Say I love you with a romantic Valentine's Day dinner

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - February 14, 2013 (WPVI) -- Researchers expect men to spend about $125 on their special someone for Valentine's Day, about twice what women will spend.

A card is a must. Flowers are a popular choice and most famously long-stem red roses. And candy is a popular gift as well. But there's something to be said for a romantic dinner, whether at a restaurant or just the two of you at home.

Recently opened on Passyunk Avenue, Miss Rachel's Pantry offers both. Owner/chef Rachel Klein has a farmhouse table in the dining room which seats twelve.

Her Valentine's dinner is sold out Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights this week. But the same menu is available as a take-home meal.

The chef is a committed vegan, so you'll find no meat or dairy products on the menu. But she's also curious about food and wildly creative, so you're likely to find a full spectrum of tastes from the ingredients the chef selects.

The Valentine's menu is four-course, and offers a choice for each course. On our visit, the chef prepared a seitan "roast" topped with carrots and sautéed kale. She also prepared edamame dumplings served in a coconut broth.

These are just two of the eight selections available on her Valentine's menu. You may review all her creations online at Miss Rachel's Pantry.

Miss Rachel's Pantry ordinary serves a four-course dinner only on Saturday night, priced at $45. Her to-go dishes are generally simpler than the dinner creations. The dining room is BYOB.

Miss Rachel's Pantry is located at 1732 West Passyunk Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets in South Philadelphia, not far off the Schuylkill Expressway.

You may find more about the shop online at Miss Rachel's Pantry or phone them at 215-798-0053.

On the web page, you'll find information about cooking classes, off-site catering for up to 200 guests, and more.

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south philadelphia, valentine's day, philadelphia, local/state

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