Valentine's Day
/The Feast of Saint Valentine originated in Italy when two Italian priests named Valentine, one from Rome and one from Terni, were martyred more than 2,200 years ago. So long ago, that many of the stories and legends that equate the saint with romantic love are suspect, but fun to consider. The Roman Valentine was supposedly jailed for refusing to convert to Roman paganism and was sentenced to death. The night before his execution, legend says that he healed his jailer’s blind daughter and then sent her a card signing it “Your Valentine.”
The exchanging of cards , flowers and sweets became popular in the UK in the 18th Century and spread throughout the world, becoming a major economic boost for all of those products. In 2017, the U.S. spent more than $18 billion or more than $136 a person (which will cover the special Bistecca alla Fiorentina offered at M’tucci’s Twenty-Five this weekend - details below).
Valentine’s Day was noted as an annual celebration of love in France in the 1400s, where lavish festivities in the court of Charles VI featured feasts, love songs, poetry competitions and dancing.
A Few Love Stories
During the eight years that my wife and I operated a wedding photography business in the Mexican Riviera Maya, we heard many wonderful love stories, and more than a few love disasters. However, there are two that we both remember fondly.
Nine years ago was the wedding of a couple from the Midwest. The groom had recently left the priesthood in order to marry. He gave up his calling and his vocation for love. Their joy and love was moving.
During our last year in Mexico, we photographed a wedding for a couple who were getting married after postponing their wedding for one year so the groom could donate a kidney to the bride’s father. He was the only possible donor among the two families. Needless to say, the photos after the vows were emotional.
Closer to home, two guests have been coming to M'tucci's since we opened. Most employees of M'tucci's would recognize Kelly and Lucy if they walked in. They had been a couple for nearly 15 years when they decided they wanted to get married and have a ceremony with all their friends and family. They are the only people to ever get married in a M'tucci's Restaurant as we aren't usually equipped to switch from a ceremony to a reception in the same room, but we did it for them and it was definitely worth it. They still come in about once a week and have said that M'tucci's is a special place to them.
Since Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties are now in the Yellow zone, we are looking forward to hearing from you about catering your wedding or event and we are looking forward to seeing you in our restaurants this weekend for a Valentine’s dinner. We will offer 75% occupancy on our patios and 25% occupancy in our dining rooms. At this point, we plan to have a few tables available for walk-ins, but we are taking phone in reservations for all dining rooms. At the moment we will not have online reservations available. So call!!
Valentine Weekend Specials
Available Friday - Sunday
M’tucci’s Moderno
Lobster Ravioli
House-made Lobster Ravioli With Cold Water Lobster And Crab Served With Wild Pink Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Grape Tomatoes, Basil & A Lobster Cream Sauce. $32
Pan Seared Sea Scallops
Pan Seared Scallops Served With Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Artichokes, Sautéed Organic Baby Arugula And Topped With Lemon Caper Butter Sauce And Smoked Prosciutto Powder. $31
Surf And Turf Special Entrée & Dessert (For Two)
Two Harris Ranch 12oz Ribeyes Perfectly Grilled The Way You Love It, Served With Pink Patagonian Shrimp (6) Tossed In Garlic Butter, Served With Rosemary Pecorino Saltwater Potatoes & Grilled Asparagus.
