v-day surprise

So I have this aversion to your typical Valentine's Day dinner out.
You pay way too much for a prix fixe menu that's way too limited (two options is not my idea of choice).
You jam pack yourself in next to a bazillion other suckers whose words can't help but spill over into yours.
You stuff down three to four courses of mediocre pre-prepared food that leaves you full but unfulfilled.
And you shell out an extra 40 bucks for their champagne "special" - a split of something worth 10.
Not exactly my idea of a night of romance.

So when Stefan told me he had plans for a surprise dinner out someplace fabulous, I was skeptical. I was convinced we were headed to the spot of our first date: the lovely A16, and me - being the snoop I am - checked out their v-day offering ahead of time: prix fixe galore. Not promising.

1

But per usual, he surprised me in the best of ways. He drove us to a part of a town I'd never been to (the inner Sunset) to a charming, little establishment that boasts one of the biggest wine by the glass (and half glass) menus in the city (the InnerFog). Since we love to sample and try new things, we ordered four half glasses of never-before-heard-of pours and shared them all.

But what would a Stefan-and-KK Valentine's Day be without a little Stefan-and-KK pre-dinner snack? He ordered us a spread of delicious morsels (with some cheese of course) to munch on while we sipped our varied wines.

Arizmendi Baguette, Membrillo Quince Paste,

Dark Chocolates, Marcona Almonds,

and - oh, I almost forgot -

some PA-blended, raw cow milk cheese

After an hour of sampling, it was time for a brisk 15-minute walk to our dinner destination: a charming little hole-in-the-wall French bistro with raving reviews: zazie.

1

Stefan had reserved a corner table on their back patio which came with plentiful heat lamps, a fleece blanket for us to share, and unreal views of the California night sky.

The pink-and-red-clad hostess

preparing our corner table

The view from our spot

Notice: fellow diners a comfortable

2 feet away in either direction

Best of all, they didn't force a three course menu - you could order a la carte any combination of appetizer, entree, dessert you liked. After our decadent course of wine and cheese at our pre-dinner spot, we opted to share their beet, arugula, chevre salad and the provencale beef stew. 
And it did not disappoint.  We will be back.

xoxo
KK