JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa Offers Valentine's February 12, 2011

PHOENIX -- JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is offering special Valentine's menus on Saturday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 14 at Tuscany and Meritage Steakhouse.

Tuscany, featuring authentic Italian cuisine offerings of hand-crafted pastas, specialty pizzas, and small plates will be serving a romantically inspired Valentine's menu starting with crab and avocado with champagne gelee or Yukon Gold arancini featuring pancetta and robiola. Get in the mood with dreamy appetizer choices of truffled crispy oysters with lemon aioli, caprese with burrata cheese and heirloom tomato and a Garden of Eden salad with hearts of palm and strawberries with a creamy bacon goat cheese vinaigrette.

Tuscany entrees are created for two and feature a choice of seared Muscovy duck breast with confit ravioli, blood oranges and cippolini onion; seafood stew created of Atlantic cod, clams, mussels, and prawns with tomato broth and orzo; and veal milanese with saffron risotto, gremolata and tasty marrow emulsion.

A lover's potion of desserts includes a duo of vanilla mint panna cotta with Queen Creek lemon olive oil cake and strawberry consommé and cupid's macaroon medley with passion fruit, raspberry, lime and chocolate hazelnut.

The Tuscany Valentine's dinner will be served from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 12 to Feb. 14 for $60 per person.

The savory Meritage Steakhouse multi-course menu includes first-course choices of organic strawberry arugula salad with candied hazelnuts and pomegranates topped by a papaya poppy seed vinaigrette; Caesar salad with housemade sourdough croutons and white anchovy dressing; and roasted artichoke heart soup with crème fraiche and caviar.

Main entrees include a choice of surf & turf, consisting of prime filet mignon with Cognac porcini glaze and jumbo prawns scampi with Meyer lemon chardonnay; and Brandt beef prime chateaubriand with béarnaise for two. Accompaniments for main entrees are Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, lobster green bean cauliflower gratin and foraged wild mushrooms.

A sweetheart's dessert will tantalize with the Romeo Juliet comprised of strawberry basil gelato, vanilla soda, strawberry compote, chocolate torte, and milk chocolate almond mousse.

The Meritage Steakhouse Valentine's Day menu costs $65 per person and is served from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12 to Feb. 14.

For reservations at Tuscany or Meritage Steakhouse, call 480-293-3681.

The largest luxury resort in Arizona features 950 newly remodeled guestrooms (including 81 suites), 240,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, 10 dining experiences, Marriott's first Revive Spa -- a 28,000-square-foot facility -- eight tennis courts and four acres of elaborately landscaped pools including the Lazy River with serpentine slide, two championship golf courses and Wildfire Golf Club. JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa is located where Phoenix meets Scottsdale, just

20 minutes north of Sky Harbor International Airport, with easy access to the Loop 101 freeway.

For more information about JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa located at 5350 E. Marriott Drive in Phoenix, call 480-293-5000, toll free at 800-835-6206 or visit www.jwdesertridgeresort.com