reservations at white castle.

[ally]

We stay home, splurge on a bottle of wine, and make dinner together.

This year DH requested lasagna.
Last year we had lobster with a pasta in cream sauce.

We have also done lamb chops, duck breasts, crab, steak.  Something interesting and/or that goes with a wine we want to drink.

[dearprudence]

We typically eat out - but someplace cheap and low key - like In n Out or OSF.

This year we'll be out of town, so definitely eating out.

[magdala]

Eat in because most of the good restaurants around here limit their menus on Valentine's Day. I make a bunch of apps and DH opens a bottle of wine or 3.

This year's menu will be shrimp in escabeche, fig and gruyere toasts, honey spiced nuts, Greek salad bites and chocolate covered fruit

[spa]

I think we are eating in this year... what we are making I am not sure yet. Maybe Pho for lunch and something else (sushi) for dinner?

I need to think about it this week I guess!

[jcbarbee]

Feb 5, 2015 14:11:05 GMT -5 boston340 said:

I generally make a nice meal for us and we stay in and eat and share a bottle of wine. This year I am making:

Lemon butter chicken
damndelicious.net/2014/12/31/lemon-butter-chicken/

Shrimp and veggie pesto pasta
peasandcrayons.com/2014/03/shrimp-and-veggie-pesto-pasta-an-epic-giveaway.html

Roasted asparagus

Chocolate caramel tartlets
www.annies-eats.com/2013/02/12/chocolate-caramel-tartlets-for-two/

Looking for wine(s) recommendations if anyone has any. Also, should I make an appetizer for this meal?


I think a chardonnay would be perfect for this meal, maybe a red or port for dessert. For an appetizer, I would pick up one or two special cheeses to snack on while cooking and drinking chardonnay! 

[boston340]

Feb 9, 2015 10:06:14 GMT -5 jcbarbee said:

Feb 5, 2015 14:11:05 GMT -5 boston340 said:

I generally make a nice meal for us and we stay in and eat and share a bottle of wine. This year I am making:

Lemon butter chicken
damndelicious.net/2014/12/31/lemon-butter-chicken/

Shrimp and veggie pesto pasta
peasandcrayons.com/2014/03/shrimp-and-veggie-pesto-pasta-an-epic-giveaway.html

Roasted asparagus

Chocolate caramel tartlets
www.annies-eats.com/2013/02/12/chocolate-caramel-tartlets-for-two/

Looking for wine(s) recommendations if anyone has any. Also, should I make an appetizer for this meal?


I think a chardonnay would be perfect for this meal, maybe a red or port for dessert. For an appetizer, I would pick up one or two special cheeses to snack on while cooking and drinking chardonnay! 

I bought chardonnay last night.  I meant to take a picture of it to show you, but forgot.  I can't wait for our dinner Saturday!

[jcbarbee]

Feb 11, 2015 13:11:51 GMT -5 boston340 said:

Feb 9, 2015 10:06:14 GMT -5 jcbarbee said:

I bought chardonnay last night.  I meant to take a picture of it to show you, but forgot.  I can't wait for our dinner Saturday!

It sounds so good!