Okay. Today’s post might be a little tongue in cheek. ‘Tis the season after all, and Louisville’s nationally recognized food scene has plenty to offer those in search of a romantic Valentine’s evening – or even a few options for riding the estrogen wave on Galentine’s Day, February 13. Some are so happy to help Louisville hearts, they’ve got specials or activities all week, while others are offering a seemingly random list of dates with special menus. So, if the Valentine’s Day baked goods we shared weren’t enough to satisfy your lustful appetite, here’s a kind of ridiculously long and detailed list of ways you can get some more cushion for your pushin’. OH – and if you’re “giving a little something up” (hubba, hubba) for Lent, there are a few options for you, too, since Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day are sharing a Hump Day this year.
8Up, 350 W Chestnut, February 13, February 9- 14 (Galentine’s, Valentine’s)
Reservations for both events are recommended; please call (502) 631-4180. This downtown rooftop bar and restaurant will feature both Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day specials. On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Galentine’s Day is an unofficial holiday observed just for women is a chance for ladies to celebrate each other. Starting at 4 p.m. in the lounge, diners can enjoy half-priced select bottles of wine, Mardi Gras-themed appetizers, such as shrimp & grits, pimento cheese hush puppies and a king cake, and “Sex and the City” inspired cocktails including Carrie’s Cosmo, Samantha’s Sexy Rye Manhattan, Miranda’s Bourbon & Ginger Fetish, and The Charlotte Lemon Drop. Singer/songwriter Josh Logan from NBC’s “The Voice” will perform classic hits from 7 to 9 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 9 through Wednesday, Feb. 14, guests can savor a special Valentine’s Day menu from executive chef Casper Van Drongelen, in addition to the regular menu. Featured items include lobster bisque with crème fraîche, cold-smoked bone-in ribeye with potatoes dauphine, and molten lava cake with bourbon cherries for dessert. Couples who dine on Wednesday, Feb. 14 will be treated to a complimentary glass of sparkling wine in the lounge after their meal. The Valentine’s Day menu includes: Appetizers: Lobster bisque with crème fraîche and tarragon ($11), Roasted spring vegetables with buttermilk dressing and pea vines ($9) Entrées: Cold-smoked bone-in ribeye with potatoes dauphine and horseradish cream ($42), Scallop ravioli with oven-dried tomato, wild mushrooms, spinach and gremolata ($30) Dessert: Molten lava cake with dark chocolate and bourbon cherries ($9)
Anoosh Bistro, 4864 Brownsboro Rd, February 14
To make a reservation or for more information, call 502-690-6585. Chef Anoosh Shariat will prepare a three-course Valentine’s Day meal from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with many options for diners to select their preferred appetizer, entrée and dessert, including lenten vegetarian or seafood options. Alongside regular menu items, diners can enjoy specialty holiday items like grilled artichoke with turnip, carrot and roasted shallot vinaigrette; pan-seared sea bass with black rice, grilled asparagus, and saffron and orange beurre blanc; and a festive chocolate truffle cake. Cost for the three-course dinner is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The Valentine’s menu includes: First Course (choice of): Crab cake with arugula, citrus beurre blanc and capers OR Italian long-stem grilled artichoke with turnip, carrot and roasted shallot vinaigrette OR Grilled shrimp with pomegranate barbecue OR Mushroom tart with roasted wild mushrooms and balsamic gastrique OR Roasted heirloom beet salad with Capriole Farm goat cheese, pickled cipollini and balsamic vinaigrette OR Kentucky Bibb lettuce salad with Golden Delicious apples, walnuts and Kentucky bourbon vinaigrette Second Course (choice of): Rack of lamb, marinated and grilled, with whipped potato, red wine lamb reduction and carrots OR Grilled beef tenderloin with potato confit, Brussels sprouts, carrots and bordelaise sauce OR Pan-seared airline chicken breast with mushroom risotto, carrots, Brussels sprouts, citrus butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano OR South African cold water lobster tail with forbidden black rice, cauliflower, coconut ginger broth and citrus confit OR Coconut curry tofu with cashews, raisins, black rice, Brussels sprouts, carrots and cauliflower OR Pan-seared sea bass with black rice, grilled asparagus, saffron and orange beurre blanc. Third Course (choice of): Chocolate truffle cake OR Vanilla panna cotta.
