Happy belated Valentine’s Day! It was Valentine’s week last week for sure with some heart crafting, cupcake baking, valentine decorating, and a few special love episodes of our favorite Disney Junior shows. And making our Valentine’s week a little extra special, mommy and daddy were able to enjoy a meal just us two pre-Valentine’s day so we could celebrate the big day with our little valentine. Whenever we have a special day to celebrate or get a chance to sneak out and enjoy some alone time the first place we want to escape to is Toscano’s Ristorante in Bordentown, NJ. A cozy, Italian restaurant that’s been our home ever since we started dating, this gem holds a special place in our hearts and even more so now that they can flawlessly create an amazing dining experience for both of us.
The biggest joy in dining at Toscano’s is the worry free meal that we get enjoy. There’s no need to double check, triple check, quadruple check that your dish is gluten free here because the chef understands what a gluten free meal entails and is able to follow through without sacrificing flavor for a safe meal. I have to admit I’m an order the same dish every time you dine somewhere kind of girl, however here I’ve tried and loved many a dish, each one coming out exact or pretty darn close to how it’s described on the menu. Every single dish I’ve tried has been sauced and seasoned to perfection, which means we leave with nothing but big smiles and full bellies every time.
Okay so for our parents only, pre-Valentine’s dinner and my mommy-to-be appetite back in tact I decided to go with the gluten free versions of the Antipasto Salad (which is gluten free already), Vodka Rigatoni, and for dessert a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce. While I ordered my favorite dishes, true to form Dan indulged in two of the specials along with an extra special dessert just for him. Normally, we share desserts, if we even have room for them, and sometimes appetizers too but for this special occasion we had a lot to celebrate so we decided to splurge a little. As always, we didn’t have to wait too long until our appetizers arrived and oh my was I ever glad to see my heaping plate of antipasto salad placed in front of me.
By the way, pardon the less than stellar phone pictures, we left the camera at home but I just had to snap a few of the beauty of these dishes. Lettuce topped with cheese, mixed meats, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, celery, all mixed in their house made balsamic dressing. It’s a divine appetizer, one that both Dan and I absolutely love and I may have enjoyed on a few take out occasions prior to our meal out. What I love most, besides the amazing mixture of flavors, is that each ingredient is chopped into small, bite size pieces so every bite you enjoy is filled with antipasto deliciousness. While I could have easily finished the whole plate, I saved half for tomorrow’s lunch, making sure I had plenty of room for my creamy vodka penne (the gluten free pasta they stock) that was on its way. And with perfect timing as always, our entrees arrived not too long after we had digested our appetizers.
And voila, my gluten free vodka penne was calling my name, steaming hot and looking just as beautiful as always. The gluten free pasta was cooked perfectly and smothered in a creamy vodka sauce chock full of prosciutto and tomatoes, all topped with a few slivers of cheese and some basil. This dish is by far my all time favorite pasta dish and Toscano’s does me proud every single time. I love a creamy, less tomato based vodka sauce and Toscano’s delivers just that. Needless to say, I finished every last bite of my entree, making me so glad that I saved some of my appetizer for the next day so I could enjoy my vodka penne at its best, fresh out of the kitchen.
To be honest, even pregnant me was pretty full at this point but Dan and I had decided to at least taste our desserts and save the rest for the next day if we needed to. I forgot to snap a picture of my Flourless Chocolate Cake but it was a beauty, especially with that gorgeous raspberry sauce drizzled all over it. Their cake is definitely more of a brownie cake texture rather than some flourless chocolate cakes that I’ve had that are more like eating a piece of fudge, both varieties I love and neither of which I would ever turn down mind you. This dessert though was the perfect, gluten free finish to our meal, even if I only took a grand total of 3 bites out of the huge piece of cake. Thankfully, I can report that flourless chocolate cake holds over very well until the next day.
All together, it was a great meal filled with delicious gluten free food and even better company. We love taking our little girl with us everywhere, especially out to eat, she completes us, so Dan and I rarely get out just us two. So on occasions like this one, we always like to celebrate just mommy and daddy and then have a family celebration too. This holiday we wanted to do just the same, reserving a romantic dinner for us a few days before and having a special day with little girl included on Valentine’s day. Love was certainly in the air for our Valentines day celebrations this year and I’m constantly reminded of how much love we share in our family. Not a day goes by in our house that kisses, hugs, and plenty of I love yous are shared and that’s just the way we like it. No matter how you celebrated I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day, filled with lots of love with your loved ones and plenty of tasty gluten free food!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (20 weeks)