Tasty pairings on menu when dining out on Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day falling on a Wednesday this year, dining options abound before, after and on the day itself, along with for the whole week.
The weekend options are especially helpful for observant Catholics and others who wish to honor Ash Wednesday, which falls this year on Valentine’s Day. Our list of Valentine’s dining options includes several restaurants that will feature vegetarian or seafood menus. But if you want to observe Lent and want to dig into a steak, check out the options for this weekend instead.
Here’s a sampling of restaurants where you go for a bite plus something extra either at the venue or somewhere nearby. Think movie, comedy show, play, museum or cider house tour or drinks. Wherever you choose, don’t forget reservations.
Before Valentine’s Day
Art with dinner: Shadyside’s Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (center.pfpca.org) has three exhibitions that will close on Sunday. Catch them on Saturday, and follow up with dinner at Acorn, which is serving a four-course prix-fixe menu from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Feb. 14 and 17. The menu includes dry-aged beef tartare, risotto, baked Alaska with foie gras ice cream, and two signature cocktails. 5528 Walnut St., Shadyside. $65 per person. 412530-5950; acornpgh.com.
Comedy with dinner: “Hearts & Jokers ’18” is a comedy show with live music, dinner and drinks. The menu includes jumbo lump crab with avocado; toasted mushroom bisque; choice of Angus flank, salmon or ricotta gnocchi; and assorted desserts, including tea cookies, miniature cakes, cupcakes and carrot cake. 7 p.m. Friday at Bella Sera, 414 Morganza Road, Canonsburg. $75.bellasera.menufy.com.
Symphony with dinner: The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Fifth Friday through Sunday. Pair the concert with dinner at the nearby Braddock’s Pittsburgh Brasserie, which is serving a four-course menu for two from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday through Feb. 14. The fourcourse menu includes entree choices of Chilean sea bass, sweet marinated salmon, filet or lobster tail. 107 Sixth St., Downtown. $120 per couple. 412-992-2005; braddocksrestaurant.com. Art with brunch: “Breakfast in Bed: Rodeo Romance” is a buffet brunch along with live country music and museum admission. Brunch will be provided by Black Radish, bloody marys by Ustianochka, freshsqueezed juice by Salud Juicery and beer by War Streets Brewery. 11 a.m. Sunday at Mattress Factory, 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side. $30; ages 21 and up only. 412-231-3169; mattress.org/calendar. DIY valentines and
cocktails: Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, 120 S. Whitfield St., East Liberty, offers a free event at 1 p.m. Sunday. Learn to make vintage valentines using Andy Warhol’s blotted line, silkscreen and rubber-stamping processes. Cocktails will be available at a cash bar. You could pair this with Sunday brunch at the hotel’s restaurant, Whitfield (10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.). Whitfield also will serve a special menu ($80 per person) on Valentine’s Day, with lobster tail and a Chocolate Raspberry Fourplay dessert collage of chocolate cake, truffles, macarons and cheesecake. Reservations for the Warhol event (required): acehotel.com/calendar/pittsburgh. Whitfield reservations: 412-626-3090; whitfieldpgh.com. Wine dinner and a movie: Atria’s, 10 Old Clairton Road, Pleasant Hills, is serving a City of Love Wine Dinner with a Frenchthemed menu with wine pairings at 6:30 p.m. Monday. $ 75. 412- 714- 8670; atrias.com. Follow it up with a movie at the nearby Century
Square Luxury Cinemas (centurysquareluxurycinemas. Women’s empowerment with dinner: “Love and the Resistance” is an evening designed to support women while enjoying a custom tasting menu by executive chef Lily Tran, plus wine pairings and champagne. Menu includes crispy shrimp with wasabi cocktail sauce, hearts of palm salad, salmon, roasted paneer satays, braised short rib, black trumpet mushroom and raspberry hibiscus profiteroles. 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Soba, 5847 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside. $150; benefits Women and Girls Foundation. tinyurl.com/wgfsoba.
On Valentine’s Day
Dinner and a play: Barebones Productions (barebonesproductions.com) is performing “Rules of Seconds” in its new Black Box Theater, next door to Kevin Sousa’s Superior Motors, 1211 Braddock Ave., Braddock. Make dinner reservations for 5:30 or 6 p.m., then catch the play at 8 p.m. Get 10 percent off dinner if you show your server your theater ticket. Reservations: 917-455-9207; superiormotors15104.
