So what do you do when love presents its wondrous, yet terrifying self to you, with all its madness, heart flutters and heartaches? Cupid’s arrow has found me after I have taken a few years of well-deserved self-discovery after 16 years of long-term relationships. So what’s a girl to do?
She can resist at first and eventually accept it with open arms, realizing this one was worth the wait. Yet, she doesn’t have to give up any of the passions in her life that she discovered during her anti-love break.
She also can give a few hints to her loved one and yours with ideas on how to make this Valentine’s Day sweeter than ever.
Staying In?
• “Sweet Treats for a Sweet Heart” free cooking class: Who says you have to dine out for Valentine’s Day? Impress your Valentine, and hone in on your culinary skills in a cooking class at 7p.m., Feb. 8, at The Deck Bar in downtown Pensacola. Learn how to cook something sweet for your sweetheart. Details: Contact Shelley Yates at 850-748-9001 or visit www.goodgrits.com
Stepping Out
• J’s Bistro & Catering, a French Creole Bistro on North Pensacola Boulevard, will offer a special Sweetheart Dinner, a four-course meal paired with wines. J’s Bistro has a mix of French, Cajun, Creole, and Southern-inspired cuisine, plus Executive Chef Jay Ammons’ signature dishes. Limited seating starts at 7 p.m., for $120 per couple. Details: www.jsbistroandcatering.com for the menu; call (850) 471-1777 to RSVP.
• Jackson’s Steakhouse on Palafox in downtown Pensacola is offering a special menu for lunch and dinner Feb. 14. Chef Irv Miller has prepared both a lunch feature as well as a dinner feature for the occasion, in addition to the fall/winter menu. Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., features braised boneless beef short rib with artichoke and bell peppers sauté and lobster risotto. For dinner, starting at 5 p.m., special entrée features beef tenderloin medallions topped with fresh red-chili-glazed lobster tail over cremini mushrooms, slab bacon, and wilted spinach with goat-cheese whipped potatoes. Reservations: (850) 469-9898 or http://jacksons.goodgrits.com
• For a more casual date (if you’re not quite sure where it’s going with this one or on a date with someone who is more like a friend), try your hand at Monday Night Trivia at Blazzues Blues and Jazz Club on South Palafox. Blazzues hosts an open-bar feel, with TVs for sports and a stage for live music. Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, and it’s also ladies’ night. As an added bonus, there is always some sort of free grub, like gumbo available. Now that’s an inexpensive date. Details 850-696-2290
• The Wine Bar is one of the newest and hippest additions to South Palafox, with fine wines, beers on tap, a gourmet cheese and wine shop and delectable sandwiches by Chef Mari Josephs. A Valentine’s champagne walkabout is Sunday, Feb. 13, from 3 to 5 p.m. for ladies only. There will be 40 different sparkling wines and champagnes from around the world, with fine chocolates, fondues and other sweet treats. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day of the event. So grab your closest gal pals for a true Sunday fun day. Details (850) 607-2089
Gift Ideas for Her or Him:
• Vinyl Music Hall concert tickets: Not since the days of Bayfront Auditorium has Pensacola been so excited about a music venue that can attract more regional and national acts as Vinyl Music Hall. Why not get your Valentine tickets to an upcoming show? Tickets from $10 to $25 for upcoming shows including Sister Hazel (Feb. 18th), Badfish, A Tribute to Sublime (March 20th), Punch Brothers (April 3rd) and Pato Banton and the Now Generation (April 15th). Vinyl is general admission and mostly standing room only. Limited seating in the 5 ½ Bar, which becomes a VIP bar to view the event on TV monitor via live feed. Details: www.VinylMusicHall.com or (877) 435-9849
