Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, but many operators are capitalizing on the holiday by offering celebratory menus through the weekend. Why not add a themed drink, dessert or appetizer to your menu, using one of these recipes?
Readymade heart-shaped sweets are widely available for Valentine’s Day, but baking them from scratch makes for a special treat. For a different twist on a heart-shaped cookie, try this recipe from celeb pastry chef Christina Tosi. She glams up walnut cookie hearts with a chocolate coating, fig jam filling and a garnish of chopped walnuts.
Photograph courtesy of Truluck’s Seafood, Steak & Crab House
2. TruLuv Cocktail
For Valentine’s Day, all Truluck’s locations nationwide are serving up the TruLuv cocktail created by Beverage Director Dave Mattern. The pink-hued drink, a blend of vodka, orgeat, strawberry-rhubarb syrup and Aperol, is served in a martini glass with a decadent garnish of chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Flying Biscuit Cafe brings back its iconic red velvet pancakes every year during the month of February, and this year, a savory, Valentine-themed item is also hitting the menu. The Southern-inspired chain is debuting an appetizer called Love Cakes—two black bean cakes topped with tomatillo salsa, sour cream, feta cheese and red onions. Guests who dine in on Feb. 14 will receive a complimentary Love Cake appetizer for the table.
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day go together like the proverbial love and marriage. Chef Elizabeth Karmel puts a vegan spin on individual chocolate pudding pies by creating a no-cook filling with silken tofu instead of milk or cream. The rich-tasting results will win the hearts of vegans and chocolate-lovers alike.
The Bottom Line: The coffee shop giant’s sales struggles worsened earlier this year, despite a flurry of efforts to improve operations and employee satisfaction.
After a strong first quarter, Dallas-based Wingstop expects double-digit same-store sales growth this year, as it plans on becoming a Top 10 global restaurant brand.
Behind the Menu: Favorites like mac and cheese, bowls and salads join the fast casual’s Afro-Portuguese-rooted dishes, including the signature peri-peri chicken.