Love at First Bite Romance is on the menu at these dining destinations

The menu for Valentine’s Day isn’t like any other holiday fare. It doesn’t come with traditions such as turkey for Thanksgiving or leg of lamb for Easter. There is no corned beef and cabbage like on St. Patrick’s Day or hot dogs on the Fourth of July.

Chocolate truffles, candy hearts, cinnamon hots – are these the stuff of dinner? Not for adults. Adults want something romantic, something to set the mood for proposals, testaments of devotion and reaffirmations of commitment. It’s a night for two, for couples and cupids.

Whether you’re in Aroostook County, on the coast or inland, chances are there’s a restaurant that understands the mood of the night. We’re thinking: candlelight, soft music, a table in the corner or near the window. But the best spots are the ones that make you happy because they carry memories or because they are tried and true. They may be an old faithful like Pat’s Pizza in Orono, where many a young college student has professed their attachment over those 9-inch pizzas. Or some place far-flung and upscale, such as Fore Street in Portland, where the food is so delicious you might forget the person on the other side of the table.

And if you’re committed to staying home, we get that, too. Stay home. Cook up your own fun.

But if you’d rather not be in the kitchen on Valentine’s Day, then we have a few suggestions. Since we recently focused on restaurants in Bangor, we chose to travel throughout eastern and northern Maine to find dining destinations that range in price, location and cuisine. In some cases, we liked the atmosphere better than the food. In others, the reverse was true. But we’d like to think the person you’re dining with is so loveable that sawdust on a plate would taste good in his or her company.

That said, we appreciate a good meal. And on the big night, we appreciate a really good meal. With ambiance.

Our No. 1 choice is Francine Bistro on Chestnut Street in Camden, which will be open tonight, but not on Valentine’s Day proper. Like the best romance, it’s enticing and fresh, cozy yet sophisticated. In the dark, intimate dining room, you may feel you’re at the home of an old friend, or you may feel you’re in an outlying neighborhood of Paris. Either way, the food, the wine, the twinkling candles, and the sense that your satisfaction counts for something make Francine a sure bet. Chef Brian Hill’s menu changes daily, but steak frites, with a bundle of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage and marjoram, is a standby, as is the salad of fines herbes and winter greens, dressed lightly with lemon vinaigrette. If this works for you, stop reading and call now, because this little jewel fills up fast.

With its warm orange tones, fresh flowers and window seats, atmosphere also rates high at Turriglio’s Italian Restaurant on Franklin Street in Ellsworth. It’s a bustling place, and you may end up waiting longer than you’d like for the Penne alla Vodka, but it’s a night worth savoring. And the eggplant Parmesan isn’t bad, either.

Sometimes, you just want to tuck into a booth and canoodle with your sweetie over tapas and Tunisian spiced lemonade. If this sounds like you, Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro on Main Street in Ellsworth fits the bill. A consistently fresh, ambitious menu, which on the holiday will include an edible orchid salad with hearts of palm and Arabian nights chicken tagine, served in the art deco dining room make Cleonice an inviting place to spend an evening.

If you’re looking for an excursion, think coastal. In Castine, a romantic spot if ever there was one, the Castine Harbor Lodge offers food as bewitching as the view. Arrive early and have a drink looking out over the historic harbor. If seared tuna with wasabi is on the menu, order it.

Down the coast in Searsport, The Rhumb Line on Route 1 was packed on a recent Saturday night. Charles and Diana Evans, the chefs and owners, whip up the meals, and they’re also responsible for the warmth of the low lights and the wait staff, who are eager to please. The menu changes nightly, but look for salads with roasted sweet potatoes, New England bouillabaisse, horseradish-crusted salmon and pumpkin cognac cheesecake for dessert.

Well worth the trip in the opposite direction, River Drivers Restaurant in Millinocket is an unlikely oasis for foodies. Try the wild mushroom and bacon with brandy cream reduction and truffle oil. Or sink your teeth into a savory steak. Whatever you choose, chef Jesse DuMais won’t disappoint. Nor will the servers, who are more pampering than fussy. River Drivers, with its copper-topped tables, wood-paneled walls and soft candlelight, is rustic chic at its best.

Keep going north and you’ll hit The Greenhouse Restaurant at Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Don’t be deterred by the standard hotel dining room – striped wallpaper, upholstered chairs, dark carpet, salad bar. Ask for one of the two corner tables and settle in for fabulous food. Especially the daily specials, which may include New Zealand lamb or lobster-stuffed haddock. And where else will you find this Maine dish: potato-encrusted chicken Aroostook?

No matter where you end up, Valentine’s Day is no small potatoes. So make an event of it. Raise your glass in a toast to romance. Sit side by side. Feed each other dessert. Or skip dessert altogether and go home early.

Local restaurants to remember

Castine Harbor Lodge, Perkins Avenue, Castine, 326-4335

Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro, 112 Main St., Ellsworth, 664-7554

Francine Bistro, 55 Chestnut St., Camden, 230-0083

The Greenhouse Restaurant at Caribou Inn and Convention Center, 19 Main St., Caribou, 498-3733

The Rhumb Line, 200 East Main St., Searsport, 548-2600

River Drivers Restaurant, Medway Road, Millinocket, 723-8475.

Turriglio’s Italian Restaurant, 59 Franklin St., Ellsworth, 667-0202