CLEVELAND, Ohio – We rounded up area chefs, restaurant owners and foodies and asked if they could create one romantic dish – whether it’s an entrée, side, dessert, whatever they want – for Valentine’s Day, what comes to mind?
They came up with some scrumptious dishes and drinks.
Will HollingsworthMarc Bona, cleveland.com
Will Hollingsworth, owner, Spotted Owl cocktail bars in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood and Akron (both temporarily closed): “When I think of Valentine’s Day I think of decadence – I’m not usually a dessert guy, so when I want something sweet, it’s usually for an occasion. My favorite dessert is sort of a pairing, and it’s typically weird and fussy, but I also think it’s something pretty easy to execute for people who are staying home for Valentine’s Day. So here it is, one of life’s great secrets: One scoop of coffee ice cream, in a bowl or a rocks glass, with fresh black pepper ground over the top (I know this sounds weird, but it’s transcendent) paired with a glass of Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch, neat. These three things make magic together, and it’s the kind of thing we love most at the Spotted Owl: Familiar flavors used in unfamiliar ways. The familiar mixed with a little magic, and two (or three) things that together make something greater than the sum of its parts? Sounds like Valentine’s Day romance to me.”
Heather Holmes, vice president of marketing and public relations for Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which is holding its annual Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week Feb. 19-28: “For me, there is nothing more romantic than serving - or being served - breakfast in bed. I love to whip up a delicious breakfast-style dish for dinner on Valentine’s Day. My go-to? Catfish and waffles is the perfect mix of savory and sweet. Add some sides and a great bottle of wine and the mood is set.”
Genevieve LarsonMarc Bona, cleveland.com
Genevieve Larson, Tree House Gallery and Tea Room: “I would usually suggest a nice aphrodisiac’s type food, but we are in Cleveland and there is nothing more seductive then a nice pierogi. But I’m not talking about just any pierogi, I’m talking about the pierogi stuffed with fresh buttered lobster, plopped in a cloud of whipped parmesan potato then hand-rolled in pierogi dough that has been masterfully perfected over many years. It doesn’t stop there. Every pierogi needs a protein to elevate its seductiveness. I suggest placing these sexy pierogis over a nice seared filet or simple sea salt and pepper ribeye topped with a little bit of the leftover buttered lobster pieces and a lobster rose sauce. Pair it with Orin Swift’s Machete (Petite Sirah) and you will have yourself a very nice Cleveland Valentine’s day! Chocolate-covered strawberries are a nice addition, too.”
Kathryn NeidusJeff Piorkowski
Kathryn Neidus, chef, The Rustic Grill, Stonewater Golf Club, Highland Heights: “I would say my personal favorite romantic dish would be a tomahawk ribeye steak for two with a roasted garlic herb butter along with some homemade carbonara with pancetta. Maybe some oyster shooters for a first course.”
P.J. Saracusa is general manager of Blue Point Grille.
P.J. Saracusa, general manager, Blue Point Grille: “Homemade ricotta gnocchi with a light lobster cream sauce. Why? The culinary equivalent to love is homemade gnocchi. It requires patience, time and attention to detail - much like a relationship. You get what you give.”
Katie Stack is an owner of the Diamond Grille.
Katie Stack, co-owner, Diamond Grille, Akron: My personal favorite menu item is probably our 22-ounce bone in rib-eye, side of Willie fries and house salad with blue-cheese crumbles. And my favorite drink is our French 75 with a splash of St. Germaine. My favorite dessert is our carrot cake.
Laurie TorresMarc Bona, cleveland.com
Laurie Torres, owner of Mallorca, Cleveland: “Salmon stuffed with mascarpone cheese, shrimp, scallops and crabmeat. (Salmon swims upstream, and that is what being in a relationship feels like sometimes. A salmon is very motivated, and so are two people in love who want to stay together. Sometimes it’s like swimming upstream). Topped with lemon sauce that is sweet but tart just like the sweet and tart days of a marriage. Served with salad and veggies and saffron rice. Saffron rice is made with saffron from Spain, one of the rarest and most expensive spices there is. Just like real love it’s rare and could be costly both financially as well as emotionally. Finish off with chocolate cake made with simple syrup and deep dark chocolate. Nothing says love like the simplicity of dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate the more sensual it is.
“According to Libby O’Connell, food historian and author of ‘The American Plate,’ chocolate’s rise to global significance began when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in modern-day Mexico City. ‘The Spanish invade in 1519, and they see [the Aztec king] Montezuma drinking this beverage,’ O’Connell writes. ‘They’re told he drinks 50 cups a day, and they’re also told he has a harem of 50 young women. They make this assumption that he must be drinking it to increase his stamina.’ (It was hot, dark chocolate.) Top that off with a pitcher of Sangria, which we call the sweet nectar of the Spanish gods.” (Mallorca also serves a flaming coffee with dark chocolate Godiva crema de Alba Brandy, espresso and whipped cream. “That’s our king’s drink,” Torres says.)
Eric WellsThe Plain Dealer
Eric Wells, executive chef and owner of Skye LaRae’s Culinary Services in Cleveland: “Immediately I would think lobster. Lobster is decadent, it’s beautiful, it’s kind of over the top sometimes. I am thinking lobster risotto. With my lobster risotto I use saffron – real saffron - to give it a beautiful color and flavor, and I just think it’s a wonderful dish.”
Donniella WinchellOhio Wines
Donniella Winchell, executive director, Ohio Wine Producers Association: “My favorite is a glass of Ohio ice wine served with toasted almonds dusted in chocolate sipped in front of a fireplace on a chilly Valentine’s evening.”
Jenn Wirtz
Jenn Wirtz, owner, Der Braumeister, Cleveland: “Being the hopeless romantic that I am, Valentine’s Day to me is all about celebrating my great loves: Great beer and food. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about chocolate so I’ve often fantasized about a molten chocolate cake (very ’90s Jean-George, I know) that would ooze Chimay barrel-aged beer. I’m not sure it’s possible to make, but the idea of a semi-sweet warm dessert bleeding a spiced, whiskey-oak-aged beer at 45 degrees is the dream. I’m working on getting a vintage 2018 Chimay beer in for our February Beer Club, so maybe I will find out soon! But basically, I just want to eat chocolate and get my beer buzz on!”
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.
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February 05, 2021 at 05:30PM
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Looking for a romantic dish? Cleveland-area chefs, foodies weigh in with Valentine’s Day options - cleveland.com
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