By Gina Ruccione, Food Writer & Blogger
Food is typically the centerpiece of a Valentine’s Day date and how that transpires varies between couples. Some are looking for the perfect meal, while others are looking for an intimate setting. However it transpires, most can agree that a successful Valentine’s Day date is ultimately the perfect combination of both. Those sort of romantic evenings can translate into memories that stay with you for a lifetime. If you haven’t yet found that place, then Sonny’s Bistro is for you.
This little gem is tucked away in an unassuming corner of a shopping center on 25th Street and Western Avenue. Sonny’s Bistro has everything one could hope for when picking a Valentine’s Day restaurant: it’s unpretentious yet refined, the dishes are well proportioned and fairly priced. Most importantly, all the food is delicious.
Their menu is versatile. It is not over-thought or muddled with too many options and the entrees are paired with popular wines. The Regular’s Favorites section includes a rarely seen, properly executed, beef Stroganoff, with lightly dusted sand dabs and mashed potatoes whipped to order. Yours truly was particularly impressed with the lightly crusted New York Strip that was both elegantly plated and seasoned to perfection.
Sonny and Carly Ramirez are the husband and wife team behind Sonny’s Bistro, which they opened this past April to complement their thriving Think Café, in downtown San Pedro on 5th Street. The couple met 12 years ago, while Sonny was working at Think Café. As their relationship blossomed, so did their like-minded business interests. The couple now own both successful restaurants. What sets them apart from most restaurateurs is that they both still fully operate their restaurants. Sonny still works in the kitchen while Carly attends the front of the house. It is that sort of work ethic and attention to detail that makes them so successful.
It’s not hard to find a good steak or a properly cooked piece of salmon. Most of the time it’s the service and experience that people remember. Sonny’s staff exudes his “eagerness to please” attitude. Too many restaurants fail at ensuring that their staff consistently practices this level of service.
“If a customer wants an omelet at 8 p.m. on a Thursday night for dinner, I’ll make it,” he says. “If a customer wants something added to a dish and I don’t have ingredients, I’ll go to Vons and pick it up.”
Sonny’s attention to detail is also quite impressive. Like other great chefs, who own their own restaurants, Sonny sources most of his produce from local farmers markets and regularly sprinkles updated seasonal additions to the menu. The most recent time I visited Sonny’s Bistro, he incorporated bamboo shoots into my vegetable medley, lending a fresh and inspired take on an often routine and monotonous side dish. He also hand selects and preps all of his meat and fish daily. That is unheard of in most restaurants, which typically rely on larger, more prominent food purveyors.
Best of all for those still on the fence about where to go for Valentine’s Day, just remember that Sonny’s Bistro has no preset Valentine’s Day menu, a tactic some restaurants turn to jack up the prices for a limited selection. Sonny doesn’t want to limit his regular customers’ options or gouge those enjoying a rare night out. Expect to see some thoughtful, well-curated specials to highlight the evening. He plans to serve items that are easy to eat in front of a date; no spaghetti with messy sauces or lobster shells flying across the table that could end up on your lap.
One last thing – a successful Valentine’s Day date wouldn’t be the same without a perfect dessert to bring the evening to a close. So, don’t even think about leaving without ordering the Tiramisu. I don’t typically order dessert, but that dish was a game changer.
Gina Ruccione is a fearless blogger and self-proclaimed food critic. She has traveled all over Europe and Asia, lived in almost every nook of Los Angeles County and has worked in some rare form of finance or fashion her whole adult life. When she’s not rummaging through recipes, she’s spends her days working for a non-profit in Orange County. You can visit her blog athttp://foodfashionfoolishfornication.blogspot.com.