The Best Places To Eat For Valentine’s Day In Des Plaines, IL
The Des Plaines, Illinois, area offers a wide variety of dining options, including fresh Italian fare, gourmet steaks, and distinctive Hawaiian dishes. Whether you’re looking for an elegant dinner, a laid-back meal, or an outing with a show, we have a recommendation for you. Here are our top picks for a memorable Valentine’s Day dinner:
Cafe la Cave
Image by amirali mirhashemian is licensed with Unsplash License
A popular destination for weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, and parties, Cafe la Cave is an ideal destination when you’re planning a special date night. Perhaps you’re returning to the location of your nuptials for your Valentine’s celebration, or taking your spouse back to the place where you proposed. Whether you have fond memories at this local favorite or you’re enjoying their fare for the first time, you’re sure to enjoy a memorable evening at Cafe la Cave.
The indulgent dinner menu includes appetizers that include escargot bourguignon, crab cocktail, and Asian beef satay to kick off your meal with an abundance of flavor. The Chateaubriand and rack of lamb entrees are made for two. If you prefer to separate dishes, you’ll find an abundance of options, including Atlantic salmon, filet mignon, and chicken piccatta. The Pasta A La Cave is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes — linguini with lobster, shrimp, and scallops in a tomato and garlic sauce. Sides such as dauphinoise potatoes, wild mushroom mac and cheese, and sautéed spinach round out your meal.
Location: 2777 S. Mannheim Road, Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Giacomo’s Ristorante Italiano
Giacomo’s is a family-owned and -operated gem that’s served De Plaines since 1998. The casually elegant atmosphere is perfect for a cozy Valentine’s Day dinner paired with a sophisticated outing, such as visiting a local art museum. You can start with sharing dishes such as fried calamari, stuffed portobello mushrooms, baked clams, and fried mozzarella twists. The pastas are made fresh daily for incomparable flavor. You’ll find all the classics, including fettuccine Alfredo, cannelloni, and meat lasagna. You can also explore gourmet options that include lobster ravioli with shrimp.
If you’re not in the mood for pasta, Giacomo’s offers a variety of other entrees. Try their take on dishes such as veal marsala, chicken parmigiana, and filet mignon. Save room for dessert so you can end your evening with a sweet treat, such as tiramisu, vanilla gelato, cannoli, or turtle cheesecake.
Location: 740 N. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Des Plaines Theatre
The Des Plaines Theatre offers dinner shows that are sure to deliver a memorable Valentine’s Day experience. On Feb. 14, you can catch the Valentine’s Day Massacre Murder Mystery Dinner. The meal will be served at 6 p.m., and the show will follow at 7 p.m. Dinner includes garden salad, homemade cheese ravioli, Ron’s famous meatballs, bread, cannoli, and cookies. A cash bar will be available.
The theatrical performance will take you back to 1929 when Phil Landers and Robin Banks were the top players during Prohibition. Banks plotted the massacre of Landers on Valentine’s Day morning with a pair of dirty cops who were willing to partner up for the unscrupulous deed. See the drama play out before your eyes. A dinner and show ticket costs $65, and gratuity is included in the price.
Location: 1476 Miner St., Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hours: Varies by show.
Via Roma Italian Eatery
Executive chef Alessandro Forti hails from Rome, Italy, bringing authentic Italian flavors to this family-run restaurant. For a homey atmosphere and memorable meal, Via Roma Italian Eatery is an outstanding pick on Valentine’s Day. The dinner menu includes classic Italian antipasto options, such as bruschetta, fried calamari, and fresh mussels in your choice of sauce. Proceed to hearty entrees that include fettuccine Bolognese, beef lasagna, spinach and ricotta ravioli, and fresh Atlantic salmon.
The zuppa di pesce is a mixed seafood stew served with your choice of linguine or crostini toast. The pollo limone consists of a chicken breast with potatoes, asparagus, zucchini, squash, and roasted red peppers. Via Roma even serves 12-inch pizzas if you’d like a more familiar flavor. The dessert menu has plenty of options, including tiramisu, gelato, cannoli, and affogato espresso, to conclude your meal and kick off the rest of the night.
Location: 464 E. Northwest Highway, Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Tiki Terrace
The Tiki Terrace transports you to the tropical island of Hawaii with its traditional food, well-stocked tiki bar, and live hula dancers. You can enjoy dinner and a luau show on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This special experience is available by reservation only, so start making your Valentine’s plans early. You can also drop in for a decadent Hawaiian dinner minus the show at other times. The tiki bar has a variety of tropical delights, such as tiki mai tais, ginger vanilla martinis, and mango coladas.
The menu at the Tiki Terrace features many mouthwatering options, including tender oven-roasted kalua pork, fried chicken with ONO katsu sauce, coconut chicken, garlic shrimp, and Korean short ribs prepared on the lava rock grill. Most meals come with white rice and Hawaiian mac. You’ll definitely want to save room for a sweet treat here, as the coconut cake is an award-winning dessert option. You can also opt for the chocolate lava cake with seasonal fruit or the Chinaman’s hat that features vanilla ice cream on top of fried wonton drizzled with caramel or chocolate.
Location: 1591 Lee St., Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
These are our top picks for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. Do you have other suggestions in the Des Plaines area that we’ve missed? Contact our team at Spot Migration, and let us know so we can update our listing. From reliable IT services to smart local recommendations, we work hard to make sure we offer only the best solutions to our customers.
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