Valentine’s Dinner at Home with Sur Lie

For many years I’ve celebrated Valentine’s Day on the blog by discussing the practice of self-love and the powerful love found through cultivating friendships, but this year is different for me. While those are still such important aspects of my life and I will forever honor my Galentine’s, I now have a new connection to love that I’m eager to celebrate. I’m excited to welcome you into my studio apartment today and to officially introduce you to my boyfriend Jarell. Together, we live with my pup Lucy and bunny Chaucer in downtown Portland, Maine.

Valentine’s Day is often associated with a romantic dinner out and a bouquet of roses, but this year has been anything but “normal” and so why should we attempt to keep things as they were? More than that, I think it’s more impactful to celebrate the love in your life in ways that are deeply meaningful to you and that can look different for me than it does for you. Personally, my love language includes food, especially cooking, and so this year I was ecstatic to partner with my favorite local tapas restaurant Sur Lie to prepare a three-course dinner for two at home. Keep reading to see my tips for how I set an intimate table, prepare a delicious meal and my go-to date-night outfits recommendations. No matter if you’re cooking for a significant other, best friend, or yourself be sure to take simple steps to make this Valentine’s Day feel a little extra special.

How to Set the Table:

When planning a tablescape I always start with choosing a general theme. This could even be as simple as choosing a color scheme to follow. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I went with a classic pink base and balanced the overall setup with plenty of white and gold, as well as added in playful prints and nontraditional florals. Speaking of florals, Sur Lie has partnered with florist Katie Lovins of Clo Floral so that you can add a floral arrangement to your dinner box. Not only does this mean one less step with prepping your date night in, but you can feel good that you’re directly supporting a small business owner versus buying conventional roses from the grocery store.

Our V-Day dinner box included an appetizer of delicious mushroom flatbread and the main meal of juicy pork loin, risotto, and honey glazed carrots. Last but not least, the restaurant partnered with pastry chef Ilma Lopez of Chaval on a ricotta tart with citrus for a tantalizing dessert for two.

If you can’t place an order in time for Valentine’s Day, don’t worry because Sur Lie currently offers a to-go moveable feast every weekend that you can pre-order Sunday – Wednesday. They provide thorough directions so you can prepare it in your home kitchen so that it tastes just as you were dining in.