Il fait froid: Romantic cold-weather dining

November 5, 8:48 AMNY Restaurant ExaminerHoward Portnoy

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"In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."

Alfred Tennyson penned that line at the tender age of 26. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been 26 for some time. What stokes my passions these days is the sedate comfort of snuggling with the old lady in front of a crackling fire in cold weather, a bottle of cognac on hand.

For me, when a chill is in the air, romance is in the air. And what culture understand romance better than the French? (Okay, you're right—Italians, too—but this is a French food column.)

If you're planning a hot date in the cold months ahead, here are some tips for fanning the flames of l'amour.

• Oysters, we are assured, have aphrodisiac properties. And if they won't get you in the mood, no problem. The bivalves are yummy and sensuous all by themselves, especially when they're freshly shucked and set down before you glistening, sweet, and briny. Which is how they're delivered at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar (101 2nd Ave, at 6th St, 212/253-7848). Never could quite make sense of that name, which in any case doesn't appear on the outside of the building. You can have your oysters raw, naturally. Or you can have them roasted, in which case they are partnered with homefries, ham, and pimenton. Ordinarily, I am am adamantly opposed to applying even the gentlest of heat to oysters, but this dish will make a believer out the most diehard raw-oyster purist.
• Chocolate. Need I say more? Chocolate is the ultimate Valentine. And at Ayza (11 W 31st Street, bet. 5th Ave and Broadway, 212/714-2992) every night is Valentine's. Well, some nights are more so than others. Sunday, for example, is "couples' night," replete with candlelight, tabletops strewn in rose petals, and—if you play your cards right—amazing chocolate truffles by Jaques Torres "on ze house." (Playing your cards right, by the way, means clicking the "Find a Table" tab on this page of the restaurant's website and typing in the code "Romantic Sunday Special.") Every night, Ayza features a wine and chocolate menu, on which you will find more of those truffles (fee for service, $2 per, this time), assorted chocolate desserts, chocolate martinis, and signature cocktails such as Kalimotxo (Syrah & Coca-Cola!).
• Oysters and chocolate won't do it for you? Time to bring in the heavy artillery. I prescribe a trip to Chez Josephine (414 W. 42nd St., nr. Ninth Ave, 212/594-1925), a restaurant that celebrates the life of chanteuse and sometime lady-of-the-night Josephine Baker. The interiors even look a little like a brothel, with flocked wallpaper, red velvet draperies, and gaudy sconces. The food—which includes a fabulous seafood cassoulet with lobster, shrimp, scallops, and seafood sausage—is playful in its own right. The boudin noir with creamy polenta? Well, if that doesn't help you locate your lusty animalistic instincts, then nothing will.