THE NOTE FLAVOUR
Valentine’s satisfaction Our annual celebration of love often falls short of the hype, but you can make sure your stomach is happy
Field Guide
BY BROOKLYN CONNOLLY
I
don’t know much about St. Valentine, but I bet he was hungry. He was born in the Roman Empire around 226 AD, a time when food supplies could be precarious, but it was not a hunger for food that lead to his death; it was hunger for love. That yearning ultimately left him decapitated — martyred for the crime of facilitating Christian marriages at a time when practising the religion was punishable by death. Perhaps it is fitting, then, that today so many of us find ourselves searching for love in the pages of a menu on a dinner date, yet often leave unsated. Maybe I’m nothing but a realist. A hungry, lovesick, realist. This year, I’m going to make better choices, and they start on the plate. Here’s my take on the restaurants screaming “Pick me” this Feb. 14.
The Garden
60
UNRAVEL
JAN / FEB 2022
LAFRASCA CIBI + VINI 5650 Spring Garden Rd. $$ lafrasca.ca Whether your love is new or old, LaFrasca Cibi + Vini is there to feed it as it grows. Authentically Italian, there’s no doubt the food is made with care. Share a bottle of red and lose yourself in the fresh quality carbs (on Valentine’s Day, there’s lots of ways to burn them off, anyway). The Northeast Italian menu emphasizes authentic, rustic flavours. Must try: Brome Lake duck two ways with cherry jus, polenta, and brussels sprouts.