Four courses from four restaurateurs: Federal Galley, 200 Children’s Way, North Side, will host a 7:30 p.m. four-course dinner prepared by the restaurant hall’s four chefs. The menu includes Moroccan spiced coconut and squash soup and carrot and citrus couscous from Michigan & Trumbull; ricotta and egg yolk ravioli with smoked pancetta from Provision PGH; surf and turf from Supper; and spiced chocolate and vanilla mille feuille with blood orange gel from El Lugar, plus a bottle of sparkling wine for each couple. $170 per couple. eventbrite.com (search for “Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two”).
Dinner and cider house tour: Threadbare Cider & Mead, 1291 Spring Garden Ave., Spring Garden, offers the “Wild for You Valentines Dinner & Tour,” a 6 p.m. cider house tour followed by a 7 p.m. dinner with starters, salad, handmade pasta with meat and vegetarian options, dessert and a glass of Wild Spanish Cider. $60 per person; $40 for dinner only. threadbarecider.com.
Beer dinner and a classic movie: Cinderlands, 3705 Butler St., Lawrenceville, is serving its first beer dinner with reservation times available between 6 and 8:30 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. The four-course menu includes duck heart tartare, lobster with smashed potatoes, ribeye for two with foie butter, and assorted chocolates from Chocolate Moonshine Co., all with beer pairings. $100 per couple. eventbrite.com (search for “Valentine’s Day Beer Dinner at Cinderlands”). Couple this with a classic romance movie, such as “Ghost” at 9:45 p.m., at the nearby Row House Cinema. rowhousecinema.
Dinner for two with an overnight stay: Fl.2 at the Fairmont Pittsburgh offers dinner for $75 per couple on Valentine’s Day. The fourcourse menu includes entree choices of filet, scallops or eggplant curry. A specialty cocktail, Total Eclipse of the Heart, for $14 will feature activated charcoal, scotch, lime and pineapple juices and habanero bitters. The hotel offers Valentine-themed overnight packages, including the True Romance package, with chocolate and a bottle of champagne. 510 Market St., Downtown. Restaurant reservations: 412-773-8848. Hotel reservations: 412-773-8800.
After Valentine’s Day
Sweets and drinks with plants: “Bitters and Sweets” includes sweet treats from Chocolate Moonshine Co., light fare from Hazelnut Catering, bitters from Wigle Whiskey, libations from Helicon Brewery and dancing to thetunes of DJ Steve Maffie. 7 to 11 p.m. Feb. 16 at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, 799 Pinkerton Run Road, Oakdale. $30; ages 21 and up only. 412-444-4464; pittsburghbotanicgarden.org/events/.
Dinner with animals: The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, 7370 Baker St., Highland Park, present “Animal Instincts” at 6 p.m. Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 with dinner, cocktails, a presentation on exotic animal mating, and small animal visits. $75. pittsburghzoo.org (click “Events”).
Dinner plus ballet: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (pbt.org) is performing the romantic “Swan Lake” Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25. Choose the Feb. 17 performance and add dinner at Nine on Nine, which is serving a three-course prix fixe Valentine’s menu from 5 to 11 p.m. Feb. 14 and Feb. 17. The menu includes entree choices such as lamb tenderloin, scallops or vegetarian asparagus and mascarpone ravioli, plus appetizers and desserts such as raspberry rose creme brulee with crystal petals, Valrhona chocolate royal or blood orange Campari with chocolate crisp. 900 Penn Ave., Downtown. $65 per person; $45 extra for wine pairings. 412-338-6463; nineonninepgh.com.
Dinner and DIY crafts: Hobby Prodigy, 100 Robinson Centre Drive, Robinson, presents a buffet dinner for two made by Allstar Bar & Grill, followed by the making of a craft project. 6 p.m. Feb. 17. $100 per couple also includes a half-dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries and wine tasting. eventbrite.com (search for “The Ultimate Date Night”).
Valentine events
Perfect Valentines — Candles and Cookies: Learn to bake and decorate royal icing cookies, and take home five cookies plus a candle made with your signature scent. 6 p.m. Friday at The Candle Lab Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville. $50. callmecrazycookielady.com (click on “Shop/Tickets/Store”).
Lucky in Love Wine & Spirits Fest’alcular: Wine and spirits samples, food and gift vendors, bottle sales. Choice of three-hour sessions starting at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Rivers Casino, North Shore. Free admission; $20 for VIPs (includes $10 free casino play and official stemmed tasting glass); ages 21 and up only. drinkfestpa.com.