The actual Valentine's Day dinner

There is a hidden gem of a restaurant in Wood Green. Yes, there is. Not on the high street, wedged between Primani and Peacrocks. It's in the Wood Green Cultural Quarter - an old industrial bit, tucked away between the back of the market and the railway line and the New River development. In the Old Chocolate Factory, amongst the artist units and across the road from Mountview Drama School, is Mosaica. We've known about it for years. But we'd never got round to eating there until yesterday.

Why did we wait so long? Because we're idiots.

Wood floors, shabby chic chairs and tables, a candle wax mountain and art on the walls that you can buy is the setting. You walk past the open plan kitchen to get to your table - it certainly whets the appetite.

The food is excellent. DBFB had a 21-hour slow roasted belly pork and I had duck served with caramelised plums. Divine. And then we had the cheese plate between two - a Stilton, Dorset Blue, smoked cheese and squidgey 'brie' type cheese and a cheddar - which was fab.

The wine we picked was a biodynamic red: Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, Azienda Agricola Cos 2008, from Sicily. I am a sucker for the biodynamic wine movement, which uses 9 biodynamic preparations - including cow manure and some medicinal herbs - on the land, and some unusual mystical techniques! I like to believe that it makes a difference to the wine.

The bottles are unusual, squat and very dark green. Made from Nero D'Avola (60%) and Frappato (40%), a local grape variety which is closely related to Sangiovese (the Chianti grape). The grapes are grown on south-easterly slopes near the town of Bastonaca in the south east of the island. The makers of the wine still age the wine in amphora - an ancient tradition in this southern part of Italy. The wine is poured into great terracotta urns which are half-buried in the earth and left for 18-24 months.

On the nose it is cherries. On the palate it explodes at the front of the mouth: the cherries persist, with peppers and a hint of smokiness. Still quite youthful though.

And one to order again!

Valentine's Day dinner

DBFB and I decided we ould celebrate Valentine's Day with dinner out on 19th, rather than be stuck with a limited 'Valentine menu' and pay for the priviledge on the actual night.

So we cooked sirloin steaks with homemade bearnaise sauce, chunky chips and watercress salad. With the meal we drank Piccini Chianti Superiore 2007, 13% (£7.99 Sainsbury). Made from 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot grapes, it's aged in 9 months in oak before 3 months ageing in bottle.

On the nose it smells of spiced cherries and plums and a hint of chesnut. And this follows through on the palate - especially the cherries and maybe a hint of green pepper. It has medium tannins and a bit of acidity, so helped cut through the richness of the sauce. Lovely with the steak, I can also imagine drinking this with wild boar pasta.