Block Party Handmade Boutique, February 10 (Galentine’s)
A fundraiser to support non-profits that serve women and girls, this event features beer from West Sixth Brewing, a DIY waffle station, a card making station, music from and art by a plethora of women. Check out all the details here. This is probably the first time ever these words have been published for this magazine, but price of admission is a box of tampons, pads, or a menstrual cup. The items will be distributed to women in need.
Brasserie Provence, 150 N. Hurstbourne Parkway, February 14
Reservations are required. Please call 502-883-3153. Celebrate with a 3-course Prix-Fixe Menu with choices with more than a dozen ingredients known to ignite romance incorporated into the menu! Two seatings are available – from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or a later seating from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. An amuse-bouche of tomato goat cheese canapé with chili pepper oil starts each meal, followed by a choice of appetizer: lobster ravioli, arugula salad, baked oysters, or a sweet potato celery cream soup. Entrée choices include beef filet mignon, king salmon, sea scallops and honey glazed pork rib-eye. The dessert list includes warm flourless chocolate cake, vanilla crème brûlée, St. Valentine’s chocolate mousse cake, or honey almond cheesecake. Finally, a wild strawberry chocolate heart mignardise completes the meal. The price is $75 per person plus tax & gratuity.
Brown Hotel, 335 W Broadway. February 10, 13, and 14
To reserve your seats, book a room, or for more information, call (502) 583‑1234. (Credit card required.) In addition to a romantic room package, the hotel is planning three options for Valentine’s dining in the four-star English Grill. A chef’s tasting menu highlighting the best of the season will be offered Saturday, Feb. 10 for $79 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Additionally, Tuesday, Feb. 13 and Wednesday, Feb. 14, diners can enjoy a festive four-course menu complete with love potion #9, an elixir prepared tableside that’s sure to bring sparks to your evening. Cost is $89 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The English Grill’s suggested wine pairings and extensive bourbon selection will also be available for purchase. The English Grill Valentine’s Day menu includes:
First Course:Lobster bisque with brandy crème and American sturgeon caviar Or baby arugula and frisée with bourbon-vanilla poached pear, goat cheese, spiced pecans and cane syrup vinaigrette. Second Course: Sautéed gulf shrimp with lemon-herb pan sauce, scallion and red pepper crudo, and Weisenberger grits. Intermezzo:Sorbet Third Course:Filet mignon with Yukon Gold whipped potatoes, grilled Broccolini, oven-dried tomatoes and smoked tomato jus or pan-seared scallops with cauliflower puree, local mushrooms and fried capers Or grilled salmon with pesto risotto, sweet potato puree, crispy kale and caramelized orange sauce or curry-roasted cauliflower with warm quinoa, Brussels sprouts and citrus reduction Dessert: Chocolate striptease, the Brown Hotel’s signature dessert finished with flaming rum
Cooking At the Cottage, 3739 Lexington Rd. February 14th
*Currently sold out, but you can join a waiting list. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. They’re offering a unique interactive experience with a hands-on class from Mike Cunha called A Special Valentine’s Date Night. Cost is $145.00 for TWO individuals An interactive, memorable way to celebrate a special day! Menu: Savory Goat Cheese and Roasted Onion Cheesecake with a Savory Cream Topping, Seared Beef Tenderloin with Sauce Diane, Chocolate Mousse with Bourbon Marinated Strawberries and Sweet Cream *Remember when registering, 2 individuals equals 1 table, so please use the number(s) of tables you desire when making your reservation. Aprons are not provided.
