Six Lexington restaurants with romantic Valentine’s Day dinner specials on the menu
It’s almost that time again — Valentine’s Day. The one day of the year when candy makers, florists, card designers, jewelers, and yes, restaurant owners, can inflict more pain on a hapless swain’s wallet than Cupid ever could with his arrows to the heart.
Still, what’s Valentine’s Day without a little romance, and if that romance comes with a side of good eats, all the better. This Valentine’s you might want to take that special someone to one of these special, some would say, fancy places.
This guide and list highlights some of the best romantic dinner specials in and around Lexington to share with your loved one. Many other local restaurants plan to offer specials; check with your favorite spot for menus. And if you don’t feel like going out, one of the six below is offering a special carryout deal for the special day.
La Folie
111 Woodland Avenue in the Woodlands Apartments; 859-309-0305; lafolielex.com
Who knows more about amour than the French, and a table for two at this restaurant dedicated to the pleasures of Gallic cuisine is about as romantic as it gets.
Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel will be crooning love songs (via a playlist, of course) as the two of you dine on a three-course prix fixe menu ($68 per person.)
Choose an amuse bouche from one of the following: lobster bisque; escargot with garlic and parsley; beef carpaccio (thin sliced filet mignon, arugula, capers, Parmagano/Reggiano and truffle oil); endive, arugula and radicchio salad with vinaigrette dressing, or foie gras ($14 supplement.)
Next, le plat principal also has five delectable options: For fish lovers, pan-roasted Atlantic salmon with Brussels sprouts, port wine sauce and mashed potatoes, or for those who prefer meat, duck a l’orange with wild mushroom risotto and Brussels sprouts or duck confit with Brussels sprouts and sweet mashed potatoes.
Heartier appetites may prefer either veal Oscar topped with crabmeat, fresh asparagus glazed with bearnaise sauce and mashed potatoes, or beef Bourguignon (beef slices, bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms, baby carrots and red wine sauce over wild mushroom risotto.)
For the grand finale, you can choose among gateau aux trois mousses, tiramisu or profiteroles.
To go with your meal, the restaurant has created a specialty cocktail list. Try the Romeo and Juliet (Elijah Craig small-batch bourbon and two chocolate-covered strawberries from Sharp’s candies.)
Or maybe you would prefer the Shot Through the Heart (Bombay Sapphire gin, St.-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, Gambino prosecco and a lemon peel garnish) or the Mon Cherry D’amoure (Smirnoff vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish crème and strawberry syrup, with a chocolate-drizzled maraschino cherry garnish.)
Each couple will also receive a complimentary rose at their table. See, I told you that when it comes to love, the French know best.
Bella Café and Grille
890 East High Street; 859-785-1922; bellacafeandgrille.com
If there’s anyone who is as committed to romance as the French, it’s their neighbors across the Pyrenees in Italy. If the French speak softly of amour, the Italians shout exuberantly of amore.
This Valentine’s Day, the intimate Bella Café promises there will be no shouting — just enthusiastic lip smacking, courtesy of the prix-fixe menu, priced at $95 per person.
The amuse bouche offers three options: Truffled cauliflower bisque, orange flower house cured salmon with d’anjou red pepper relish and winter orange, and grilled scallop with tapioca sabayon and trout roe.
The entrée selections are filet mignon with roasted mushrooms, buttermilk mashed potatoes and sherry reduction, poached cold water lobster with celery root parsnip puree and mushroom chips, and braised fennel bulb with sweet vinegar carrots, red radish, zucchini and lemongrass bouillon.
A dessert choice of chocolate cremeux or mignardise with vanilla bean crème brulee and dark chocolate truffle makes for a sweet ending to the evening.
The Limewater Bistro
900 Wilkinson Blvd., Frankfort; 502-234-2346; limewaterbistro.com
This one means a trip to Frankfort, but it’s well worth the 25-minute drive from Lexington. A stylish, intimate bistro on the Kentucky River, the Limewater’s dreamy interior is like the background of a classic romance movie. It might not be “Casablanca,” but it will definitely be “An Affair to Remember.”
