Restaurants will serve up delicious menus, with other venues offering other options
Second City will add some laughs to Valentine's Day weekend with a special show at the MAC in Glen Ellyn, while Fullersburg Woods will serve as the site of romantic night hikes, complete with s'mores and hot chocolate. (photos provided)
Couples hoping to enjoy a romantic gourmet meal to celebrate Valentine's Day need not look far. Vistro Prime Steakhouse, Il Poggiolo and Nabuki in downtown Hinsdale are offering special menus for a special day.
Vistro, in addition to its full a la carte menu, will offer a four-course dinner for two on Feb. 14. The meal will begin with a choice of beet salad (roasted and pickled) with a smoked apple vinaigrette, goat cheese, arugula and sunflower seeds or carrot and ginger soup.
For the second course, chef Rob Martino is offering a wood-fired seafood dish served family style, with diver scallop, Canadian lobster tail, tiger ship and backfin crab in a rich butter sauce with charred lemon.
The third course features Vistro Prime Beef Wellington, an 8-ounce tenderloin filet with mushroom duxelle, prosciutto and Dijon wrapped in house-made pastry served with duck fat potato, creamed spinach and bordelaise sauce.
Pastry chef Angelyne Canicosa has yet to announce what she will offer for dessert, but Martino assured diners it will be delicious.
"One thing is always certain with her creations - they will be amazing," Martino said.
For reservations, call (630) 537-1459 or visit http://www.vistroprime.com.
At Il Poggiolo, diners can choose from the regular a la carte menu and a host of Valentine's Day specials from Feb. 11 to 14.
A yellow fin tuna carpaccio with avocado, capers, fresno chiles and kalamata olives with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil is the antipasta special.
For the primi course, the chef will prepare a chicken ragu a la cacciatore with pappardelle pasta, red bell peppers, green olives and mushrooms with a pomodoro sauce with pecorino Toscano.
The pesce course features pan-seared scallops and creamy risotto with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and a citrus butter sauce.
The carne course is a blackened grilled 12-ounce prime ribeye with grilled asparagus and porcini truffle butter.
A truffle cauliflower puree with sauteed mushrooms, sherry and sage is the contorni special.
And for dolce, or dessert, diners can enjoy is a red velvet cake with chocolate-covered strawberry, raspberry sauce and candied rose petals.
For reservations, call (630) 734-9400 or visit http://www.ilpoggiolohinsdale.com.
Nabuki is offering two special rolls from Feb. 11-14.
The Forever Yours Roll features crab, avocado and jalapeño wrapped in soy paper and garnished with fresh strawberries, lobster meat, spicy mayo and unagi.
The Rosso Roll is shrimp tempura and spicy tuna rolled traditionally and covered with red crunchy tempura beets, topped with spicy crabmeat drizzled with unagi sauce.
For reservations, call (630) 654-8880.
Dinner with a view
Celebrate Valentine's Day weekend by sharing a delectable dinner with that special someone Friday, Feb. 10, while overlooking romantic Meadow Lake at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Enjoy a five-course dinner with wine pairings and live music from local classical guitarist Jim Perona. Seatings are at 5:30 & 8 p.m., and the cost is $120, with a discount for members.
Make a reservation by calling (630) 968-0074 or visiting http://www.mortonarb.org.
Satisfy other appetites
• Experience the magic of an evening walk along lantern-lit trails on a self-guided, 1- to 2-mile journey Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11. Follow the candlelight to a roaring fire, complete with marshmallows to roast and hot chocolate. The program, for ages 18 and up, costs $12 and hikes start at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Register by calling (630) 933-7248 or visiting http://www.dupageforest.org.
• Celebrate Valentine's Day with The Best of Second City at 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. The world-famous comedy company will take shots at heartbreak, missed connections and the mire of human relationships. The show may contain adult languages and themes. Tickets are $30-$48.
Call (630) 942-4000 or visit http://www.atthemac.org.
• Bring a favorite person to the Sweetheart Night Hike at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Road, Willow Springs. Enjoy a guided walk and learn about the romance of the forest at a bonfire. This program is for those 18 and older and registration is required. Call (708) 839-6897.
Non-date night activities
• High schoolers can "avoid all of the mushy gushy consumerism of the 14th" at the Anti-Valentine's Book Tasting Friday, Feb. 10, at the Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St., to check out a fresh and definitely not romantic read. Refreshments will be provided. Friday library hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Teens and adults can crochet soft 3-D hearts to keep or give away at Crafterdark from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, at the library. Registration is required at http://www.hinsdalelibrary.info.
• Enjoy a talk on wild animals and how they "love" with one another as a way of survival at Nature in Love at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center. Registration is required by calling (708) 839-6897.