For Dessert A Chocolate Covered Red Velvet Cake Roll Filled With Chantilly Cream, Topped With Raspberry Meringue And Chocolate Cake Pieces. $59
Add a Bottle of M'tucci's Dolcetto $85
Gelato & Sorbetto Pints
Cheesecake Gelato With Strawberry Swirl
Chocolate Sorbetto
Raspberry Prosecco Sorbetto
Sparkling Bottle Specials
Rotari Brut Doc 2013 Sparkling Wine - $37
Argyle Brut Willamette Valley 2014 - $60
Cocktail Specials
Lot 75 : House Infused Lavender Botanical Gin, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Cane Sugar, Lemon Twist $9
The Blush Flower : Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, Aperol, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, Cranberry Shrub Syrup, Muddled Cucumber, Orchid Flower $9
Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Muddled Strawberry, Absolut Vanilla Vodka, Chocolate Liquor Simple Syrup, Half And Half $9
Green Point: Michter's Rye Whiskey, Yellow Chartreuse, Sweet Vermouth, Angostura & Orange Bitters, Lemon Twist $14
M’tucci’s Italian
M’tucci’s Twenty-Five
Lobster Salad: stuffed Fried Avocado, House Bacon Chutney, Roasted Apple, Greens tossed in Calabrian Vinaigrette $9
Chicken Scallopini: Lightly Breaded Chicken, served with House Fettuccine, Sautéed Mushrooms, Marinated Tomato,, Local Feta, Herbed Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $16
Lamb Rib Chops: Sweet Potato Puree, Haricot Vert, Mint Gastrique $23
Pan-Seared California Halibut: Fried Yukon Gold Potatoes, Grilled Escarole, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $22
12 oz Chianina (New Mexico Raised Italian Beef) Rib Eye: Choice of Sweet Potato Mash or Saltwater Potatoes, Choice of Grilled Marinated Artichokes or Haricot Vert or Asparagus $52
32 oz Chianina Bistecca all Fiorentina: Choice of Sweet Potato Mash or Saltwater Potatoes, Choice of Grilled Marinated Artichokes or Haricot Vert or Asparagus $130. Must pre-order today for Sunday Only.
M’tucci’s Italian
16 oz Hand Cut Herb-Rubbed NY Strip: Crispy Saltwater Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Balsamic Reduction $32
Lobster Pasta: Lobster, M’tucci’s Sackett Farm Bacon, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Saffron Shrimp Cream Sauce, Pappardelle Pasta $31
Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Artichoke, Sautéed Arugula, Lemon Caper Sauce $31
Chocolate Dipped Red Velvet Swiss Roll: Raspberry Meringue, Chocolate Cake Crumble
M’tucci’s Catering
As we are now in the Yellow Zone and creeping toward the green zone, we are looking forward to some Spring, Summer and Fall Wedding Receptions. M’tucci’s Catering Manager, Taña Martinez, will take part in the Behind the Curtain: Virtual Wedding Show on February 21 telling brides what they can expect from M’tucci’s. You can see our full catering menu by clicking here.
M’tucci’s Wine
Don’t forget to try a glass ($8) or bottle ($32) of M’tucci’s private label wines, grown and bottled in California.
2019 Bianco – 100% Verdelho – Contra Costa County, CA
Peach, Green Apple, Honeydew, Balanced Acidity
Thanks to the acidity, this will pair really well with almost the whole spectrum of white wine pairings. Most people will consider this to be similar to Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a Portuguese grape native to the island of Madeira. It’s one of the four “noble” grapes of Madeira. It is very rarely planted in the US.
2019 Dolcetto – 100% Dolcetto – Russian River Valley (Sonoma County), CA
Black Cherry, Cranberry, Tobacco Leaf, Medium Tannin & Light Acidity.
Perfect compliment for charcuterie but will stand up to other dishes where other bigger-bodied red wines would typically be paired because of the tannins. (Editor’s Note: I had a glass with the Five Pork Bolognese yesterday and It was terrific). It would be considered similar to a Pinot Noir, but has a bit more depth and more tannin. Dolcetto (little sweet one in Italian) is best known as a varietal from Piedmont in Italy and for being a bit drier, which this American version definitely shows. Another rare varietal in American winemaking
2018 Rosso – 70% Carignan, 28% Grenache, 2% Charbono – Mendocino County, CA
Leather, Vanilla, Pomegranate, Balanced Tannin, Long Finish
This wine has really impressed us in all of our tastings. Think of it as a bit of a merlot/cab/Syrah type blend. It’s got big enough tannin to stand up to almost any red meat, but will also pair great with tomato sauces and even to charcuterie. Carignan has Spanish origins, but is more common in French wines. Grenache is used in many of the popular wines from the Rhone region in France. It is called Garnacha in Spain and is a common blending partner with Carignan, which results in a nice tannin and balance. Charbono (also called Charbonneau) originated in the Savoi region of France. It was confused as Dolcetto in the early days of California winemaking, but is definitely a different grape. It commonly has high acidity and rich, fruity complexity. It is called Bonarda in Argentina, where it’s the second most planted grape behind Malbec. This wine will continue to get better with each year in the bottle.
Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!
