Valentine’s Day dinner 2013: Restaurants offering à la carte menus

If you’re planning a date at this locavore tavern, a word of advice: Arrive early to avoid a lengthy wait. Pie-hobbyist-turned-pro Paul Giannone produces more than a dozen truly original ’zas, with gorgeously blackened crusts covered in crispy nooks and pillowy bubbles. The Cherry Jones—a frequent special featuring orange-blossom honey, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, dried Bing cherries and wispy prosciutto di Parma—is a beautiful balance of sweet and salty. The rustic setting and low lighting make Paulie’s a charming date spot—and if you’re lucky, you might get a table with a view of the roaring custom-built oven.

A date at this Brooklyn offshoot of chef Andy Ricker’s Portland hot spot feels wonderfully intimate, thanks to its out-of-the-way location and small quarters. You’ll have to queue for a table, but it’s worth the wait for fine renditions of Northern Thai dishes. Impress your mate by ordering the khanom jiin naam ngiew (described as “hard to say but easy to eat,” $14), a savory broth with hulking portions of vermicelli, tender pork ribs and minced beef, plus pickled mustard greens from the condiment plate. The tiny front dining room boasts the coziest environs, with room at the bar and several tables for two.

A clandestine second-floor location makes this dinner-only spot feel like a secret known only to you and your boo (okay, and everyone else packing in for dinner). Chef King Phojanakong channels his culinary pedigree (which includes stints at Daniel and Danube), along with his Thai and Filipino heritage, into elegantly presented small plates, such as an omelette studded with plump, Willapa Bay, WA, oysters, and hunks of seared ahi tuna luxuriating in a spicy miso vinaigrette. Split a dessert, like the coconut ginger rice pudding, or a custardy twist on key lime pie made with kalamansi.

Channel vintage New York romance at this 90-year-old stalwart, which got a face-lift in 2010. The dining room sees checkered cloths covering Art Deco tables, and couples huddled beneath an old poster of a glam Chinese movie star Chow Yun-Fat. The food, too, stands apart: Try the ultrafluffy oversize roasted pork bun ($1.50), the flaky fried crepe egg roll ($3.95) and the tender stuffed eggplant ($3.50) filled with a spiced shrimp-and-squid mixture.