Valentine’s Day at Secco (or: how I learned to stop worrying and love the bon bon)
By
Ugh, Valentine’s Day.
Everyone but the most gullible of mouth-breathers knows that this poor excuse for a holiday is simply a construct of colluding capitalist forces. The product of some shady back-room deal between Hallmark and Hollywood, all part of their collective effort to squeeze every cent they can from the common man.
Well listen up, corporate pigs: You hear that sound in the distance going BOOM, BA-DOOM-DOOM, DAP-BAP? THAT is what you call “the beat of a different drummer,” and I am marching to it. No candy hearts or cheesy greeting cards this year — no more fuel for the corporate greed machine! And when my lady asks what we’re doing the night of the 14th, while all our friends are out wining and dining and celebrating love, and she’s just been looking for any excuse to wear that cute green dress…the one that makes her hazel eyes pop like two exploding pistachios…pistachios that are now staring at me in disbelief as I explain why we’re splitting a foot-long from Jersey Mike’s for Valentine’s Day dinner…
…oh crap, I better make some reservations.
-Matt
VALENTINE’S DAY AT SECCO WINE BAR: FEBRUARY 14, 2012
6:30pm Reception; 7:00pm Dinner
Two multi-course menus — omnivore ($50) or vegetarian ($45) — with an optional $20 wine pairing.
For reservations: email info@seccowinebar.com with your party size, menu preferences and phone #.
We will call to confirm and get a credit card # to guarantee.
OMNIVORE MENU
Course One
potato-crusted farm egg with leek sauce & roasted beech mushrooms
Course Two
squid ink agnolotti with salt cod mousse, smoked tomato, olives & marjoram
Course Three
lamb loin with fresh lavender, sunchoke puree,crumbled hazelnuts, pea shoots & fleur de sel
Course Four
“rum & coke” baba with dark chocolate crème anglaise, roasted bananas & cinnamon whipped cream
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VEGETARIAN MENU
Course One
potato-crusted farm egg with leek sauce & roasted beech mushrooms
Course Two
puntarelle salad with fried halloumi cheese, capers & fresh mint
Course Three
gnocchi alla Romana with taleggio cheese, crumbled hazelnuts & baby arugula
Course Four
“rum & coke” baba with dark chocolate crème anglaise, roasted bananas & cinnamon whipped cream
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agnolotti: stuffed pasta similar to ravioli typical of the Piedmont region in Italy
puntarelle: winter chicory (or bitter green) native to coastal Italy near Rome
halloumi: goat+sheeps milk cheese originating in Cyprus–similar in texture to Mozzarella but saltier in flavor
sunchoke (aka Jerusalem Artichoke): the root of a type of sunflower–flavor is slightly sweet and nutty
gnocchi alla Romana: Roman version of gnocchi made with semolina flour, cut into discs & baked with butter & cheese
baba: small yeast leavened cake traditionally soaked in rum-flavored syrup