Valentine’s Day Dining Guide in Orange County 2015

[warning]Updated January 22, 2015[/warning]

Valentine’s Day is coming up soon and you can bet that reservations will soon be filled at the hottest spots in Orange County to spend this love-filled day. This handy list of dining options for Valentine’s Day dinner in Orange County includes tips and notes on special menu options as well as phone numbers so you can pick up the phone and make a reservation.

FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach

401 Newport Center Dr., Suite 151
Newport Beach
212.924.1200
www.figandolive.com

Cost: Three-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $79 per person (tax and gratuity are not included); $35 wine pairing

This Valentine’s Day, FIG & OLIVE Newport Beach will set the mood for a special evening just for lovers – food lovers, that is, featuring a three-course prix-fixe dinner. The Valentine’s Day prix-fixe dinner includes dishes such as:

* Seared Scallops with chanterelle mushroom tapenade, confit pearl onion, and porcini oil
* Chilean Sea Bass with spaghetti of zucchini, carrot sundried tomato, lemon, celery root puree emulsion – Coratina olive oil
* Filet Mignon comprised of grass fed beef marinated with rosemary, thyme, garlic, haricot vert, caramelized shallot, and olive oil chive mashed potato topped with Arbequina Olive Oil Béarnaise
* Roasted Rack of Lamb with Herbs de Provence, goat cheese gnocchi, and sautéed wild mushroom

CATAL Restaurant & UVA Bar

1580 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim
714.774.4442
www.patinagroup.com/catal/

Cost: Three-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $55 per person (tax and gratuity are not included); Four-course prix-fixe menu: $70 per person

Catal is celebrating Valentine’s Day on Saturday, 2/14, from 5-11 p.m. each day. The Valentine’s Day menu at Catal includes entrees such as:

* Lobster Bisque with coconut panna cotta and ginger essence
* House Cured Salmon with pickled cucumber, horseradish crema and rye crumble
* Australian Rack Of Lamb with pommes forchettes, creamed parsley, oven-dried tomato, red wine jus
* Hand-Rolled Cavatelli Pasta with Calabrian chiles, Castelvetrano olives, lamb Bolognese and house ricotta
* Strawberries and Cream vanilla sphere, strawberry consommé, genmaicha granola and fennel fronds
* Chocolate Namelaka with devil’s food cake, roasted griottes, crème fraîche and basil

Pinot Provence

686 Anton Blvd.
Costa Mesa
714.444.5900
patinagroup.com

Cost: Three-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $75 per person (tax and gratuity are not included) OR four-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $85 per person (tax and gratuity are not included)

Valentine’s Weekend at Pinot Provence takes place on Thursday, 2/12 and Friday, 2/15 from 4-9 p.m. The special Valentine’s Day menu at this French restaurant includes entrees such as:

* Kumamoto Oysters with Yuzu pomegranate mignonette
* Roasted Scottish Salmon with dandelion greens, garlic purée, harissa gremolata
* Shelton Farms Chicken Breast with asparagus, brown butter pommes purée, hunter sauce
* NY Strip Steak and Short Rib Duo and creamed spinach, horseradish pommes forchette

For dessert, choose either Strawberries and Cream or Chocolate Namelaka.

Leatherby’s Café Rouge

615 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa
714.429.7640
patinagroup.com

Cost: Nine-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $90 per person (tax and gratuity are not included)

Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge will be serving it’s nine-course menu beginning at 9:00 p.m. Dishes include:

* Scallop Crudo with geoduck, kumquat sphere, apple and jalapeño and air crackers
* White Tuna with spicy citrus broth, scallion, cabbage and shimeji
* Muscovy Duck Breast with endive, celery root, blackberry and Szechuan pepper
* CAB Beef “Rossini” Tenderloin with short rib, truffle potato purée, asparagus, trumpet, puff pastry and Madeira sauce

Leatherby’s Café Rouge’s “Dirty Dancing” Menu is available from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. The menu includes:

* Hey! Baby Soft herb and greens salad, poached pear, shaved prosciutto, dried cranberries, housemade honey ricotta crostini, verjus vinaigrette
* Hungry EyesBoneless beef short rib, Yukon gold potato purée, king trumpet mushrooms, cipollini, herb tempura, natural jus
* will you Love Me tomorrow Raspberry macaron, Manjari chocolate ganache, raspberry sorbet, Port air and pâte de fruit

Scott’s Restaurant & Bar

3300 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.979.2400
scottsrestaurantandbar.com
Cost: Three-course Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu: $95 per person, $125 with wine pairings

Enjoy the Chef’s Amuse-Bouche, followed by a selection of six appetizers, five main courses and three desserts. Each dish comes with a wine pairing for an additional charge. The prix-fixe menu is available on Saturday, February 14th from 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Entrees include:

* Seared King Salmon with pepita sauce and potato shishito hash
* Chilean sea bass  with red pepper relish
* Hokkaido scallops with toasted faro and roasted fennel
* Filet mignon with port demi glaze and scalloped potatoes
* Maine lobster tail with chorizo risotto and haricot vert

Red O Restaurant

Fashion Island
143 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949.718.0300
RedORestaurant.com
Cost: For details and to make reservations, please call 949.718.0300.

Special Valentine’s Day features will be available February 13th through February 15th. Entrees include:

* Filet mignon and King Crab with cotija mashed potatoes and chimichurri butter
* Prime NY Strip and Maine Lobster Tail  finished with Tajin butter
* Alaskan King Crab Legs with salad of arugula and chimichurri butter
* Prime Tomahawk Ribeye and Maine Lobster with refried beans, Mexican red rice and fresh tortillas

Originally published on January 22, 2014. Last Updated on July 19, 2016 by Pattie Cordova