Sometimes the most romantic meals are in those neighborhood restaurants known mostly to locals, writes Michael Klein, Beatrice Forman, Kiki Aranita, and Craig LaBan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Such a place is La Belle Epoque at 38 W. State St. in Media Borough. It made an Inquirer list of 12 under-the-radar restaurants in the region for romantic dining.
La Belle Epoque has been part of the Media scene for more than 20 years. Named after France’s golden age, it serves Burgundy-style French cuisine, writes Beatrice Forman.
Guests are served in a quaint dining room that resembles a backdrop from the TV series “Emily in Paris.”
There’s a large and varied wine list covering every region of France–rosé from the Rhône Valley, Riesling from Alsace, and Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux.
The menu features hearty bistro entrees, like steak frites and filet mignon with potatoes.
For bolder options, there is the escargots de Bourgogne (chewy snails served in the shell with a garlic-butter sauce), pan-roasted duck in a sweet pomegranate and red wine reduction, or bucatini topped with chanterelles and a dollop of caviar.
The restaurant’s romantic atmosphere peaks in the summer during Media’s Dining Under the Stars.
Read all of the 12 Inquirer-recommended romantic restaurants in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
