Delicious Dates

Prepare to swoon as a half-dozen local chefs show how they cook their way into the hearts of their significant others

IT HISTORICALLY holds true for men, but apparently the way to a woman’s heart is also through her stomach. We asked six local food experts——chefs, restaurant owners and one personal chef——how they will work up an appetite on Valentine’s Day. These men and women use their culinary skills to achieve amorous results. Whether they’re married or dating, our foodies seem to have discovered a recipe for romance.

Name: Jason Shaeffer

Title: Chef de cuisine
Restaurant: 1500 Ocean, Hotel del Coronado
Status: Dating

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

To charm and entice my beautiful girlfriend, Chelsea Clark, the zodiac gives me the information I need. She, being a Taurus, wants cozy courtship with good food and copious amounts of wine. Being a Virgo chef, my creative efforts play well with her desires. The element of surprise works. I like to take a regular weeknight and turn it into a special occasion. When she walks through the door, the room is lit by candles, soft music is playing, and I present her with a flute of bubbly.

Back in the Kitchen . . .

I use food that possesses aphrodisiac qualities. I start with raw oysters on the half-shell, topped with caviar and avocado. The creamy ripe avocado complements the salty flavors of the oysters and caviar. I follow up with a favorite soup of ours——purée of artichoke with black truffle and Parmesan. Then, a simple pan-roasted bass with wilted spinach, roasted potatoes and caviar butter sauce. The meal ends with a chocolate soufflé with raspberries. We finish up sitting on my new terra cotta patio, next to the cozy firepit.

Name: Isabel Cruz

Title: Chef/owner
Restaurants: Cantina Panaderia, Coffee Cup Café, Seaside Cantina
Status: Married

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

The perfect day begins with my husband, Billy, and me knowing we have the day off together, uninterrupted. We’ll walk to Michele Coulon Dessertier for coffee, hot green tea and a fresh-baked pastry. A long walk to the beach is followed by breakfast at the Coffee Cup in La Jolla——strawberry-almond pancakes with raspberry purée and a pesto scramble with a side of chicken apple sausage (we aren’t eating anything else until dinner).

Back in the Kitchen . . .

Billy will put some baby red potatoes in the oven to roast, and start to char-grill the rib-eye (it’s been marinating overnight). I set the table and light the fireplace. My favorite mix CD is on——Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt and Billie Holiday. I crack open a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne. I’ll grill fresh jumbo scallops and heat roasted-tomato saffron sauce to drizzle over them. We’ll start with a blue cheese–walnut salad. The scallops and rib-eye will come with a bottle of Bodegas Trapiche-Iscay. Mexican chocolate bread pudding tops it off. We’ll leave the living room strewn with remains . . . and the next morning, Billy will clean it all up.

Name: Matt Rimel

Title: Owner/chef
Restaurants: Zenbu, Zenbu Lounge, Rimel's Mesquite
Status: Married

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

I wake up early midweek with my wife, Jacqueline, to spend time with our daughters, Georgia Rose (Gigi) and Lily Alexandra. Once the girls are off to school, we head out for coffee at Pannikin and hit one of my favorite San Diego spots, Black’s Beach, where we stroll the coast up to Torrey Pines. After a long walk we come home——hungry. I let my wife have quiet time relaxing, while I cook up the ultimate breakfast in bed.

Back in the Kitchen . . .

As in our restaurants, breakfast is fresh and simple ——and healthy. I use organic poached eggs, wheat organic bread, apple-smoked bacon, fresh avocados (from Jonathan’s in La Jolla) and steak tomatoes picked fresh from our backyard garden. To make smoothies, I use fresh Valencia oranges from my grandparents’ place in Escondido.

Name: Jesse Frost

Title: Executive Chef
Restaurant: Adobe el Restaurante (Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa)
Status: Married

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

My wife, Natalie, and I have a delectable picnic at the botanical gardens overlooking the koi ponds in Balboa Park. We sip champagne, enjoy superb artisan cheeses and feed each other bite-sized morsels as we indulge each other and absorb the scenery.

Back in the Kitchen . . .

I prepare my wife’s favorite dish——baked oysters with sautéed spinach, serrano ham and saffron sabayon topped with osetra caviar. This delicious recipe can be prepared virtually anywhere. We enjoy it sitting on our balcony overlooking San Diego’s beautiful bay.

Name: Julie Ellard

Title: Head chef/owner
Company: Dining Details personal-chef service
Status: Dating

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

Robbie and I load the truck with our road bikes. We drive to Shelter Island and check into the Kona Kai Hotel. Then we head out on our bikes toward Point Loma for a “leisurely” 7-mile ride to Cabrillo National Monument. (The hills near the point will help whet our appetites.) Low tide on Valentine’s Day is 1:40 p.m., so we’ll aim to arrive at the tidepools then, so we can walk along the shoreline, visit the creatures and get our toes wet. We’ll bike back to the hotel to be ready for a water taxi from the Shelter Island fishing pier to Coronado.

Back in the Kitchen . . .

At the Coronado Ferry Landing, we walk the few blocks to the park where my company’s sous chef has set up a makeshift kitchen. A table is decorated in divine Valentine style. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne awaits us. The table is lit by hanging lanterns. After a toast, we enjoy fresh-baked bread with herb-infused olive oil. The series of delicious dishes——which I made the previous night——arrives in timely sequence: salad with Chino’s speckled baby romaine lettuce; roasted root vegetable soup with caramelized baby carrot purée; Chilean sea bass; thyme-and-garlic-crusted lamb chop; and finally, vanilla-bean gelato in a martini glass.

Name: Antonio Friscia

Title: Executive Chef
Restaurant: Stingaree
Status: Married

To Whet Our Appetites . . .

We start with a scenic, sunset ride along the coast, arriving at Torrey Pines a few minutes before the sun dips below the horizon. My lovely wife, Stacy, and I then take a short hike through the cliffs as the sky pushes closer to dusk. At the top of the cliff, I lay down a few blankets. As an appetizer: Tartufate, a fine truffle cheese, and some Mimolette, a rare hard cheese. Also, some fresh baguettes from Bread and Cie in Hillcrest, and a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.

Back in the Kitchen . . .

I start with Kumamoto oysters coupled with champagne mignonette, served on the half-shell with a nice glass of 1998 Dom Perignon Rosé. While we sample the oysters, the cooking begins. The main course is a scampi and white truffle risotto, served with a Burgundian-style Chardonnay. As our food settles in, I start to prepare a succulent chocolate soufflé for dessert. I use the spicy Maya chocolate from Chuao Chocolatier, served with a glass of Brachetto d’Aqui from Piedmonte. We finish the night off with a romantic walk along the beach, ending, of course, in my crib.

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