A romantic dinner by a roaring fire is best enjoyed at home, not around the neighbor's burning wicker man. Retain your amorous appetite with today's Groupon: for $135, you get an at-home three-course or four-course dinner for two from Date Knight Chef (a $275 value), valid within 35 miles of zip code 28214.
Date Knight Chef prepares gourmet dining fare for couples cozying up within the confines of their own home. The soon-to-be-feted start by filling out an online questionnaire to determine menu selections and scheduling an in-house planning session to acquaint the chef with the kitchen and location of emergency garnishes. Three hours before mealtime, the chef returns bearing all necessary ingredients, cookware, dinnerware, glassware, silverware, and napkins, along with hot tea and coffee.
After salivating over the sweet scent of professionalism wafting from their kitchens, diners dive into three or four courses, depending on menu selections, of epicurean delights. Starters include soup or salad options such as a creamy onion and garlic soup teeming with baby shrimp, or roasted pears wrapped in bacon resting atop a mound of tender arugula. Entrees take on different tones when paired with a choice of side and starch, allowing sautéed chicken breasts drizzled in peppercorn rosemary sauce to finally snag an introduction to green beans with glazed shallots and lemon zest. Among five dessert choices, apples and pears poke through the apricot sauce filling a phyllo shell. After the feast, the chef sticks around to completely clean up their workspace or settle spelling disputes during romantic games of Scrabble.