Get a Pre-Valentine’s Rush at this Hot Spot’s Wine & Dine Series

Get a Pre-Valentine’s Rush at this Hot Spot’s Wine & Dine Series

Navy Blue's branzino (photo by Caroline Fontenot)

WINE, CANDLES AND FINE cuisine — almost all the elements needed for a romantic evening. Not into the crowds or strict reservations this Valentine’s Day? When you want to woo your loved one your way, consider Navy Blue’s Mondays with Molly.

The monthly series is for wine- and food-lovers, and the next one is Feb. 12, which means you can duck the Valentine’s Day frenzy by attending. Molly Austad, the sommelier for Navy Blue and Bludorn, takes a deep dive into wine and food pairings and educates guests on wine varietals and the art of tasting wine. Four- or five-course meals and pairings are usually kept a delightful surprise, so it’s a little like opening a box of chocolates.

The superstar sommelier kicked off the four-part monthly wine club dinner series back in October. Her topic for the evening was “How to Sound like a Wine Expert” in an intimate and interactive dinner setting. Tables are set up the private room at Navy Blue, so you won’t have to compete with the main dining restaurant activities. You can be sure that restaurateur-chef Aaron Bludorn will include fresh seafood on the menu!

If you can’t make it Feb. 12, both Navy Blue and Bludorn will offer an a la carte specialty menu Feb. 14, as well as delectable desserts from pastry chef Marie Riddle. Guests also have a chance to add a bountiful bouquet for their significant other or a bottle of Champagne ahead of time.

Molly Austad (photo by Julie Soefer)

Key lime pie (photo by Caroline Fontenot)

Wild Oats' seafood boil (photo by Becca Wright)

FROM UPSCALE ITALIAN and Thai to Tex-Mex and more casual fare, there are many new ways to get your taste buds primed for a new year of eating in H-Town. You’ve been cooped up too long — here’s where to pull up a chair!

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Food

'A Trip to the Moon' by Méliès

THIS FRIDAY, FEB. 2, Houston Francophiles and silent-film fanatics are invited to bundle up and enjoy Cinema Luminaire at Discovery Green, a program of rarely screened, extraordinarily imaginative silent films created between 1902 and 1907 by magician, actor, and director Georges Méliès. The screenings will be accompanied by live music from Houston-based French violinist Kami Ghavi Helm. The films will be screened on an oversized movie screen on The Anheuser-Busch Stage. Cinema Luminaire is presented in partnership between Discovery Green and the artist residency organization Villa Albertine in Houston.

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Art + Entertainment