Valentine's Day Guide: Where to Eat, Drink & Make Out

Valentine’s Day is around the corner – whether you want to take your better half out on the town, find a stranger to make out with, cry into your tequila, or have a ragey anti-Love dance party, we’ve got ideas for you.

NY| MIA| CHI | LA | SF

FONDA

New Williamsburg/Greenpoint spot , Sindicato de Cocineros, has been proving to be quite the Mexican restaurant to beat in the neighborhood. Since its quiet opening about 6 months ago, its gotten rave reviews and a killer $1 fish taco Happy Hour from 5-7. For V-Day, you can enjoy a $58 prix fixe menu just for the occasion, and you can add an optional 4 cocktail pairing for only $36. That sounds just about right to us.

543 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY, 10012
212-777-6500

Favela Cubana features a unique atmosphere, weekly DJs, traditional Cuban and Brazilian cuisine, and of course, a full bar. On Valentine’s Day they’ll be serving a three-course prix fixe, open with an option of Sopa de Pollo, Ensalada de Palmito, Empanadas, or Soft-Shell Crab, followed by your choice of Ropa Vieja, Lechon, Frango Ipanema, Grilled Branzino, or Mushroom Risotto, and finished with a homemade dessert from the following selection: Volcan de Chocolate, Coconut Flan, or Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. Furthermore, your dinner fee will also include a complementary glass of champagne!

HECHO EN DUMBO

354 Bowery, New York, NY
(212)937-4245

This is where you want to bring your chocoholic date on Valentine’s Day night. Consumed by Montezuma himself in order to heighten desire and improve performance, chocolate will be the main ingredient for the night.Chef Danny Mena will prepare a 5 course sweet, savory and spicy $55 prix fixe menu. Menu includes cocoa butter-poached salmon and braised short rib in a cocoa and chile ancho salsa.There will be chocolate cake, just sayin’. Please send e-mail to events@hechoendumbo.com to make a reservation or learn more.

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner – whether you want to take your better half out on the town, find a stranger to make out with, cry into your tequila, or have a ragey anti-Love dance party, we’ve got ideas for you.

NY| MIA| CHI | LA | SF

CEVICHE 105

This is the spot to eat if you don’t have any post-dinner plans with your Valentine – because after all the red meat, blood sausage, chorizo, Malbec, and dulce de leche crepes, all you’re going to want to do is take a nap. But this may be the most romantic move of all – you know what they say: barriga llena, corazón contento.

1400 20th St., Miami Beach
305-538-9299

In keeping with the Catalan tradition of “Mercat” dining, this cozy bistro offers smaller tapas like plates that include Spanish goat, sheep, and cow cheeses — from Manchego to Mahón to the Catalan Garrotxa as well as charcuteries like jamón ibérico and Serrano ham. They also serve more substantial bistro plates; highlights include the juicy eight-ounce skirt steak from Meyer Ranch (Montana) and meaty octopus tentacle from Spain. Music and alcohol are also part and parcel of the dining experience. The tunes rotate nightly, with reggae one night, Latin pop another, and a live flamenco act. A smartly sourced and mostly Spanish wine list boasts about 50 bottles in the $30 to $40 range and 14 reserves from $50 to $105.

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner – whether you want to take your better half out on the town, find a stranger to make out with, cry into your tequila, or have a ragey anti-Love dance party, we’ve got ideas for you.

NY| MIA| CHI | LA | SF

MERCADITO

Café 28 has a loyal following looking for traditional Cuban served with a Latin twist. Three dishes to try include honey jalapeno pork chops, almond crusted halibut and ropa vieja. OJO: while they are temporarily BYOB, they have implemented a “Mix Your Own Cocktail” program with a beverage menu tailored for you to mix in your favorite spirit. Each cocktail is designed to be served virgin and it will come with its respective spirit suggestion.

