No Reservations? Dallas Chefs Plan the Perfect Valentine’s Dinner at Home

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you haven’t made Valentine’s Day dinner reservations yet, you’re probably out of luck.

Dallas hotspot reservation lists are quickly filling up. Coveted Italian fare at Monarch is out. Salt Bae’s Nusr’Et is limited to 4:00 p.m availability. Highland Park Village’s Fachini Ristorante is also all booked up.

Before panic takes over, we’ve checked in with Dallas chefs for their tips and recommendations for the perfect at-home Valentine’s dinner.

“Show your date something different,” Fachini executive chef Michael Garcia says. “Make them fall in love with something different.”

To do so, Garcia leans on his Peruvian culture.

“I can easily make a simple pasta dish for anybody and most people will love it, but being able to make it more personal and make something that represents my family, my culture, and have it be something that no one has ever tasted like ceviche or lomo saltado — to me that is more impactful than just making a great bowl of pasta,” Garcia says.
Garcia suggests trying a hand at Peruvian ceviche. Most are likely familiar with Mexican ceviche: citrus acid-steeped fish mixed with onions, tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. Peruvian ceviche, however, is made with leche de tigre — a lime juice, fish stock, garlic, onion and cilantro marinade. Ingredients are blended, strained and poured over raw fish to cure. Garcia recommends using red snapper, halibut or sea bass, which can all be found at local and female-owned Lovers Seafood & Market.

TJ’s Seafood Market is another local option for seafood needs.

Peruvian ceviche is served with roasted sweet potatoes. The citrus and acid notes balance with the sweetness of a sweet potato.

Garcia prefers to serve his ceviche with a dollop of pureed sweet potato on top. He says this is a smarter way to blend the flavors, and the presentation will rival any fine dining experience.

But what about beef? Dallas menus are sure to include a filet mignon, ribeye or surf and turf option. If you're feeling extra fancy, you might even splurge for an A5 Wagyu.

Garcia’s secret to a great steak at home is a porcini mushroom dry rub.

“You can buy some regular porcini mushrooms, dehydrate them yourself and then blend it in a blender and rub it onto the steak,” he says. “That brings out an umami flavor of the steak.”

Steaks should be salted and allowed to get to room temperature before cooking. Garcia says to use a cast iron skillet with a high heat oil to sear your steak. Don’t touch it while it sears. The steak should “bounce back” when done. Up the ante with compound butter, which you can get at some grocery stores (like Central Market) or make with good butter and herbs.

But before you follow the herd, El Patio Mex-Tex owner and executive chef Salvador Hernandez suggests you try your hand at scallops.

“On Valentine's, you should be cooking something a little more special than just a normal weekend dinner,” Hernandez says. “You want to take your time and make it special.”

Hernandez has prepared a recipe for Observer readers that comes bearing a declaration of love that doesn’t include beef (see bottom of article for recipe).

“For Valentine’s day, I could suggest making a filet and maybe some shrimp or something like that with it, but that’s going to be normal,” Hernandez says. “A lot of people do that. I'm gonna suggest people try to do something different.”
His suggestion is pan-seared scallops on a bed of wilted spinach with pink white wine cream sauce paired with creamy Mexican rice.

For Hernandez, the dish is an ode to his childhood and memories of his father cooking seafood. Sharing the dish is sharing his memories, childhood and heart. Instead of seafood, scallops can be swapped for one-inch cubed chicken.

Hernandez suggests plating the dish with rice shaped in the word "love." This can be accomplished with cookie cutters. It’s equally special and just sweet enough to show effort and catch any date's attention.

As for dessert, keep it simple. Berries and cream can go a long way.

Coat strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with sugar. Let them rest until the natural juices release. Then, top with homemade whipped cream. It's a simple dessert that’s affordable and won’t put your date in a food coma.

“The idea of chocolates during Valentine's Day is definitely very common, but I would love a little light dessert to finish off the meal,” Garcia says.