Saturday marked an auspicious occasion for me - the first Valentine's Day in recent history on which I actually had a boyfriend! So, naturally, I wanted to do something special. I've never been a fan of prix-fixe menus, "catch of the day" and "free glass of champagne with our tasting extravaganza"s...I just find in general you don't necessarily get what you want, the food on the special menu is lower quality and higher-priced, and free cheap sparkling wine is not going to make anything worth my while! With the downturned economy, my already-downturned finances, and the impossibility of getting decent restaurant reservations in New York City, I turned to another approach: DIY.
I love to cook. I'm no great chef, but I am fond of delicious ingredients, inventive pairings, and trying new, creative things. So, I hightailed it over to Fairway on Broadway and 76th and filled my cart.
Here's what was on the menu:
Smoked Oysters ($2)
Tartines of fig, pesto and melted chevre (only thing purchased was the cheese, $4)
Salad of mixed greens and herbs, orange pepper, apricot, blackberries and roasted almonds with citrus ginger dressing ($8 but I had the almonds and dressing)
Sesame encrusted tuna steaks with wasabi scallion mayonnaise and coconut jasmine rice ($12)
Green beans almondine ($3)
Assorted fine chocolates ($8)
Chianti Classico ($16)
Total = $53
Granted, I already had several of the ingredients in my cupboard, but this was a gourmet meal (if I do say so myself!!) and most memorable!
Of course, my sweetie brought champagne, fresh strawberries, and even more delicious chocolates, so we were hardly scrimping.
Still, I'd be hard pressed to find a better meal (and better ambiance!).
Kisses were dispensed free of charge...
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