3763 N Southport Ave.
(773) 477-5466

Tango Sur set the bar for BYOB Latin Steakhouses in Chicago. Rated as Chicago’s 15th best restaurant on Urbanspoon, don’t be surprised at the crowds or the wait for a table. The value is great for large meat portions, especially for crowd favorites El filet and Bife Vesuvio. The menu is basically a meat lover’s dream, grilling large cuts of Argentinian beef topped with chimichurri. Appetizers and entrees include deep-fried empanadas stuffed with beef, chicken or ham and cheese; matambre (rolled veal cooked with vegetables); and milanesa a caballo (fried breaded beef topped with two eggs). You know what they say: barriga llena, corazón contento.

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner – whether you want to take your better half out on the town, find a stranger to make out with, cry into your tequila, or have a ragey anti-Love dance party, we’ve got ideas for you.

NY| MIA| CHI | LA | SF

BORDER GRILL

445 S. Figueroa St.
213.486.5171

If you want your Mexican meal a little upscale with some frills, Border Grill in Downtown Los Angeles is perfect for your night. The hip cantina is brought to you by two chefs who have competed in Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales, so we think they have an idea of what’s hot. The Valentine’s menu is $65 for 4-courses which include Blue Corn Crepes with Dungeness Crab, Duck Carnitas Enchiladas, Rib Eye Alambre, Mexican Chocolate Lava Cake plus some special margaritas for that special someone.

CASA SANCHEZ

4500 S. Centinela Ave.
310-397-9999

Casa Sanchez is an authentic Mexican restaurant that promises to “take you from the streets of L.A. to a dining room south of the border,” and there’s no doubt that they’ll do that on Valentine’s night. Along with a 4 course $35 per person prix fixe menu, the Mariachi de Voces de Mexico and Ballet Folklorico Sanchez will be playing in the Main Dining Room and a live piano show on the patio. Showtimes are at 7:30pm, 9:30pm and 11pm.

LA CUEVITA (Highland Park)

5922 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 255-6871

This is the place to take a date that likes places off the beaten path. Doesn’t hurt if they’re thirsty…Have you ever tried a Mole Manhattan? or how about a Mezcalada (roasted poblano peer, clamato, mezcal, lime and corona beer)? … No? Neither had we! It will blow your mind. They refer to themselves as an “ Old-World Mexican grotto,” we just refer to them as AMAZING! They have a cute patio with great tacos during the evening, and a little bit of a dark/goth Mexican decor. Oh, and they’ll have a $5 drinks special event until 10 pm, so you can get to try all their exotic mezcal blends.

TARASCOS RESTAURANT

Tarascos is an authentic Mexican spot nestled in the bohemian neighborhood of Silver Lake in Los Angeles. They have an amazing beer garden, plus super cheap taco and drink specials, which is all you can pretty much ask for. For Valentine’s Day you can treat your date to some real Mexican food in a chill environment, and before you’re accused of being cheap, you can secretly order a bottle of wine for only $25 bucks with any meal for two or more.

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Valentine’s Day is around the corner – whether you want to take your better half out on the town, find a stranger to make out with, cry into your tequila, or have a ragey anti-Love dance party, we’ve got ideas for you.

NY| MIA| CHI | LA | SF

CONTIGO

1320 Castro Street
415-285-0250

There’s probably no better way to show your date some love than to take them to a restaurant called “Contigo.” This Spanish-Catalan restaurant is nestled in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, and they are serving up a very special menu to celebrate El Dia Del Amor. The 4 course menu will be $65, which will come with wine pairings, pata negra platters, and a vegetarian option. Check back to find their full, detailed menu.

COLIBRI MEXICAN BISTRO

438 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 440-2737

A Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, Colibri Mexican Bistro is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a menu of $55 per person. Enjoy your pick of traditional Mexican dishes as part of their 3-course menu, which comes with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. You can also have a few of their specialty margaritas and listen to some live music from 6-9:00 p.m..

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