Copper and Kings, E Washington St., February 10,11, 14
Book Saturday tour here. Book Sunday Tour Here. Buy Valentine’s Day tickets here. On February 10, 11, you can book an hour long tour of the distillery for $15 per person. The tour includes a tasting and brandy chocolates from Cellar Door Chocolates. Although there is a cash bar available with $7 Old Fashioneds and Champagne Punch following the tour. Tours run on the hour and are all ages (10 & under free). Non-alcoholic Butchertown Soda available for those 21 and younger to taste in lieu of spirits.
On February 14, you can take a class from 6-7:30 p.m. or 8 – 9:30 p.m. about cheese, chocolate and brandy with Cellar Door Chocolates and Capriole Goat Cheese. The class includes a distillery tour, 3 pairings (one Copper & Kings spirit, cheese, & chocolate w/ each), and an Old Fashioned cocktail). Limited seating, 21+ only. Cost is $25 per person.
Equus & Jack’s Lounge, 122 Sears Ave., February 14
Call (502) 897-9721 to reserve your table. Chef Dean Corbett will be offering a four-course dinner from 5 p.m. to close. They are always pleased to suggest a libation to pair with your meal – from one of their craft cocktails to a bottle of wine or champagne. First Course: Spring mix salad with fresh mozzarella, strawberries, candied pecans and a balsamic reduction. Second Course: Seared sea scallops with country ham, butternut squash puree and a maple bourbon gastrique. Third Course: Surf & turf with slow roasted prime beef tenderloin and sea bass with Asian firecracker sauce. Dessert: Red velvet cheesecake with ganache and white chocolate curls. The cost is $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
La Chasse, 1359 Bardstown Rd, February 12
For reservations, call 502-822-3963. Feel free to arrive early, but the five-course dinner begins at 7 p.m. First Course: Oysters on the Half Shell with watermelon and cucumber mignonette. Paired With: Secret Vines Sparkling Brut Rose, Loire Valley, Fr. Second Course: Charred Asparagus and Quinoa Salad, with goat cheese, avocado mousse and curried pumpkin seeds Paired With: Volker Eisele “Gemini” Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Napa Valley, Ca. Third Course: Citrus-Ginger Marinate Prawns with sweet potato risotto, pomegranate gastrique and crispy arugula Paired With: La Boutanche Cinsault 2015, Rhone Valley, Fr. Fourth Course: Braised Lamb Ragu with figs, pine nut-raisin agra dolce and chile-polenta fries Paired With: Cottanera “Sole di Sesta” Syrah 2010, Sicily, It. Fifth Course: Chocolate Pound Cake with champagne macerated strawberries and creme de cacao chantilly cream Paired With: Quinta Infantado Organic Ruby Port, Portugal. Cost is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Offering a four-course meal for dinner service each night with hand picked MacRostie single barrels. The regular menu will be available all nights except Valentine’s day when they will only be serving the four-course meal, which is also available the other nights. The four-course meal is $50 per person plus a $25 optional wine pairing. Louvino offers half off bottles for parties of six or more that have reservations on Valentine’s Day only. First course: Shareable starter for two – chef’s whim, varies by location Second course: choice of crispy oyster salad, lolla rosa greens, ham dressing, pickled shallots, stilton cheese OR mixed green, balsamic pink peppercorn vinaigrette, drunken goat cheese, roasted almonds, strawberry. Third course: choice of seared scallops, roasted mushroom, creamy sweet potato grits, sherry wine bure blanc OR grilled skirt steak, caramelized onion and cheddar potato gratin, aged balsamic, demi-glace, crispy Brussels sprouts. Fourth course: shareable dessert for two – chef’s whim, varies by location
MESA, A Collaborative Kitchen, 216 Pearl Street, New Albany, February 14
Only a few couple’s tickets left, buy online for $150.00. They have dinner shows all week. Check out their web site linked above. Valentine’s Noche de Amore w/Chef Britney 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Three-course dinner show for two: First course: Antipasti:big ass bourbon shrimp cocktail::prawn shrimp, aioli, Big Ass Bourbon, cocktail sauce, paprika, lemon, worcestershire, extra virgin olive oil, tabasco, horse radish, salt, pepper Second course: Entrata: baked chilean sea bass with Israeli couscous & tomato vinaigrette: sea bass, green onion, garlic, tomatoes, lemon, sherry vinegar, chives, thyme, rosemary, currants, mustard, parsley, Israeli couscous, spinach, marcona almonds, dried cherries. Third course: Dolce: vanilla bean panna cotta: cream sugar, vanilla bean, gelatin, blackberries, raspberries, Italian granola, bourbon whip cream.
