With Valentine’s approaching, I’m looking for ways to show my love. My husband’s love language is food, and wouldn’t you know it: mine is, too. We don’t need cards or flowers; we like to go out for a decadant meal and drinks on Valentine’s Day. Usually we are out to eat at Miga, but this year, we’ll be staying home and doing takeout.
We’ve had a lot of romantic date nights at home this pandemic, so we know lots great carryout options for date night. But, for Valentine’s Day, I wanted something more than just a regular date night. I wanted to find foods and drinks that would make for the sexiest Valentine’s dinner (in a pandemic) ever.
I researched and I sampled: here are the sexiest foods in Champaign-Urbana.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Chocolate Fondue | The Bread Company
Oh, baby. Chocolate fondue is a classic sexy food. The Bread Company’s chocolate fondue ($7.50) is only available on the dinner menu, but dinner starts at 3 p.m. there, so you could easily be eating fondue with your boo by 3:30 if that’s what you’re into. Made with bittersweet chocolate, this fondue was a large portion of melted chocolate served in a paper cup with another cup of mixed fruit. When I got home, I poured it into a bowl (alas, I am a minimalist and donated my fondue set many years ago), and it was still so warm.
It was rich chocolate fondue with deep cocoa flavor that was sweet but not Hershey’s chocolate sweet. The fruit provided was a mix of pears, green apples, and sliced strawberries; there were no pastries with our order even though the menu said it was included. It was fine without it, honestly. Dipping fruit into chocolate was fun — a really romantic way to end the evening. Even if you’re planning on cooking dinner for your lover, consider picking up this chocolate fondue as a sexy dessert.
The Bread Company
706 S Goodwin Ave
Urbana
M 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
T-F 8 a.m. to close
Sa 3 p.m. to close
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Sexy Burrito | La Mixteca
This sexy burrito was stuffed with steak, shrimp, and guacamole, then grilled and served with a ridiculous amount of freshly fried corn chips. La Mixteca’s sexy burrito clocks in at $12.49 which is a lot for a burrito, but you know what’s sexy? Treating the one you love to a pricey burrito.
This burrito was quality surf and turf: a lot of steak, a lot of guac, and a good amount of well-seasoned shrimp. The marinated steak was chopped super small and had a chargrilled flavor. The guacamole was smooth with diced onion and tomato — and there was so much of it. The shrimps were like a surprise, occasionally popping up beneath the guac, plump and juicy. A bite of shrimp and guac, then the next mouthful: a bite of steak and melted white cheese, it was just fantastic. The tortilla holding this sexy burrito together was grilled, which gave a good look to the outside, and it held all the sexy fillings together without falling apart.
La Mixteca
510 N Cunningham
Urbana
M-Th 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
F 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sa 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Su 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Photo from Oh Honey Pie Truck’s Facebook page.
Whipped Cream | Oh Honey Pie Truck
The first food I think of when I think of sexy foods is whipped cream. Lay off those spray cans of whipped cream. Support local businesses and get your sexy foods without preservatives or additives. Oh Honey Pie’s whipped cream ($5) is made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and real vanilla beans. That’s what I’m talking about.
The whipped cream comes in one 12 ounce container. If you already have plans for all 12 of those ounces of whipped cream, huzzah for you. If you don’t, I suggest adding one of Oh Honey Pie’s pies to go with it. Not sure what to pick? Read our review of Oh Honey Pie’s sweet and savory mini pies. Put your order in here. Whipped cream (and pies) are available for pickup or delivery every Saturday which is great news because Valentine’s Day is Sunday, February 14th.
Oh Honey Pie Truck
205 N Harris
Champaign
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Sexy Roll | Sushi Siam
Holy sexy sauce, Batman. Sushi Siam’s sexy roll ($14.99) looks pretty freaking sexy. All those sauces dripping all over a deep-fried roll: give it to me, please. Like the sexy burrito, this sexy roll has pretty high price point: $15 is quite a lot of cash to drop on one roll, so if you get this roll, you are loved — even if it’s self love (#treatyourself).
This ten piece roll was filled with tuna taki, salmon, unagi, cucumber, cream cheese, and avocado, then deep fried and topped with tempura flakes, masago, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. It was a super creamy roll with silky textures from the avocado and cream cheese that paired well with the buttery salmon and quick-seared tuna. The roll is very lightly battered; it has the occasional crunch, but mostly, the mouthfuls are creamy and full of flavors from the sweet eel sauce and freshness from the fish. It’s not a spicy roll (even with the spicy mayo), so this is a great roll for anyone who wants sexy sushi.
Sushi Siam
1729 W Kirby
Champaign
M-Sa 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. + 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Double Slumber Party Pillow Fight IPA | Triptych
I loved the name of this beer and the sexy feathers on the outside of the can. The 16 ounce can of Double Slumber Party Pillow Fight IPA ($4.25) might be my new favorite beer. I’m not a big beer drinker; I prefer wine and cocktails, but this is a beer I can get with.
Described as a strawberry coconut milkshake IPA, this beer tasted tropical to me with strawberry and pineapple notes and a sweet coconut flavor. It tasted like a piña colada beer. If you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, you will love this beer. It’s sweet but tart with a creamy, silky coconut flavor punctuated with citrus. Go ahead and order the four pack for $15.99 because you’ll definitely want another.
Triptych Brewery
1703 Woodfield Dr
Savoy
M-Sa noon to 7 p.m.
Su noon to 6 p.m.
Top image by Alyssa Buckley.
