It's the weekend — and couples, you know what that means.
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It's date night.
Sadly, you won't be able to take your special someone out for dinner and a cha-cha any time soon.
But Shepparton restaurant Barca Love is ensuring you can enjoy all the spice, flavour and romance of Cuba and southern America right in your home.
The Cuban fusion restaurant is now delivering mouth-watering tasting plates for two to your door.
Barca Love owner Tina Barca said the plate showcased what the local food joint was all about.
“The plate includes a cubano, our signature dish, which is a Cuban sandwich with our homemade pickled veggies on it,” she said.
“Plus there's a big tapas plate, which features all our meats — so our ribs, brisket (sliced, plus brisket chilli), buttermilk chicken and pork.”
While this delicious spread is always the same, Tina said the chefs were constantly adding new treats on the side.
“We had mac and cheese balls recently, but now it's Cuban rice balls, with mac and cheese on the side in a container,” she said.
Delivery is a new foray for the restaurant.
“At the moment we're just delivering the tasting plate to Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla. And the delivery is free,” Tina said.
“People are loving it already because they can try a spread of items off our menu — it's selling like crazy.”
Barca Love will do what it can to accommodate dietary requirements.
“If we can do it, we will. For instance, if you're gluten intolerant or coeliac, all meats are gluten-free so we just box those up separately to the other items,” Tina said.
If you're keen for other options, there's plenty to order via takeaway pick-up.
“Our most popular items are the Texas Cheeseburger Massacre, which is a brisket burger, the Cluck Norris, our chicken burger and, of course, our po’ boys,” Tina said.
And if you're looking for something sweet: "We're still making our homemade churros, which you can ask to be added to the tasting platter.”
For more information or to order, call Barca Love on 5858 4070.
Tina's top tips
Tunes of choice: To get that spicy Barca Love vibe, Tina recommends Spotify playlist Salsa Cubana/Timba/Cubaton/Salsaton and iTunes playlist Essential Blue — Chicago Style.
Dress code: Keep it classy.
“Get dressed up a little bit, especially if you're making it a date night. You want to make it different than the norm.
“Make yourself pretty, do your hair; girls, put on some perfume and guys, get out that aftershave.”
Create an intimate setting:
Even a kitchen table can be turned into a romantic setting with a couple of easy changes.
“Light some candles, set out some flowers so it's not just your normal table.
“Lay out your best plates and cutlery. And try to go for nice glasses — use your champagne flutes or wine glasses, not just your everyday tumblers.
“And if you really want to get that restaurant vibe, get your kids to serve you. But let's be honest, you probably won't want your kids around for date night!”
Pair your drinks:
Tina recommends beer or red wine with the tasting platter.
“Our top two recommendations for drink pairings is Fowles Wine shiraz and Wild Life dry lager, which are both local.”
Or, if you're going for a non-alcoholic option, something light such as lemonade or sparkling water with lemon or lime.
“The lighter the drink, the more it's going to cut through the richness of the meats.”
Read more about date nights
Date Night: Love was in the air at Carrie Donaldson’s home
Date night? The Teller Collective has you covered
Senior Journalist