I was trying to come up with a recommendation of where to take that special someone for Valentine’s Day, so I wrote down a list of restaurants I like, but most of them ended up being the ordinary weekend trip.
I personally think the best Valentine’s Day meal is one handmade by your love, but that is taking a large leap of faith that your love can cook. Luckily for mine, I can — and to my surprise, he has made a number of delicious meals himself. 
But just in case you aren’t up to the task of cooking and instead want someone else to serve the two of you, so you can focus 100% on that other person, I recommend La Fortuna, on Stony Hill Brook in Bethel.
I went there for dinner and I was very impressed. The owner Michael is also the head chef, and the food is very authentic Italian. Some nights they even have a musician who plays guitar and serenades the people in the dining room.
The atmosphere is wonderful. The walls are painted like scenes in the Italian country side and the tables have small candles on fancy yellow tablecloths.
It was a great choice for a romantic meal. We had privacy and even though I I felt like we were on our own, our server was very attentive and our food came out just right (and the bread was delicious).
Most of the patrons were older, but I like to think it’s because they have taste and that younger folk aren’t aware of the quality of food. It definitely did not strike me as being expensive when I was there.
La Fortuna is located at 37 Stony Hill Road, Bethel, but you might want to get a reservation — call (203) 797-0909.
For those of you who are like my boyfriend, who loves to check out menus online before coming out to eat, this should satisfy you.
My mom loves this place. I thought it was better back when it was Bella Italia.
Comment by Keith Whamond — February 12th, 2010 @ 9:13 pm