When I think of romantic restaurants, my first criteria is that it has to be intimate – small, cozy and with low lighting. My second preference is that it does Italian. Well.
I’m not talking about old school meatballs, spaghetti and red sauce Italian, but small batch house-made soups, sauces and pasta plus the best imported cheeses and oils and locally-sourced fresh ingredients. Couple that with a husband and wife chef team, and Due Venti my pick.
Chefs David and Nicole Seals’ menu is chock full of Northern Italian specialties with hints of French, Austrian and Swiss influences, many of which are inspired from Nicole’s late grandmother’s cookbook.
David takes charge of the entrees and appetizers. There are some favorites that are on the menu all the time, such as the pancake-like cauliflower fritelle, and there’s at least one kind of fish is on the menu. But for the most part, Due Venti’s menu changes with the seasons, making the most of local flavors and ingredients at their peaks and as a way to keep things interesting for returning diners. Expect the Seals’ love of fresh figs to be somewhere on the menu like in the cappellaci, a hand-made pasta filled with pork, potato and fig. David is also known for his house-made sausage. This winter’s menu features a French-influenced pork Toulouse sausage cassolette topped with a buttery pastry crust.
Nicole is the master of desserts and her love of making gelato stands out with flavors such as grapefruit-basil and caramel, fennel and sea salt.
Recommendations are highly recommended, especially for Valentine’s Day.
Due Venti is located at 220 S. Main Street in Clawson.
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