Día de San Valentin at Penca. Chef David Solorzano cooked up a four-course prix fixe menu blending multiple flavors from Mexico City. Dishes include a Sunchoke soup made with Jerusalem artichokes and a light dusting of hibiscus; Madeira-braised forest mushrooms over a light cheese sauce; grilled petit center cut fillet with mole rojo, baby vegetable and house-made chorizo crumble; and for desert, a mole rosa with strawberries, raspberries and a light yogurt espuma. The center cut fillet can also be substituted with quail or Tagliatelle de Mesquite. 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 50 E. Broadway. $65. Reservations can be made online at pencarestaurante.com or by calling 520-203-7681.
The Coronet. In addition to their regular dinner menu, The Coronet is also offering a few special Valentine's dishes. Options include the seared scallop and poached shrimp with grilled chile and blood orange; grilled sea bass with strawberry skin, black garlic forbidden rice and veggies; and the beef tenderloin with sherry mushrooms, herbed pomme puree, glazed carrots and blood orange port sauce. Each of these dishes can also be paired with a wine, such as the Domaine de la Grangette or Sand-Reckoner's "Coronet Fancy Blend" of Syrah, Petit Syrah and Zinfandel. And to really get thing's romantic, Tucson's favorite Parisian Gabriel Naim Amor will be playing his specialty blend of impressionistic jazz and blues. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 198 W. Cushing St. Make your reservation at (520) 222-9889 or CoronetTucson.com
Sauce Pizza and Wine. For a tasty, low-cost Valentine's outing, Sauce is offering a 2-for-$25 deal on Valentine's Day. This deal allows you to choose one of Sauce's hand-tossed salads and a 12-inch pizza, plus two glasses of wine. Restrictions apply. Guests can also substitute these pairings with any entrée ($10 or less) or beverage ($7 or less). All day, Friday, Feb. 14. Multiple locations throughout Tucson. $25.
Kingfisher. Chef Jeff Azersky is sticking with Kingfisher's seafood excellence for their specialty a la carte Valentine's menu. This dinner features a full oyster bar, plus New England clam chowder, cedar planked arctic char, grilled sea bass, grilled Hawaiian ahi tuna and marinated grilled octopus. Beyond seafood, they're also serving up seasonal mesclun greens, spinach polenta, grilled ribeye of buffalo, New York steak and bouillabaisse. 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 2564 E. Grant Road. No happy hour offered on the holiday. Reservations are a must. Call (520) 323-7739 or visit kingfishertucson.com.
DOWNTOWN Kitchen. There are several options for a Valentine's dinner at DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. This specialty three-course meal allows you to choose from babaganoush, zucchini curls, butternut squash; a glazed pork belly; a flight of oyster shooters; and lobster bisque for your first dish. Second dish options include New York steak, pan-seared sea bass, herb-crusted pork rack and vegetable puff pastry. For dessert, choose between triple chocolate torte, and almond and lemon curd cake. Dinner seatings start at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 135 S. Sixth Ave. $60. Reservations can be made at downtownkitchen.com or by calling 520-623-7700.
On Tap
Valentine's beer pairing. For Valentine's Day, Craft, A Modern Drinkery is pairing Russel Stover chocolates with three beers from Clown Shoes Beer for a tasty and romantic evening. The beers are the Bluegrass Billionaire, a British Barleywine reaching a hefty 12.5 percent ABV; the Advent Party Crasher, an American Imperial stout brewed with orange peel; and the Tarheel Unidragon, an American Imperial stout with caramel and brown sugar. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. 4603 E. Speedway Blvd.
Dillinger and Monsoon Chocolate. Dillinger Brewing Company is teaming up with Monsoon Chocolate for Valentine's Day to make two local beers paired with two local chocolates. They're pairing their "Lady In Red" chocolate cherry stout and their "OSIRIS-REx Recon" hazy IPA. 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. $24.
Tucson Craft Beer Crawl. This is the culmination of all Beer Week events in Tucson. 1912 Brewing, Corbett Brewing, BlackRock Brewers, Four Peaks, Borderlands, Crooked Tooth, Harbottle and many more are bringing their best beers for this crawl that extends all over downtown. While the downtown breweries are venues for the Crawl, so is Hotel Congress, R Bar, Tap & Bottle and more. The crawl includes multiple collaborative beers from local establishments, such as the Sour de la Salle peach sour from 1912 and The Parish; the Perpetual Joy American lager from Mother Road and Ninkasi Brewing Company; and the Cucumber-Tajin Gose from Tombstone Brewing and 1912. For a full list of participating breweries and events, visit tucsoncraftbeercrawl.com.
