Local eateries serving up special Valentine’s dinners

Several area restaurants are gearing up for special dinners to help diners celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The popular dining-out occasion features a return to the local cuisine scene by The Grape Tap, which shut its doors in late December. Owner and chef Kristin Cook has reassembled her skilled team to present a one-night special dinner featuring five courses and wine pairings.

Lisa Davis, longtime Grape Tap server, said getting together for another dinner service feels like “going home.”

“It’s so exciting to be able to present and serve another spectacular dinner at The Grape Tap,” she said. “As a staff, we are thrilled to have another night together. The menu looks amazing, and we’re excited to see all of our guests for another great meal.”

The dinner begins with an amuse bouche of foie gras and strawberry waffle with strawberry balsamic syrup. That will be paired with a Spanish sparkling wine.

An appetizer trio follows containing a couple of Grape Tap favorites – Moroccan scallops and not-so-cheap dates – along with ahi tostada. A Chenin Blanc from Washington State will be poured alongside the appetizer.

The salad course features fresh greens, burrata, honeyed apples, spicy pecans, and crostini.

Diners can choose between two entrée choices: beef tenderloin paired with California merlot; or seafood lasagna paired with California chardonnay.

Dessert also includes a choice: lemon cheesecake parfait; or mini mudslide.

Dinner seatings start at 4 p.m., and reservations are required. Call 907-376-8466 and leave a message to request a reservation. Cost is $199 per person, and a $50 deposit, along with dinner and dessert choices, are required at the time of reservation.

A little farther up the Parks Highway, Chop House at Lake Lucille has a two-night Valentine’s Day celebration planned for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13 and 14. Lavish holiday buffet spreads have been a Chop House hallmark under chef-owner Joshua Broda since the lakeside restaurant opened in the Best Western hotel in 2023, and this year is no different.

“Valentine’s at Chop House is all about an elegant evening, refined dishes, warm ambiance, and something a little extra special for your night out,” Broda said. “We hope to become your new tradition for celebrating love – a romantic experience to remember.”

To that end, dinner service begins each night at 4 p.m., when diners will be treated to a variety of options on the buffet table. An action station will feature carved beef Wellington and sautéed Alaska scallops with chipotle cream sauce. An oyster station will serve up chilled oysters on the half shell.

Other entrée selections include roasted duck a l’orange, butter poached lobster, chicken Marsala, and smoked beef brisket. Those are accompanied by four side dishes: potatoes au gratin, crab ravioli, roasted vegetables, and braised Bavarian cabbage.

A classic Caesar salad and winter beet salad will be the salad options, and desserts are cherry clafoutis and chocolate butter cream cake. For their main course, diners can choose between venison in creamy mushrooms with a sour cherry relish and mashed butternut squash, and duck braised with sage, rosemary, white wine and cream, served over house-made pasta. That’s followed by a dessert of cardamom coffee white chocolate mousse with orange and pistachio.

The dinner is $95 per person, which includes champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries to start the dinner. Call 907-885-3225 to make a reservation, which is required. An “early lovebird special” is available for $15 off for anyone making a 4 p.m. reservation.