Enjoy Valentine Special Menu Items In Hopatcong, Sparta

SPARTA, NJ — With Valentine’s Day on Monday, restaurants in and near Hopatcong and Sparta are offering meal and drink specials, along with regular menu items.

Ristorante Il Porto on Lake Mohawk's Boardwalk has both Valentine specials and the restaurant's regular menu. The regular menu includes appetizers like pear and fig pizzetta, zucchini sticks and scallop sliders. Almond-encrusted salmon, Steak Mohawk, Chicken or Veal Milanese and stuffed pork chops, are on the regular menu. Reservations are required for Monday night. See the full menu and more details here. Call for reservations and information about the menu, including Il Porto's daily selection of desserts at 973-729-9901.

Heart-shaped ravioli with vodka sauce and sundried tomatoes, as well as heart-shaped pizza, are both on the special menu at Casa Mia in Sparta at 20 White Deer Plaza. Dinners for two can be enjoyed at the restaurant by candlelight, with soup and salad, an entree and coffee and dessert. Homemade lasagna, Chicken Francese, veal parmigiana, ossobucco with rigatoni and Seafeast Casa Mia, are some of the entrees. Call to make reservations or to pre-order a heart-shaped pizza at 973-729-6606.

Twist on Thai cafe on 430 River Styx Road in Hopatcong has a lineup of special Valentine offerings on its menu. The four-course dinner for two has sharing options. The meal starts with soup and then continues with shrimp in a blanket to share. The entree choices include tangy tamarind shrimp, Duck Kee Maow or pineapple fried rice sweet Thai sausage. The meal winds down with homemade fried strawberry ice cream, topped with a special sauce. Watch the video below to see how the dessert is prepared. Call for reservations at 973-810-3777.

Looking for a Valentine's meal at home or to pick up flowers before or on the special day? Visit Jersey Girl Operation Market Garden at 52 Route 181 in Lake Hopatcong. Open on Valentine's Day, the market has Vitamia heart-shaped ravioli, gourmet sauce, specialty breads and exquisite desserts, to enjoy Valentine's Day at home. There are chocolate-covered pretzels and strawberries. The market has long-stemmed roses and other fresh-cut flowers, plus special Valentine gift ideas. Call for the shop's current offerings at 973-906-4544 and visit the market online here.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.