This Valentine’s Day, owner Isabelle Hay will put together her own playlist of romantic ballads to set the mood for a three-course dinner that is a bargain at $50 per person.
Appetizer options include Buffalo chicken and sweet potato chowder with smoked blue cheese and pickled strawberries; mixed green salad or an appetizer flight of Parmesan arancini with strawberry basil marinara/chicken yakiniku lettuce cup/herb roasted mushroom crostini with lemon ricotta.
Entrée choices include chicken marsala with truffle potatoes and haricot vert; coffee-rubbed steak with smoked blue cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus, rosemary parsnip potato mash and bourbon beurre rouge; and pan-seared salmon with bourbon soy glaze, ginger rice, bok choy and wasabi beurre blanc.
End your meal with a dessert choice from chocolate ganache cake, classic tiramisu and red velvet mousse.
Specialty cocktails will feature the Love Potion (Bulleit bourbon, house sour, raspberry syrup, Rioja wine) and the Married in Manhattan (Woodford rye, sweet marsala, Woodford bourbon cherries), both priced at $15.
Holly Hill Inn
426 N. Winter Street, Midway; 859-846-4732; hollyhillinn.com
Don’t feel like going out but want an elegant, intimate dinner for two from one of Central Kentucky’s most decorated restaurants? Ouita Michel’s flagship restaurant, Holly Hill Inn has you covered and you don’t have to drive all the way to Midway.
The $125 multi-course meal can be ordered online and picked up at either Wallace Station Deli and Bakery or Zim’s Cafe.
To warm up your evening, Holly Hill Inn executive chef Tyler McNabb will be featuring dishes from the sensuous cuisines of warm weather.
It all starts with spears of romaine and Belgian endive, blood orange supreme, pomegranate seeds, toasted macadamia nut and green goddess dressing. That’s followed by Spanish onion soup and Midway Bakery sourdough boule for two with hot honey butter.
The main dish is bone-in black angus beef short ribs, braised in a Portuguese-style sauce of Moscatel sherry, plum tomatoes, fresh chiles and dried spices. It comes with paella of Calasparra rice, fava beans, Spanish chorizo and gulf shrimp.
And to top it all off there’s dark chocolate torte with white chocolate-kissed strawberries.
Holly Hill and the rest of Michel’s restaurants also will offer specials for dining in. You can make reservations online through hollyhillandco.com/restaurants.
Kentucky Castle
230 Pisgah Pike; 859-256-0322; thekentuckycastle.com
What could be more romantic than an evening spent in a castle? Kentucky Castle executive chef Jason Ritchey has upped the romance quotient by adding several specials to the regular winter dinner menu which will be offered Feb. 10 through Valentine’s Day.
Diners can choose either the butter poached lobster or the prime rib, both priced at $55 per person. To make your evening all the sweeter, Ritchey says they will offer a selection of desserts including honey bourbon crème brulee, bread pudding, triple chocolate cake and vanilla bean cheesecake with macerated strawberries.
The ambiance will befit that of a castle as well with tables set with pink linens and fresh flowers.
White Castle Hamburger
179 E. Reynolds Road; 859-272-6176; 307 E. New Circle Road; 859-293-2314; whitecastle.com
If your love is deeper than your pockets, you’ll be happy to know that White Castle Hamburger’s iconic Valentine’s Day dinner is back after a two-year pandemic absence.
You know what means — white linen tablecloth, candles, tableside service — and reservations. Yes, reservations and you better make them quick — online through Open Table — as this 32-year-old tradition books up fast. Both Lexington locations will be participating, and hours will be from 4 to 9 p.m.
White Castle will become “Love Castle” with exclusive Valentine’s Day specialties, including the Love Cube, a meal for two featuring eight cheese sliders, two shareable sides and two soft drinks.
You might want to make that drink the Sprite Love Castle Potion, a mix of lemon-lime and cherry with a kiss of vanilla. Finally, the Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake-on-a-Stick is a perfect way to end the evening.
This story was originally published January 30, 2023 at 6:00 AM.