In case you haven’t picked up on the little nudge-nudge reminders from your sweetheart, Valentine’s Day is this Sunday.  Regardless of whether you subscribe to notions of roses, chocolates, or romantic love, this weekend presents a rare opportunity to dine out in Fairfield on a Sunday evening.

If staying around town is part of the plan, you’ve got options:

Revelations will be open for the occasion and offering a special menu.  Start off with creamy spinach artichoke dip or shrimp cocktail.  Salad options include fresh strawberry, walnut, and goat cheese salad or grapefruit, asiago, and pecan salad and the soup featured will be Greek tomato with couscous and feta.  For your main course, feast on seared chicken breast and mushroom marsala with whipped potatoes, carrots and green beans, seared Alaskan salmon with Moroccan couscous and green beans, grilled eggplant with local ricotta and zesty marinara with orzo pasta or Indian coconut chickpeas over basmati rice.  Satisfy your sweetheart’s sweet tooth with strawberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse or chocolate lovers’ cake.

At Vivo’s, in addition to the full menu, specials include clams oreganata as a starter and for the main course choose from gnocchi in gorgonzola cream sauce topped with herbed pistachios and steamed vegetables, braised tilapia with asparagus risotto, or rosemary chicken with kalamata olives, artichokes and capers with whipped potatoes.  Top it off with the triple chocolate cake dessert special.

More than one special friend to entertain? At Top of the Rock Grill you can enjoy a Valentine’s day menu all weekend long– specials include oriental scallops bruschetta as a starter and entrees of rosemary rack of lamb with potatoes, crab stuffed shrimp over basmati rice, and lobster ravioli in sherry sauce. Heart shaped apple pie headlines the dessert menu.

Café Dodici in Washington is offering specials all weekend as well– Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening as well as a Sunday brunch.  In addition to their regular menu offerings, special entrees include meatloaf wellington, blackened orange roughy, buffalo rib eye, vegetable pot pourri, Alaskan salmon, seafood cannelloni, and butternut squash ravioli.

If you’re prepared to venture a bit further and perhaps try something new.  I highly recommend taking a drive down to Bistro 322 in Burlington.  Featuring a blend of French inspired cuisine with a touch of Asian influence, termed “comfort cuisine,” Bistro 322 is a refreshing and romantic dining experience.  They also feature a variety of wine flights and fun specialty drinks.

There’s still time, make your reservations now! Invite your friends, lovers or neighbors. Who says food isn’t love!