Friday Five

Last year on Valentine’s Day, most of us had barely heard of Covid-19. Now we not only hear — but process, fear, and lament — the word an average of 500 times on a daily basis (we made that up). Over the past 11 months, we’ve had to learn to adapt and celebrate almost every major holiday differently during the pandemic — we did the Zoom Christmas, small turkey Thanksgiving, etc. — and now, V Day. As with each before it, we’re here to help you figure this one out, too.

First: Props to you if you’re just ignoring this day altogether. Another evening in with Netflix is all a lot of us can muster at this point. But if you are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day, there are still options to make it magical and woo your boo. Many local Bay Area restaurants have pivoted to take-home meal kits or precooked takeout dishes, some are also making a return to in-person outdoor dining.

Here are five standout options, a mix of at-home and outdoor dining at varying price points. If you have other ideas, feel free to put them in the comments or tweet us @thebolditalic.

1. The color theory themed meal kit from Merchant Roots

The nine-course tasting menu in the back of Merchant Roots’ shop from chef-owner Ryan Shelton was the kind of dining experience that feels worlds away now. But the Western Addition restaurant kept things flowing last year, rolling out at-home meal kits and an elaborate cookie menu.

Thankfully, the tasting menus are back. For Valentine’s week, they’re offering a $70 per person, at-home Color Theory themed meal kit. Inspired by the science and meaning of colors, it’s a cross-section of popular dishes from previous themed dinners, complete with champagne, a small bouquet of flowers, and truffles.

Outdoor dining is another option — just before the December shelter-in-place, Shelton had completed a parklet, which has since reopened. The first weekends of February offer in-person, outdoor dining with the Color Theory menu ($90 pp). They kick off a Mad Tea Party in late February (think Alice in Wonderland whimsy by way of traditional English classics, like vadouvan chicken pot pies or pourable fish and chips).

Note: Book early—space is limited.

2. A splurge-worthy meal from Saison

Whether its status has been two or three Michelin stars, for over a decade Saison truly has been one of San Francisco’s — and the world’s — greatest restaurants.

In the fall, its individually sectioned-off parklets were one of the most deliciously romantic spots in town and almost their entire pre-pandemic staff have now returned to provide the high-end hospitality Saison is globally known for. Richard Lee became the new chef de cuisine when the restaurant reopened in the fall serving dishes such as Chinese five-spice smoked duck and a duck sausage wrapped in a betel leaf with heart and gizzard sauce. Saison is a splurge, and if there’s a good time to splurge, it’s a pandemic Valentine’s.

The restaurant is currently offering an ever-changing four-course takeout tasting menu for two ($228) with dishes like amberjack with passionfruit, dry-aged duck, their stellar seaweed Parker house rolls, and Mandarin meringue pie for dessert.

Their outdoor dining is already fully booked through Valentine’s Day, but check back on their booking website early and often if you have another special day coming up.

3. A perfect French-inspired feast from Atelier Crenn

Feastin is a pandemic-born delivery business covering the broader Bay Area that supports restaurants, grocers, and other vendors on their platform by not charging them a commission fee. Founders Sebastiaan Van De Rijt and Hannah Wagner (of local Bamboo Asia restaurants) employ their own full-time drivers for the service.

In addition to meal kits, groceries, prepared foods, alcohol, etc., they offer meals from local restaurants like three Michelin-starred great, Atelier Crenn. You can try Dominique Crenn’s multicourse dinner at home for $155 per person, complete with instructions, how-to videos, poems (in keeping with an experience at her restaurant), luxurious courses like a caviar tart, trout mousse, and even a nonalcoholic Kir Breton aperitif to sip as you prep dinner.

Note: On Feastin, you’ll also find other worthwhile restaurants to order from, like Pinoy Heritage, Che Fico, Palette Tea House, Canela and Alamar, and Sobra Mesa in Oakland.

4. Escape to Italy (from home) with Perbacco

The Financial District’s Perbacco has long been one of SF’s destinations for Bologna-worthy pastas and Italian hospitality, thanks to owners and chef Staffan Terje and General Manager Umberto Gibin. They went into takeout/delivery mode through the winter shutdown, with an extensive range of pastas and secondi (entrees), including their creative range of agnolotti pasta filled with everything from octopus to butternut squash. Their four-course Valentine’s menu is Italy-by-way-of-SF with Dungeness crab salad, agnolotti in black truffle fonduta, classic beef Wellington, and a milk chocolate mousse bar with almond brown butter cake. At $180 for two, with delivery and takeout options, it’s a relatively affordable escape to Italy.

5. Kusakabe is an Omakase sushi celebration

One of my favorite pre-pandemic pastimes was watching one of SF’s sushi masters mold perfect nigiri before placing it on a slab in front of me as I sat at a tiny sushi bar. While nothing can replace the in-person experience from SF’s wealth of multiple Michelin-starred sushi bars, a few are doing at-home right.

Kusakabe is one, from Kyoto-born chef Mitsunori Kusakabe. Kusakabe’s takeout/delivery kaiseki-style offerings (there are also à la carte rolls and dishes) includes a $90 “petite omakase” for two, as well as a splurge-worthy $260 omakase for two packed with luxury.

Order a bottle of sake (like local greats Sequoia Sake in SF or Den Sake in Oakland) and you have one serious nigiri feast.

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