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The Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds Plantation will help you plan the perfect proposal.
So, you've been dating a while, and it's about time to make the long-term commitment. Valentine's Day is coming up, and when could there ever be a more romantic time to pop the question? But how? And where? What do you say? What do you do? This is one of life's most important moments, after all.
Strawberries with Champagne Sabayon
What's more appropriate for lovers than strawberries and champagne? America's favorite chef, Emeril Lagasse, has combined these two favorites into a dessert worthy of the one you love. It's quick, easy, delicious and oh, so romantic. Serve it with a flute of champagne with a strawberry.
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 2 perfect whole strawberries to garnish champagne flutes
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
- 3 egg yolks
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup champagne
- Chill the rest of the champagne to toast each other
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped mint
- Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
In a small sauce pan, heat sliced strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and orange liqueur together until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sabayon: In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks with the lemon juice, 1/2 cup of champagne and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until very thick and frothy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
In two 5- by-1-inch shallow ramekins, spoon half of the strawberries in each. Spread the sabayon over the top of each ramekin. Place the ramekins in the oven and brown the tops for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Dust each ramekin with powdered sugar and chiffonade of mint. Serve warm.
The folks at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation have all the answers for you (except for her "yes," of course), with their "Perfect Proposal" package. They've got an engagement specialist to advise you, couples' spa treatments to pamper both of you, rose petals to sprinkle across your bed before you retire and even a special tree to carve your initials into. Imagine coming back years from now to show your grandkids where you proposed to bubbe!
You can choreograph the big event with a string quartet playing in the background, a private dinner, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries or s'mores around a roaring campfire while you nestle beneath a cozy blanket. How about a butler-drawn bath suffused with fragrant herbs and oils? A sandalwood and lavender massage? If the outdoors calls, there are 99 holes of golf, fishing, waterskiing and canoeing on Lake Oconee, a cool vacation spot just 75 miles from Atlanta.
You'll feel like the king and queen of love as the Ritz spares no efforts to make engagement day your special occasion, a day to remember forever. Call them to get details and reserve your proposal package at (800) 241-3333 or (706) 467-0600. Take a peek at the lakeside resort at www.ritzcarlton.com.
If you don't have time for a getaway, celebrate the day with your love locally with dinner at one of Atlanta's most romantic eateries. The Sun Dial offers you one of the city's most gorgeous views from its rotating cocktail lounge atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza downtown. Add to that a special three-course prix fixe Valentine's Day dinner created by chef Christian Messier, and you've got the ultimate intown spot for proposing. The Sun Dial averages one proposal a night, and expects 40 on Valentine's Day alone. Call for reservations, (404) 589-7506, or visit www.sundialrestaurant.com.
If heights aren't your thing, visit the river — the River Room Restaurant, that is, where Valentine's Day brings special his and hers menus on their prix fixe menu. You can order for each other from chef Joseph Rahme's special offerings, including indulgent white chocolate mousse with fresh strawberries, bananas foster cheesecake with amaretto caramel and candied pecans or a toffee brownie with Godiva chocolate soup and vanilla bean ice cream. Call (404) 233-5455 for details and reservations at this popular riverside spot in north Buckhead.
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