It happens to all of us: time slips through our fingers and suddenly we’re staring down the barrel of Valentine’s Day with no plans. This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday night, which means that one of the busiest days in the restaurant industry will be more overrun than usual.
Not to worry. More than a few restaurants are still able to accommodate you and your significant other. Read on for a fresh list of specials and prix fixe menus, otherwise known as the answer to the prayers of every Valentine’s Day procrastinator.
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Apron
Located in the Kimpton Overland Hotel next to the Porsche Experience Center in Hapeville, Apron has Valentine's Day reservations available for the speed geeks among us. The restaurant will feature a special menu Feb. 14 and 15 that includes luxe items like Wagyu beef tartare, foie gras and scallops, but with most items at $30 or less. Also on offer: excellent views of Porsche's 1.6-mile driving circuit. Reservations can be made on Opentable.
2 Porsche Drive, Atlanta. 470-466-3330. Apronrestaurantatlanta.com.
Livingston Restaurant + Bar
Not just limited to Valentine’s Day, Livingston Restaurant + Bar at the Georgian Terrace hotel offers a $70-per-person prix fixe menu every Friday and Saturday evening in February. The menu includes sophisticated dishes such as Bosc pear and parsnip soup, lemon ricotta ravioli, and strawberry mousse torte. Or kick things up a notch with a staycation; the hotel’s romance package includes in-room champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and breakfast for two. It also comes with the two sweetest words any Atlantan can hear: free parking.
659 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-897-5000. Livingstonatlanta.com.
Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails
Choices like bacon-wrapped filet mignon, pan-seared diver scallops and lobster chowder, all on a Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu for $75? It’s not just a fantasy. Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails is offering that three-course menu Feb. 14 and 15. Can’t make either date? Feb. 13 and 16, Milton’s will feature a prime porterhouse steak for two as a special.
800 Mayfield Road, Alpharetta. 770-817-0161. Miltonscuisine.com.
5Church Atlanta
For couples who like to keep their options open, 5Church is serving a limited a la carte menu and a $65-per-person four-course prix fixe menu on Valentine’s Day. Available items include lobster salad, baked brie, jumbo prawns and braised duck fettuccine. Wine pairings are available for an additional $25 per person.
1197 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-400-3669. 5churchatlanta.com.
Aria
Get a taste of old-fashioned white-tablecloth romance with the verve of modern cooking at Aria this Valentine’s Day. The acclaimed restaurant is offering a four-course, $95-per-person prix fixe menu on Feb. 14, a relative deal for this level of fine dining. Reservations are available on Resy.
490 E. Paces Ferry Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-233-7673. Aria-atl.com.
Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar
A variety of seafood has been ascribed aphrodisiac properties over the years, so if you’re looking for a meal to get you in the mood, consider Drift in Marietta. Especially known for its fresh oysters, Drift will offer a four-course prix fixe for $79 per person. If the oysters don’t lower inhibitions enough, optional wine pairings are available for a $29 per guest supplement.
4475 Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-635-7641. Driftoysterbar.com.
Secreto Southern Kitchen and Bar
Whether you live in Brookhaven or Alpharetta, both locations of Secreto are serving a four-course prix fixe menu for $65 per person. Starting with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, chef Boyd Rose has created a menu that includes options like roasted red pepper crab bisque, espresso-rubbed beef tenderloin and grilled jumbo shrimp. Wine pairings may be added for an additional $35.
6195 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta, 770-752-0922; 3575 Durden Drive N.E., Brookhaven, 470-395-8989. Secretokitchen.com.
Stem Wine Bar
Marietta’s Stem Wine Bar is showing oenophiles the love this Valentine’s Day by bringing in the big guns. Silver Oak Cellars will partner with chef Jessica Kim for a four-course food and wine tasting menu, and local distributor Philip Stebbins will be on hand to provide background on each wine pairing. The experience costs $165 per person, tax and tip included (although there is an $11 booking fee), and will be available in two seatings Feb. 14. Purchase tickets and view the full menu online.
1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. 678-214-6888; stemwinebar.com.
The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill
Few foods conjure a more romantic picture than paella, the saffron-scented rice and seafood dish typically cooked in huge pans over open flames along the Spanish coastline. At both of the Big Ketch’s locations, the casual seafood spot is offering a paella for two filled with lobster tail, scallops and mussels, along with a variety of other Valentine’s Day specials.
3279 Roswell Road N.E., Atlanta, 404-474-9508; 1105 Canton St., Roswell, 770-993-5749. Thebigketch.com.
Seasons 52
Although Seasons 52 is celebrating Valentine’s Day all week long with specials, the restaurant’s Feb. 14 offer has major appeal for couples thinking about their future. On Friday, any couple that gets engaged at Seasons 52 will receive a complimentary toast at their table every time they visit the restaurant for the next year. That’s using your heart and your head.
Multiple Locations. Seasons52.com.
Mission + Market
The sleek and stylish Buckhead restaurant Mission + Market will offer a special four-course prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu with an amuse-bouche for $69. A nice deal in one of Atlanta’s most beautiful dining rooms, reservations here won’t last much longer.
3550 Lenox Road N.E., Atlanta. 404-948-2927. Missionandmarketatl.com.
Alon’s Bakery and Market
Did you miss out on making a Valentine’s Day reservation at your favorite date-night spot? Consider staying in and taking advantage of Alon’s indulgent six-course to-go menu that even includes roses, chocolate and candles. The menu, priced at $129.99, includes items like hazelnut-coriander-crusted Arctic Char and raspberry chocolate mousse cake. Orders can be placed in person, by phone or online.
Two locations: 1394 N. Highland Avenue N.E., Atlanta, 404-872-6000; 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road N.E., Atlanta, 678-397-1781. Alons.com.
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