Scores of lovers will be swarming V-Day favorite One if by Land, Two if by Sea on Thursday, and if they could stop staring deeply into each other's eyes for a minute, they might notice something different is afoot in the romantic carriage house. The food has notably improved, thanks to new exec chef Craig Hopson, late of Picholine, who has not only transformed dinner dishes, but added delectable bar bites like these seductive frogs legs hailed by our friends at Grub Street. Today on Chef Talk, Hopson weighs in on kitchen ghosts, which dishes compete with all those fireplaces and chandeliers, and which chef he'd like to take down in a duel.

KS: How did you put your own stamp on the legendary beef wellington?

Chef Craig Hopson: I'm making it more consistent. I've been through many butchers to get the cut and quality right, and by trying many recipes to get the mushroom duxelles how it should be. I am also garnishing it seasonally--right now it is with roasted baby vegetables.

KS: Which dish of yours do you feel is destined to become the next "beef wellington."

CH: The Gruyere gnocchi with wild burgundy snails. It gets great comments for its strong, assertive flavor, and it's rich but not heavy. People like it because it's offbeat and exotic.

KS: The restaurant was once the residence of Aaron Burr, and it is said that his ghost haunts the spot. Have you seen any ghostly activity in the kitchen?

CH: Yes, stuff goes missing all of the time. I made a batch of brioche once and let it rest overnight in the walk-in. The next day it was nowhere to be found, and everybody looked. But the day after that it reappeared.

KS: Aaron Burr famously killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. If you had to challenge another chef to a duel, who would it be?

CH: Escoffier, because he's already dead, so it would be an easy fight. Plus, having his ghost in the kitchen would push out our resident ghost of Burr.