Essensia Restaurant at the Palms Hotel
Miami Beach, FL — The Palms Hotel & Spa invites you to arouse love this Valentine’s Day. Join Chef Julie Frans as she pays homage to the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, Aphrodite. On Tuesday, February 14, Essensia’s six-course Food for Love Menu will ignite romance by serving dishes delicately crafted with ingredients believed to stimulate sensuality and gratification. The Food for Love Menu also reflects Essensia’s commitment to following a farm-to-table philosophy allowing the natural flavors of the food to express themselves. Make the evening truly passionate with private dinner service in the hotel’s garden Gazebo.
The evening begins with a Seafood Duo tasting featuring a Raw Oyster Wrapped in Ahi Sashimi served with Citrus Ponzu and Crab Salad, Beets, Crème Fraîche, Lime and Avocado. Known for their ability to increasing desire, oysters are high zinc content which might explain the rumor as zinc helps produce testosterone. The second course features a Truffled Artichoke Soup followed by Strawberries with Roasted Fennel, served with Local Baby Mustard Greens, Aged Goat Cheese, Candied Almonds and Honey Basil Vinaigrette. Several ingredients in these dishes are attributed to boosting your partner’s yearning, but two standouts include truffles and fennel. A legendary aphrodisiac of ancient Rome, truffles are still among the most prized ingredients in the culinary world. It is believed that truffles’ musky scent replicates the scent of male pheromones. Fennel might be most useful to women as an aphrodisiac. It is notably high in phytoestrogens, natural estrogen-like chemicals found in plants. In fact, in the 1930’s, fennel was considered to be used as a source for synthetic estrogen.
A Butter & Garlic Poached Lobster Tail with Caviar, Champagne Tarragon Sauce, Grilled Asparagus and Scallions will be served as the fourth course. Like all foods of the sea, the lobster’s aphrodisiac history can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who believed Aphrodite was born of the sea and that all ocean creatures were her playthings in the games of love. Asparagus has also been rumored to stir up lust in both men and women. In 19th century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of the sexy spears at their prenuptial dinners.
The fifth course is a Coffee Crusted Rib Eye Filet with Fig Ancho Chocolate Demi and a Celery Root and Potato Puree. Coffee’s power is immediately evident for most java aficionados. The drink is the world’s most socially acceptable stimulant. Combined with chocolate and fig, there no telling what could happen. Pure chocolate contains a host of compounds which releases dopamine into the pleasure centers of the brain.
Figs are steeped in history and are one of the oldest-recorded fruits. Some historians suspect that the fig’s original home was the Garden of Eden, and that the fig was the original temptress, the true forbidden fruit.
Last but not least, Banana Fritters with Peanut Butter Honey Ice Cream for dessert. The nectar of Aphrodite, honey is one of the most seductive foods in the world. Sticky, viscous, and deliciously sweet, honey is as much a sensual experience as it is a delicious indulgence.
The Food for Love Menu will be available Tuesday, February 14, and is $185* per couple. Private dinner service in the hotel’s Gazebo is available for $285* per couple, but reservations are required as space is limited. (*Prices do not include tax or gratuity.) For reservations, please call 305.908.5458 or visit www.essensiarestaurant.com.
Essensia is open 7 days per week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. The Palms offers complimentary valet parking with dinner, up to 3 hours. For restaurant reservations, please call 305.908.5458 or visit www.essensiarestaurant.com.
