Valentine's Day Dinner

A star-chef couple shares Valentine's Day dishes for two.

Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski met in a photo class in 1994, then fell in love—and into cooking together. Today they work at Rubicon in San Francisco, where Brioza (an F&W Best New Chef 2003) handles the savory dishes, Krasinski the desserts. They cook together at home, too, preparing fast, intelligent and outrageously delicious recipes for two.

taste test

CHOCOLATE BARS
In a tasting of more than 10 varieties sold at supermarkets, our top picks were Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet ($5 for 3 oz), with its hint of fruitiness, and Lindt's lush, velvety Swiss Bittersweet ($3 for 3.5 oz).

Rubicon, 558 Sacramento St., San Francisco; 415-434-4100.

Published February 2006