Dive Into Dinner of Desserts During February at Charleston’s Circa 1886

CHARLESTON, S.C.—Forget the box of chocolates for your Valentine this February; Charleston restaurant Circa 1886 is inviting you and your sweetheart to instead enjoy an entire dinner of sweets. The AAA Four-Diamond, Mobil Four Star restaurant located on the grounds of the award-winning Wentworth Mansion® will offer as a menu item a choice of three desserts for $25 and an optional wine pairing for an additional $25 throughout the month of February.

Guests can choose from selections prepared by Pastry Chef Scott Lovorn that offer a gourmet twist on popular winter classics. The dessert menu includes the apple crisp soufflé with streusel crunch, dulce de leche ice cream and cinnamon anglaise; the campfire classic with a triple chocolate smore, smoked milk chocolate, ganache and a hot chocolate toddy; banana fritters with frangelico ice cream, chocolate sauce fleur de sel caramel; Meyer lemon curd with buttered graham crackers, macaroons and lemon foam; and sweet potato doughnuts with buttermilk pecan praline and café latte semifreddo.

"What says I love you more than a plate full of desserts if your sweetheart has a sweet tooth?" says Lovorn, laughing. "We thought it would be fun to turn Mom’s rule of ‘No dessert till after dinner’ upside down, and there’s no better time than February, when sweets are already on everyone’s mind."

The restaurant will also serve a special five-course dinner on Valentine’s Day with seatings at 6 and 9 p.m. The menu features a chilled poached prawn, tomato chive geleé, orange and celery relish with horseradish foam as the first course; white cheddar cheese truffle soup with leg of lamb confit as the second course; sliced parma prosciutto organic greens, cucumber and a smoked honey banyuls dressing for the third course; a choice of braised wagyu beef short ribs, Yukon Gold potato cake, baby vegetables with Cabernet Sauvignon demi glace or crab-stuffed salmon filet, asparagus, bacon studded waffle with American caviar hollandaise as the fourth course; and passion fruit, champagne and raspberries and chocolate for dessert.

Cost for the Valentine’s Day dinner is $100 per person, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity. The all dessert-dinner will not be available as part of the Feb. 14 menu. For more information about Circa 1886 or to make a reservation, please visit www.circa1886.com or call (843) 853-7828.

Guests can add to their sweet celebration with a stay at the Wentworth Mansion® during February. The romantic hotel, where guests frequently get engaged, married and honeymoon, will offer a special Valentine’s package for two throughout the month. The package includes a one-night stay, a dozen red roses delivered to your room, a candlelight turndown and a $150 gift certificate for Circa 1886. The cost is $595, including tax and gratuity for dinner, but excluding beverages and room tax. On Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 13-15, the same package is available for $995 but requires a two-night minimum stay. It also includes dinner for two at Circa 1886 on Valentine’s Day instead of the gift certificate. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 1(888) 466-1886 or visit www.wentworthmansion.com.

About Circa 1886
Set inside the historic carriage house for the award-winning Wentworth Mansion® hotel at 149 Wentworth St. in Charleston, S.C., Circa 1886 is a AAA Four-Diamond, Mobil Four Star restaurant offering traditional southern cuisine with a modern twist in a sophisticated, historic setting. Executive Chef Marc Collins, named by Esquire Magazine as a chef to watch in 2001 and co-founder of the successful BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival, presents innovative southern dishes, which draw on the rich culinary history of Charleston during the time period when the Mansion was originally constructed. Collins also brings a French influence and a touch of 21st century culinary artistry to his creations. Circa 1886 has received numerous accolades, including the DiRoNA award for fine dining in North America, as well as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.  

The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and prices range from $9 to $16 for first courses, $21 to $37 for featured courses, and desserts start at $9. For more information and reservations, please visit www.circa1886.com or call (843) 853-7828.