DINING

Palm Beach dining: Romantic dinners a year-round thing on the island

M.M. Cloutier
Special to the Daily News
Peking duck for two at Lola 41.

They’ll be offered in a couple of weeks on special menus in Palm Beach, but dishes designed for two people to share have a presence all year round on the island — not just on Valentine’s Day.

“I think people love them any time of year because they are fun,” said Gianni Minervini, whose Trevini Ristorante frequently offers a Prime-grade tomahawk steak-for-two daily special.

At Trevini, a 40-ounce tomahawk steak is served for two people.

“Dishes for two also are often presented in a special way, like a fish cooked whole and filleted tableside,” Minervini added. “It adds to the experience of dining.”

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Trevini isn’t alone in featuring a dish for two with its 40-ounce tomahawk special ($150) carved tableside and served on two plates with steamed asparagus, cremini mushrooms, potato and butter-sage sauce.

Other restaurants with dishes for two include Le Bilboquet, where they also happen to be “guest favorites,” managing partner Dobi Trendafilova said.

Dover sole for two is served Friday nights at Le Bilboquet.

On Friday nights, the French bistro offers Dover sole for two ($95), which is filleted tableside and comes with a choice of side dish. On Saturdays, roast chicken for two ($95) is carved tableside and comes with a choice of two side dishes.

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The tableside presentations are “one of the reasons why these dishes are so loved,” Trendafilova said.

The Four Seasons' Seaway features whole grilled red snapper for two.

Whole grilled red snapper for two is a favorite at the Four Seasons’ oceanfront Seaway.

The dish is “perfect for sharing and the presentation is always received with a `wow’ as it takes center stage on the table on a large wooden board,” executive chef Jose Gamez said.

The gilled red snapper is served with two sauces — a classic chimichurri, plus salsa criolla with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili peppers and herbs.

Side dishes include greens with Meyer-lemon dressing, and mofongo with green plantains, garlic confit, pork rinds, pickled onions and cilantro.

Echo features a dim sum sampler for two.

Pan-Asian-cuisine hot spot Echo features a variety of dim sum in a sampler for two ($48): crispy lobster wontons, Kung Pao chicken, pork potstickers and shrimp dumplings.

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Pork spare ribs, Kung Pao lettuce wraps, tempura shishito pepper and shrimp eggroll are featured in another sampler for two for $46.

Meanwhile, a popular dish for two is a labor of love at LoLa 41, according to head chef Brian Bottge.

It stars Peking duck served with pickled vegetables, cucumber slices, scallions and orange-spiced hoisin sauce for guests to make duck-filled buns at table.

“All of our ducks come from Jurgielewicz Farms in Pennsylvania and they undergo a three-day preparation procedure,” Bottge said.

Each duck is marinated with spices for 24 hours and then is dipped in a hot bath of Chinese vinegar and honey before being roasted.

Before the duck is served, it’s basted in hot oil and then is “deboned with that amazing crispy skin,” Bottge said.

Scrambled eggs and caviar at Cafe L'Europe.

LoLa 41’s duck-for-two dish is $125; allow extra time for its preparation or give advance notice of plans to order it.

Although not denoted on the menu as a dish for two, an appetizer at Café L’Europe is often ordered by couples: It features two eggshells filled with gently scrambled eggs topped with caviar and served with crostini. The scrambled eggs with osetra sturgeon-caviar appetizer is $77.

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“Two people love to order this dish because there are two eggs topped with caviar and each person can have one,” executive chef Alain Krauss said.

“Two people sharing a dish is almost a trend now,” Krauss added. “They might want to do that with several small plates or they may want one large dish — like beef Wellington — designed for two and plated as such. It’s just fun.''