When my good friends at the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau asked if I'd be willing to share my top picks for the city's most romantic restaurants on their blog, I said I'd love to. Awww.
For Valentine's Day or any day, the city offers plenty of spots where the laws of attraction aren't limited to that special someone sitting next to you. You'll also be drawn to mouthwatering food and top-notch service bathed in warm, cozy ambiance.
When it comes to a memorable meal in a whisper-quiet setting, it doesn't get any better than Noah's Eclectic Bistro. The city's finest restaurant serves up an ever-changing, top-notch menu of imaginative dishes that rival any you'll find in some of the country's finest restaurants - all served in a tucked-away, 11-table hideaway on McFarland Street. The menu changes weekly, but what doesn't is Chef Noah Miller's uncompromising commitment to providing the best dining experience in town.
For fantastic food in a similar intimate setting, check out South Hills Market & Café on Bridge Road, serving artisan cocktails and upscale meals in a dimly lit (but always buzzing) storefront at the equally charming Bridge Road Shops.
Back downtown, stop in for artisan cocktails at Celsius on Hale Street, sample the 500-bottle wine list at The Block or run over to Smith Street to enjoy fine wine, craft beers and a menu led by an acclaimed new chef at Bricks & Barrels. Any table in the place is a perfect spot for romance, but reserve one of the restaurant's wine "caves" for an extra-special evening.
In the mood for top-notch seafood, sushi or Asian fare? You'll find it downtown at Ichiban or in Kanawha City at Su-Tei.
Or for something more casual, what's more romantic than giving googly eyes to the one you love over a bubbling, can't-wait-to-grab-a-slice gourmet pizza? Lola's in South Hills serves up those - and plenty of romance - inside an eclectic little white house. And in the heart of downtown, popular Pies & Pints offers an addictive array of pizzas (and the most impressive craft and import beer menu in town) in a cool urban storefront on Capitol Street.
For upscale Italian with flair, Soho's at Capitol Market just a few blocks away serves sought-after cocktails, an impressive selection of wine and mouthwatering meals (served on W.Va.-made Fiestaware!) in an oh-so-cool "industrial chic" setting.
Or perhaps you'd rather cook your own romantic dinner at home? If so, the shops and vendors at Capitol Market offer everything you need to prepare a delicious candlelit meal: fine wine or a nice bottle of bubbly; gourmet cheeses and artisan crackers; fresh seafood or cut-to-order meat; and a bounty of fresh produce, even a selection of handcrafted Swiss chocolates.
You'll find them all at Capitol Market, a local treasure indicative of so many others that await in the state's capital city.
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Speaking of romance, I love home-baked cookies. Like, passionately.
So I was downright giddy when the fine folks at Kanawha Valley Senior Services asked me to help judge their 2016 Charity Cookie Bake-Off this weekend at Charleston Town Center's third-floor food court. It's the group's second annual intergenerational contest held in conjunction with the Bureau of Senior Services - with all proceeds benefiting the area's senior citizens.
Saturday's event will include a variety of activities, with local businesses, groups, families, couples, individuals and even children showcasing their baking talents for a panel of judges and public sampling.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (or while supplies last) with the day's big winners announced after the last cookie disappears. Separate awards will be given for the best family/couple/individual entries, best children's entries, best business/organization and People's Choice.
And if you think you have what it takes to bake your way to the top, the group is still accepting competitors for Saturday's showdown. Just contact Kanawha Valley Senior Services Executive Director Paulette Justice at 304-348-1630.
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I enjoyed another fabulous stay at central West Virginia's Stonewall Resort, which hosted a "Taste of the Spanish Coast" tapas and wine affair this past Saturday.
Although there were nearly two-dozen different Spanish dishes to sample (and more than a dozen wines to pair them with), my vote for the evening's best bite went to an item you might associate with a different country.
Stonewall's Italian-inspired meatballs were marvelous, bathed in a thick tomato sauce that surely simmered all day. Other standouts were a roasted artichoke, charred grape tomatoes and grilled scallion salad; almond-crusted chevre with fig compote; beet-pickled deviled eggs with saffron and pickled radish; grilled steak with tangy chimichurri; and pulled pork from a whole smoked hog, topped with tangy barbecue sauce.
It was a nice prelude to the resort's West Virginia Culinary Classic, the state's premier "foodie" weekend taking place at Stonewall March 4-5.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" and read his blog at blogs.charlestondailymail/foodguy.