Madison Square Park and Dinner at the Clocktower

In April of 2021, we moved from our beloved San Francisco to Fairfield County Connecticut. So this year’s Valentine’s Day was different than the rest. We couldn’t rely on our usual traditions of sharing a box of Recchiuti chocolates before shuffling off to an 8PM reservation at Rich Table. Luckily for us, we are driving distance from New York. Read on to find out how we spent our first Valentine’s Day in the big apple.

Gift Exchange at Home

Before leaving for the city, we did our usual gift exchange. Steven presented me with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. In return, I gave him a new cashmere scarf from London brand Begg x Co. He and I also presented Giuseppe with a gift basket of Valentine’s Day-themed toys and treats. Be sure to check out all of Giuseppe’s Valentine’s Day favorites.

Sofa Shopping at Blu Dot

Nothing says romance like furniture shopping, nu? Perhaps it’s just us. We’ve been in the market for a new sofa ever since we moved into our house. And we’ve sat on many a sectional at many a showroom since, without any luck finding the one. But much like finding one’s true love, it took trial, error and perseverance.

When we realized that Blu Dot’s New York store just so happened to be a block away from where we had dinner reservations, we decided it was worth it to get to the city early to see what they had. And we immediately fell in love with their Sunday Sofa. So much so that we called off the search the moment we sat on it.

If you’re in the market for anything Blu Dot and plan on shopping their New York store, ask for Asake! She was absolutely terrific in matching us with our dream sofa.

Madison Square Park

Being that we overestimated how long it would take for us to find our dream sectional, we decided to take a walk around Madison Square Park. It was a lot smaller than I pictured it being, but it has this great local feel to it, and gives you that exciting concrete jungle effect as you look out over the trees.

This evening ended up being the coldest we’ve experienced so far in New York. Luckily, we were well-equipped: Steven with his new Begg x Co scarf, and me with my Henrik Vibskov Macaron hat.

From the park, you also get a great view of the location of our Valentine’s dinner; The New York Edition is a beautiful 1900s building that’s famous for its clocktower feature.

The Lobby Bar at The Edition

Despite our trip to Blu Dot and the park, we had plenty of time before our reservation, so we decided to grab a drink at the Edition’s Lobby Bar. Our bartender expertly crafted a cocktail for me, and an Irish coffee for Steven.

We then walked through the swanky lobby, to the sculptural Serra-esque spiral staircase, which led us to the restaurant.

Valentine’s Dinner at the Clocktower

Image credit: Marriot

We chose the Clocktower restaurant for our first East Coast Valentine’s Day based on its outstanding reviews and gorgeous English Traditional interior. The dining room boasted such a luscious dark hue, of which my phone couldn’t quite capture the beauty. I sourced an image of the room from another site just to give you an idea of how lovely it was. While it was a lively restaurant, we still had a very romantic time.

The meal began with a scrumptious bread roll and a scrape of whipped butter.

Our first course was a refreshing Scallop Crudo and Maine Uni. Light and bright in the mouth, it was the perfect way to begin our meal.

Our second course was a winter truffle linguini. Steven isn’t normally a fan of truffle, but even he couldn’t deny that this was absolutely fantastic. Rich in flavor, yet diverse in textures.

Our next course featured a 40-day dry age primed ribeye, along with the following accouterments: Caesar salad, beef fat potatoes, charred cabbage, and gravy. This was quite filling, and resulted in a couple of takeaway boxes, which we got to pick up on our way out of the restaurant when we retrieved our checked-in winter coats.

Our meal ended with a Black Forest Cake composed of chocolate, mascarpone and cherries. With a very fitting Valentines Day presentation. It’s safe to say that we chose a really fantastic first Valentine’s Day restaurant in NYC.

During our dinner, Steven snapped this image of my hands on the table. The light was hitting my engagement ring just so, and he wanted to remember how it looked during our first Valentine’s Day as an engaged couple.

For anyone who’s curious, my manicure on this evening was one of Steven’s favorite polishes I own, Gamma by Cupcake Polish.

I want to thank Steven for making my first East Coast Valentine’s Day so special. While I did miss our usual San Francisco traditions, I love that we got a chance to do something completely different, but just as special. I cannot wait to revisit the Clocktower. Perhaps when we return, we’ll book a billiards table or a room at the Edition hotel!

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed seeing how we spent Valentine’s Day this year. Until we meet again!