Red Herring, 1757 Frankfort Ave, February 10, 11, 14
Chef Jacob Coronado’s six-course tasting menu includes diverse dishes like oyster shooters in champagne broth, watermelon salad with Luxardo gel, ricotta tortellini with arugula pesto, Catalan seared salmon roulade with avocado brulée and PB&J with puff pastry and blueberry jam. Guests will also enjoy one complimentary cocktail. Cost is $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
RYE on Market, 900 E Market St in Nulu – February 14
Reservations available at their web site or through the Resy app. Groups of six or more who visit RYE on Valentine’s Day will receive a bottle of champagne. Just notify the bartender of your group and toast cupid with a bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne. In addition, during happy hour (5-7PM) the restaurant will offer half-priced oysters and a full menu of small bites including kimchi pimento cheese, tiger shrimp in a ginger-lime cocktail sauce, and triple-cooked fries with a malt vinegar aioli.
The 502 Bar & Bistro, 10401 Meeting St., February 14
For more information or to make reservations, call (502) 742-4772. The 502 Bar & Bistro in Norton Commons will offer a prix fixe four-course dinner from executive chef Ming Pu, which will highlight local ingredients and classic aphrodisiacs, complete with a selection of house-made desserts. Diners can select one dish per course. Specialty items include oysters Rockefeller, Creekstone Farms short rib and crème brûlée with pear marshmallow. Lenten options for Ash Wednesday will also be available to choose from that evening, but the regular dinner menu will not be offered. Cost is $50 per person, plus tax and gratuity.
The Bristol Bar & Grille —See locations below, February 9 – 14 (Varies by location.)
Highlands, 1321 Bardstown Road, (502) 456-1702
In the Highlands, diners can enjoy Thai marmalade coconut shrimp to begin the meal. Entrée specials included a red pepper barramundi filet; a New York Strip steak stuffed with Kentucky Rose cheese, onions and spinach; or rock shrimp and smoked bacon linguini. For dessert, dive into a Grand Marnier-infused chocolate mousse — with two spoons, of course.
East, 300 N. Hurstbourne Parkway, (502) 426-0627
Say “be mine” to sparkling wine in each special at the East location. Valentine’s Day cocktails include the Heart Beat with Absolut Raspberri vodka martini, Chambord, Cointreau, pineapple juice, grenadine and a float of sparkling wine on top. For the main course, diners can enjoy poached lobster tails or a pairing of beef filet and scallops. The evening’s dessert is a trio of strawberries dipped in dark, milk and white chocolates.
Downtown, 614 W. Main Street, (502) 582-1995
At the Downtown location, diners can start with stuffed mushrooms featuring local Stone Cross Farm sausage, then choose from Osaka scallops or beef Wellington for the entrée. For dessert, a miniature strawberry cheesecake is topped with a chocolate-covered strawberry. Wine pairings are suggested for each dish. The specials are available Feb. 9-14.
Jeffersonville, 700 W. Riverside Drive, (812) 218-1995
Across the river, the Jeffersonville location, offers a romantic view of the Louisville skyline and two exceptional entrée options. Choose from a surf and turf with a seared beef filet and bacon-wrapped scallops, or a grilled Chilean Sea Bass with chimichurri. A shareable dessert of three petit fours and two chocolate-covered strawberries is a sweet way to finish the evening. The specials are available Feb. 9-14.
