Food and Drink

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and there are plenty of ways to treat your special someone (or yourself) for the holiday.

What's happening: V-Day falls on a Tuesday this year — which can be an awkward day for a big night out. We found 10 things to do on and around Feb. 14, whether you're partnered up, happily solo or looking for love.

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and reservations are going fast.

• Planning a night out? Here are some of our recommendations for romantic restaurants around the Twin Cities.

Be smart: Several upscale restaurants have seen more last-minute cancellations — keep checking for openings.

For Black History Month, we're sharing some Black-owned businesses to support year-round in and around the metro.

• Looking for more? Search the Minnesota Black-Owned Business Directory by category and location.

Here are some of our picks:

Five Twin Cities chefs are on the shortlist for the prestigious James Beard Awards.

Yes, but: Despite Owamni's Best New Restaurant win last year, not a single Minnesota restaurant was named a semifinalist.

A sushi spot from the team behind Zen Box Izakaya will fill out Eat Street's new food hall.

Driving the news: Sushi Dori, which means "sushi street" in Japanese, is the sixth concept announced for Eat Street Crossing, a new venue coming to South Minneapolis' Whittier neighborhood.

The new year has just begun, but plenty of restaurants have already debuted. Here are some eateries to watch:

Hungry home chefs can enjoy meals from the Twin Cities' top chefs, without the cost or hassle of going out to eat.

State of play: Many local restaurateurs have shared recipes with cooking sites and local outlets over the years. We searched far and wide to compile a list of options sure to suit a range of tastes and cooking abilities.

Dry January may have just begun, but a new nonalcoholic bottle shop in Minneapolis is tapping into the sober-curious movement all year long.

Driving the news: After cutting out alcohol herself over two years ago, Honeycomb salon owner Erin Flavin recently opened Marigold, a retail shop in Kingfield exclusively selling nonalcoholic (NA) liquors, wines and spirits for anyone interested in reducing or eliminating their alcohol intake.

Why it matters: Though the sober-curious movement and NA cocktails are growing in popularity, the beverages are often sold in places that also sell alcohol, like liquor stores or bars.

• Marigold’s is a comfortable, sober-friendly, boutique-like space with no alcohol involved.

What to expect: The bright and cheery shop sells an NA version of almost every liquor store staple, including spirits like tequila, wine, cocktail mixtures and beer.

• Prices vary, but most are comparable to what you would pay for a mid-range alcoholic version; wines are $25-$35 and spirits start at $30.

The intrigue: Half the store is dedicated to now-legal THC products, including over 60 different drinks and locally-made gummies.

• "Sobriety is a spectrum. We wanted to offer options for people that might be interested in cutting back and trying a THC alternative," Flavin tells Axios.

What we tried: I sampled an NA tequila and an NA gin. Both were similar to the real thing, but a little sweeter and without the sharp alcohol aftertaste.

📍Visit: 3506 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis. Open Monday-Saturday, 12pm-6pm.

Check out our tour of Marigold on Instagram.