We’ve got your (Valentine’s Day) weekend: All the specials for you!

Editor’s Note: We’re honing in our weekend preview to bring you all the special love for the day of love! We are focusing this “We’ve Got Your Weekend” around the special events that will get your heart pumping for Valentine’s Day! 

Celebrating Galentine’s Day with some chicken and waffles? We say, yes, Jack Rose! (Photo by: Brian Landry)

Valentine Vibe: FOR THE LADIES CELEBRATING LADIES

The Place: Jack Rose (2031 St Charles Avenue)

The Special: Jack Rose in the Pontchartrain Hotel, is all about celebrating Galentine’s Day on Thursday, February 13. Grab your ladies and your stretch pants because in addition to Chef Brian Landry’s dinner menu, the eatery will be offering specialty brunch items like chicken and waffles. They’re also going to have Veuve Clicquot Bottle Specials (Yellow Label $50; Rosé $65), which sounds like a relationship we can totally get into. Reservations are encouraged. Dinner is served Wednesday–Sunday from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM. For more information, you can check out their website: www.jackroserestaurant.com                

Bring on the bowties at Avo this V-Day. (Photo: Avo)

Valentine Vibe: YOU KNOW THAT ITALIANS ARE ALWAYS THE MOST ROMANTIC

The Place: Avo (5908 Magazine Street)

The Special: The Italian restaurant, Avo, is going full out for the V-Day. They will have a pre-fixe menu for $67 and that includes four  courses. And, of course, we’ll give you a preview of those courses: cesar salad  or poached shrimp;  fettuccine or gemelli; and shortrib or grilled redfish. We could tell you what the dessert is, but there’s nothing like a good Valentine’s Day tease (just know that there’s a fudge sauce — meow!). For more details on Avo’s pasta and their Valentine’s Day special, you can check out their website: restaurantavo.com. 

You can find your intimate corner at Jewel of the South this V-Day. (Photo: Denny Culbert)

Valentine Vibe: FOR THOSE WHO DON’T LOVE LOVE

The Place:  Jewel of the South (1026 St Louis Street)

The Special: This one is for those who aren’t feeling the Valentine’s Day spirit. We get it; it’s a commercialized holiday that’s also based off super offensive masculine rituals that involve beating women with animal skins. Anyway, your Valentine protest can move you to Jewel of the South, which is co-owned by  bartender, Chris Hannah and Nick Detrich, for an Anti-Valentine’s Day feast. For the occasion Chef Philip Whitmarsh has crafted a six-course prix fixe dinner menu priced at $95 per person (not including tax and gratuity) that will be available on Friday, February 14, 2020 only. What’s on this menu? Here’s a preview: chargrilled beef heart (right?), roast chicken with liver toasts, garlic, and fried sunchoke, oh and some chocolate with malted milk and mint. And that’s only three of the courses. Dinner will be served from 5:30 PM until midnight. To make reservations, you can check out their website: www.jewelnola.com. 

You can dig into a little crab fat rice at Bywater American Bistro. (Photo by: Denny Culbert)

Valentine Vibe: FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO IMPRESS A SPECIAL SOMEONE

The Place: Bywater American Bistro (2900 Chartres Street)

The Special: If you are looking for some major brownie points, some super delish food, and some romance, then this is the place for you. Curated by James Beard “Best Chef: South” Nina Compton and Chef/Partner Levi Raines, the BAB is offering a four-course prix fixe menu – priced at $75 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) with and optional wine pairing for $40. Here’s some menu highlights: Ora king salmon with winter vegetables, beurre blanc, smoked trout roe, and potato purée as well as champagne semifreddo with dark chocolate mousse, strawberry granita, and mint crumb. Say it with us again: champagne semifreddo. Dinner is served from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM, and you can make reservations on their website: www.bywateramericanbistro.com

Added bonus…there are all these spirits to get drunk on if you don’t have a V-day date but still want to go to Toups. (Photo: Denny Culbert)

Valentine Vibe: YOU JUST WANT TO BITE SOMETHING

The Place: Toup’s Meatery (845 North Carrollton Avenue)

The Special: Born and bred Cajun Chef Isaac Toups’ skills will be in full force for Valentine’s Day. Toups’ Meatery will be offering dinner specials on rack of lamb, bone marrow and scallops. More than anything, we like the idea of someone asking, “Where did your date take you for V-day?” and you getting to say, “To a meatery.” Dinner is served from 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM on V-day, and you can check out reservations on their website: www.toupsmeatery.com

Go rock it out with the Kanaval Ball this V-Day. (Photo provided by: Kanaval)

Valentine Vibe: YOU DON’T WANT TO JUST EAT, YOU WANT TO PARTY

The Place: The Kanaval Ball at Mahalia Jackson (1419 Basin Street)

The Special: Well, it’s Carnival time, so everything about this city is special, and the Kanaval Ball kicks off a weekend of celebrations with New Orleans’ newest Mardi Gras Krewe, founded in 2018 by Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire and Ben Jaffe of Preservation Hall Jazz Band. A  celebration of Haitian culture and its many contributions to the city of New Orleans, Kanaval Ball’s 2020 theme – “Merci Haiti” –  will pay homage to the longstanding relationship between the two cultures, which dates back for more than 200 years. Arcade Fire will headline the ball along with Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Haitian DJ Michael Brun, Trinidadian DJ Jillionaire, Haitian collective Lakou Mizik and Congolese-Canadian musician Pierre Kwenders, with additional special guests. Tickets to the 2020 Kanaval Ball can be purchased HERE.