Our Half-Ass Valentine's Day Roundup
By Melissa McEwen in Food on Feb 4, 2015 4:35PM
So what restaurants are doing stuff for Valentine’s Day?
In case it’s not obvious: pretty much all of them, it’s kind of like a thing for them. We'll be honest, we didn’t feel like sorting through all of them and listing a few here, because it’s boring and pointless. And you’ll have to pay more than you usually pay for almost all of them.
Wait, why?
Because economics. Supply and demand and whatnot. Aside from a few brave souls, almost every couple feels obligated to go out on this holiday.
OK, well, which one should I pick? Also did you notice this is a FAQ and not a roundup?
Well at this point, you are probably SOL with the big dogs, Michelin-starred restaurants like Alinea or 42 Grams. So you should probably pick a restaurant you already trust and enjoy. They’ll appreciate you more than the barrels of one-off diners who infamously don’t know how to tip.
Oh man, my favorite restaurants are booked, what do I do?
Sorry, maybe you can trawl reservation sites like Open Table until you can find something. Or consider restaurants that don’t fit the Valentine’s Day romantic stereotype of steak or tasting menus such as your favorite Chinese or Japanese restaurant. Plus those dinners at Ampersand that we posted about yesterday sound pretty impressive. Or you could do something non-traditional like a cooking class. The romantic food one at The Alliance Française de Chicago still has some openings.
What if I’m single?
A few places do something for singles. But almost all of them are sad/awkward. We recommend takeout and Netflix or find an event that doesn’t vainly promise to help you find love. Some fun ideas: Chicago Market is having an interactive food trivia dinner, Marz Brewing is hosting an art and sour beer event called The Power of Sour, and there is a beer festival at Chop Shop.