This year, Valentine's Day falls on Sunday, so it will be tempting—very tempting, in fact—to spend the day lazing under the rose-petal-strewn sheets with your sweetheart. But at some point you'll need more sustenance than a box of conversation hearts can provide. So we promise these Valentine's Day brunches will make getting out of bed worthwhile.
We're all for exotic aphrodisiacs, but rhino horn presents so many issues (potential bedroom messes, for one). So rely on an old standby: booze. Crazy cocktails like the Tuscan French 75 (fennel-infused gin and bubbly) and Rose Water Sparkler (sparkling Riesling and rose water) are just the thing to pair with a crepe built for two—though a fork built for two would be kind of cool.
Yes, this preset menu of deviled eggs, lobster soup, burgers, truffle fries, a pair of chocolate cupcakes and (the coup de grâce) a strawberry shake that comes with two straws is really more lunch than brunch. But they're accepting limited reservations for Sunday (secret word: Aphrodite), so we think it's well worth blurring the brunch-lunch boundary.
Ah, new love. You're thinking of moving it to the next level. So first things first: get rid of evidence of those who came before. Bring those snaps of your respective former suitors to Bar Louie on Sunday. They're offering a two-for-one brunch deal, and if you allow them to shred a picture of that ex, you'll score a free cocktail. See, everyone wins.
Italians: fine people, fine beverages, heroic when it comes to romantic brunches. Tocco, that pink-and-black, Milan-by-way-of-Wicker Park spot proves that they have a sparkle too: they're debuting a new brunch featuring Nutella and marmalade crepes, ricotta and eggs, and Italian sausage omelets. And to wash it down, you'll finally have access to their fine prosecco collection before dinner.
