Wine and Dine at Del Frisco’s

This Valentine’s Day, you may be looking for the perfect spot to bring your sweetie for a romantic meal. Look no further than Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse.

It hasn’t quite reached its one-year anniversary but Del Frisco’s has made its presence known in a big way. Located on International Drive, Del Frisco’s features two floors with more than 400 seats, an all-scratch kitchen staffed with expert chefs, and its signature floor-to-ceiling wine wall that showcases more than 10,000 bottles of wine, among several other smaller wine cellars. Seating options include the main dining area and patio but there are also some private spaces for small occasions like birthday celebrations or business meetings.

Begin your Del Frisco’s dining experience with a savory starter like the Seared Rare Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, thinly sliced beef with a baby arugula and shaved artichoke salad and a Creole mustard aioli, or the sweet and spicy Shanghai-Style Fried Calamari mixed with bean sprouts, cherry peppers, crushed peanuts and scallions then coated with a sweet chili glaze. Another tasty option is the Blue Cheese Lettuce Wedge with bacon crumbles, halved grape tomatoes and a combination of blue cheese dressing and crumbles.

Del Frisco’s is known nationally for using the best quality of meats and seafood in its dishes. Prime-aged, corn-fed beef is sourced from the Midwest with cuts including filet mignon, prime strip, ribeye and a 32-ounce prime porterhouse. All cuts except for the porterhouse come in multiple sizes and as bone-in or bone-out varieties. Since everyone has a different expectation about steak temperatures and what the outcome should look like once the steak is cut into, the service team makes it a point to let guests know what to expect from a Del Frisco’s steak.

“If you order medium rare, they’re going to say, ‘It’s going to be a red center, red throughout,’” Sous Chef Thomas Nadolski explains. “Or if you order medium, they’re going to say, ‘A slight trace of pink around the edges, red in the center.’ That way you have an idea of what our idea of a med-rare, medium, medium well, well done [steak] is so that you get the perfect steak every time.”

Unique sides like the Crab Fried Rice or Lobster Macaroni & Cheese, a gooey guilty pleasure dish that is loaded with generous chunks of lobster meat, can round out your meal just as nicely as classic selections like Potatoes Au Gratin or Fresh Sauteed Spinach.

Since Del Frisco’s is also known for its seafood entrees, the restaurant offers a prix-fixe menu with surf and turf selections once each week. Prime Pair Sundays is priced at $55 and includes your choice of a salad; an 8-ounce filet paired with the Signature Crab Cake, BBQ-Spiced Shrimp or Lemon-Garlic Scallops; and your choice of one side. The crab cake is one of the best around because of its ratio of crabmeat to filling – expect a piece of sweet lump crab in every bite.

While you’re sure to be stuffed after such a decadent meal, make sure to save room for a sweet ending. Signature favorites include the Buttercake with butter pecan ice cream, fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce and the comfort food classic, Warm Banana Bread Pudding served with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle.

Of course, a dinner at Del Frisco’s begs to be paired with a glass of wine and there is something for every taste and budget, whether you’re looking for a good value or are looking to splurge. The wine list is vast with a choice of more than 1,200 labels. Prices by the glass fall between $10 and $25 and bottles range from $35 to $7,000.

As the team prepared for opening day last August, Jill Davis, the beverage director for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse Orlando, worked closely with the company’s wine director to put together the original wine selection. Now Davis works with two sommeliers to refresh the offerings occasionally, maintaining the brand consistency while adding items that are unique to the Orlando location, too. “We can do some things as a company and there is a lot of flexibility to match our market, which is a great thing,” Davis says.

By the time you’ve wrapped up your meal, Del Frisco’s will have become your new favorite place for date night all year-round, not just on Valentine’s Day.