Be it an anniversary or just an ordinary day, if you and that special someone are looking to get a little romantic alone time and dinner somewhere special, these four restaurants have just what you're searching for.
If you're celebrating a special occasion at Nicholas in Middletown, you will go home with a box of homemade chocolates, and if you're a lucky lady, you may find a ring in that box as well.
Owner Melissa Harary said she has seen dozens of couples get engaged at her restaurant, and many of them return to celebrate their anniversaries and birthdays every year.
"We really try to make it special for our guests," she said.
With a large chandelier in the middle of the dining room and waiters serving dishes under silver domes, Harary, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Nicholas, said the restaurant is an upscale dining experience.
As for romance, Harary said there are plush, corner booths that offer privacy and the six-course tasting menu can be very enjoyable for couples trying new foods.
Some of the dishes on the tasting menu are crab and avocado salad, seared day boat sea scallops and sirloin of veal. The six-course tasting menu costs $79, a four-course garden menu is $59 and a three-course option is $59. Each of the items on the menu is paired with a wine selection, Harary said.
Imagine the words "Will you marry me?" written in liquid chocolate or a rose with a diamond ring atop a dessert platter. Both have proved successful at Raven and the Peach in Fair Haven.
Manager Timothy Boulous of Sea Bright said a lot of people get engaged at the restaurant and eventually have their weddings in the ballroom.
"The setting is matched by nothing," he said. "It's very "Casablanca'-ish. There are big, lush booths and tables for two and even a grand piano. It's quite memorable."
As for the food and drinks, Boulous said they have an eclectic menu with everything from the very popular banana and macadamia nut-crusted halibut filet to the equally elegant kalamata olive-crusted swordfish.
Boulous added that the servers are happy to suggest pairings from the restaurant's wine list.
One evening, when a woman received the salad she had ordered at Tuscany in Brick, a small box was mixed in with her greens. Co-owner Costas S. Kaifas of Point Pleasant said the patron's then-boyfriend had brought in an engagement ring in a box, which was placed in the salad to surprise her.
Kaifas said he is not surprised that the couple, and others, made their relationships official at his restaurant.
"It's a little bit rustic, there is very dim lighting with candlelit tables, so it is very romantic," he said.
He said couples like to share the arugula panzanella, made with arugula, roasted garlic crostini, kalamata olives, sundried tomato, gorgonzola cheese, toasted almonds and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette, which costs $10.
Among the most popular entrees is the filet Francesca, which is an 8-ounce filet mignon wrapped in prosciutto with a grilled portobello under a tomato basil hollandaise sauce, for $24.
For a more relaxed setting, manager Joe Tardi said his restaurant, Tardi's in Point Pleasant Beach, is very romantic, yet laid-back and comfortable.
"It has a warm, cozy feeling," he said. "People feel right at home; they hang out for two, three hours."
He said he has seen several proposals at the restaurant.
On the menu, which Tardi said is reasonably priced with more than adequate portions, the most popular entree is shrimp and scallops, which comes in a sherry garlic cream sauce and costs $29.95.
Also among the most popular dishes is the veal Sorrentino, which costs $23.95, and the stuffed portobello mushrooms are always a popular appetizer for $14.50, he said.
Photo of Nicholas dining area by Mary Frank
