This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday and Rye restaurants are gearing up for your special night out.

By Georgetta L. Morque

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday and Rye restaurants are gearing up for your special night out. From Valentine rolls at Fogama to heart-shaped ravioli at Rye Grill & Bar and Ruby’s to hearts of chocolate mousse at La Panetière, there’s much in store for celebrating, indulging, and perhaps stirring up some passion.

There’s something special about the French when it comes to romantic dining.  La Panetière is offering a Valentine’s Day five-course dinner beginning with a colorful terra marae mosaïc, an appetizer of marinated raw seafood and beef with a ginger basil dressing; followed by fresh tagliatelli, homemade pasta with Perigord black winter truffles and beurre blanc; and a jumbo crabmeat lump with diced cucumber, purée of avocado and guava citrus sauce. For the main course, diners can choose between tenderloin of veal with olives, tomato fondue and herbs served with creamy polenta, root vegetables and mushrooms; or lightly spiced filet of beef with mustard butter served with sautéed Brussels sprouts, avocado, and potatoes serpentine.  The meal culminates in a minestrone of exotic fruits, passion fruit sorbet, a velvety heart of chocolate mousse and crème brûlée and raspberry coulis. This special menu is $90 per person or $139 with wine pairings. For reservations, call 967-8140 or visit www.lapanetiere.com.

 For Japanese food lovers, Valentine’s Day is your night. Fogama is offering a four-course prix fixe menu of favorites starting with seafood bisque or crab cake with baby arugula salad, followed by a choice of sushi, a medley of diced salmon, tuna and yellowtail with rainbow mix with yuzu sauce and wasabi oil, or homemade dumplings. For the main course, there’s a choice of grilled salmon with pepper sauce or a Valentine roll, spicy crunchy king crab topped with tuna and sweet sauce. A slice of carrot cake or molten chocolate cake provides the finishing touch. Priced at $50 per person, the dinner also includes a glass of sparkling wine. For reservations, call 921-6888 or visit www.fogamarye.com.

Rye Grill & Bar is featuring a variety of specials on Valentine’s Day, including bacon-wrapped sea scallops with baby arugula, grilled corn, and roasted red pepper coulis, and heart-shaped lobster ravioli with sundried tomatoes, basil and parmesan garlic cream sauce.

Some of the entrées on tap are surf and turf with grilled rib eye and spicy-rubbed jumbo shrimp served with red bliss mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables; seared Long Island duck breast served with sage roasted butternut squash, haricot verts, crispy rings, and blood orange Grand Marnier; plus a variety of seafood specials. The featured dessert is red velvet cake.  For reservations, call 967-0332 or visit www.ryegrill.com.

 At Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Bistro, Valentine’s Day diners can choose from tempting first courses, such as broccoli and crab soup, Buffalo oysters and heart-shaped ravioli with lobster and champagne cream.
Special entrées include Chateau Briand served with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus béarnaise, crabmeat stuffed lobster served with Franconian style potatoes and succotash, seared Ahi tuna with raspberry balsamic glaze, stir-fried vegetables and jasmine rice, and grilled swordfish with citrus olive oil and quinoa pilaf. For reservations, call 921-4166 or visit www.rubysoysterbar.com.

Valentine’s Day dinner at Morgan’s Fish House can begin with lobster bisque, clams oreganata, Maine steamers with drawn butter, or fried mozzarella and tomatoes. Entrée selections include crabmeat-stuffed sole with lemon caper beurre blanc served with roasted rosemary new potatoes and sautéed spinach; surf and turf with filet mignon and lobster tail with scallion sauce, mashed potatoes and fried asparagus; lobster ravioli with cherry tomatoes, fresh lobster, spinach and sherry truffle cream; or stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese and portobello served with haricot verts and roasted fingerling potatoes. For reservations, call 921-8190 or visit www.morgansfishhouse.net.

Open as usual for delicious dining are additional favorites – Aurora, Town Dock, Encore Bistro, Frankie & Johnnie’s, Koo, Kelly’s, Belluscio’s, Water Moon, and the Rye Roadhouse.

 What’s Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Blue Tulip Chocolates, known for its unique mix of artisan delicacies, is offering special hand-painted chocolate hearts, personalized with a message inside. This one-of-a-kind gift for that special someone is $24. Another gift option is a one-hour Valentine’s Tasting at your home — or a friend’s — to sample eight chocolates from around the world. This fun event, complete with chocolate history, costs $35 per person (8 person minimum) for those who reserve by Valentine’s Day and includes a platter of chocolates. Call 481-4840 or visit www.bluetulipchocolates.com.

For heartfelt desserts, Corner Stone Caterers is whipping up red velvet cake; triple chocolate mousse cake with milk, dark, and white chocolate mousse; chocolate cake; and chocolate ganache. There will be iced heart-shaped cookies and chocolate-dipped strawberries at the Rye Country Store, organic Belgium chocolates at Le Pain Quotidien, and heart-shaped custom ice cream cakes at Longford’s. Visit Patisserie Salzburg, 4 O’Clock Cookie, and Candy Rox for additional treats.