Valentine’s Day in Lincoln, NE – 2019

Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to shower the people in your life with love. It doesn’t have to be a significant other—it can be your best friend, a family member, co-worker, roommate, etc. It can even be you! If you don’t show yourself some love now and then, you won’t be as able to show your love to those around you. Whether you’re looking to plan a “Gal-entine’s Day” gathering for you and your girlfriends, take your sweetheart out for a memorable date, buy yourself something special, or simply find a way to spread a little love and kindness…we’ve asked a few local experts for advice to help you plan for Valentine’s Day here in Lincoln.

A Date to Remember

As one of the newest restaurants in the Lincoln dining scene, Koen Japanese BBQ & Sushi is the perfect spot to have a memorable experience with your loved one(s). What makes Koen unlike any other restaurant in town is the way it engages its guests. When you order one of the many delicious Japanese BBQ options, you’re invited into the preparation process. After the high quality pre-marinated cuts you order are delivered to your table in a brilliant presentation, you are able to grill them to your liking by using the self-serve stove built in to each table. Specially designed ventilation systems pull smoke away and vent completely outside, so you can relax in a clean and healthy atmosphere; and if family style grilling isn’t your goal, come in and relax with an Asian inspired cocktail, partake in daily happy hour specials, or order fresh-made sushi for dine in or carry out.

Besides the yummy menu, Koen Japanese BBQ & Sushi is offering a special Valentine’s Day course for two starting at $54.99. According to general manager, Inez Retnosari, this course includes a choice of starter, main entree from the grill or sushi menu, dessert, and a bottle of wine. This is a great deal! “We are also starting Izakaya Koen this month, which is a kind of Japanese social lounge that will offer Japanese small plates along with drinks on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to midnight,” adds Retnosari.

Another local favorite dining establishment is MoMo Pizzeria & Ristorante. If you and your mate are Italian food lovers, you’ll be happy you chose to dine at MoMo. Off of their impressive made-from-scratch menu, the Brussel Sprouts and Baked Ricotta come highly recommended. Offering an intimate, classy atmosphere, MoMo definitely sets the mood, especially if you choose to pair your delicious meal with a glass from one of the finest wine selections in Lincoln. Cheers to love and food! Pretty sure they go hand-in-hand.

By now, you’ve probably heard about one of Lincoln’s newest and hottest hangout spots, Capital Cigar Lounge. The lounge is considerably upscale, but don’t let that fool you…Capital Cigar is open to all friends to enjoy. The majority of the establishment is made up of the public lounge, which all community members are welcome to escape to any day of the week. This Valentine’s Day, the lounge will be hosting a special event for couples and singles alike. Capital Cigar Lounge is partnering with Butterfly Bakery, pairing the bakery’s desserts with their preferred wines, bourbons, cocktails, and cigars for an evening of relaxation, good company, great service, and amazing desserts. It’s an event you won’t want to miss!

“At Capital Cigar Lounge, our goal is to create two-hour mini-vacations for our guests,” notes KaDeja Sangoyele with Capital Cigar Lounge. “With the help of Butterfly Bakery, the Valentine atmosphere will be in full force at Capital Cigar, making our lounge the perfect post-dinner spot for any couple or group of friends. We will be featuring decadent desserts, paired with flights of either bourbon or wine. Guests will love Butterfly Bakery’s Chocolate Cigars—a fan favorite off their menu that happens to be very fitting for this event!”

Capital Cigar Lounge is a place where friends enjoy friends, whether that’s your best friend, your forever friend, or a new friend. With a state-of-the-art ventilation system, non-cigars-smokers will enjoy their experience just as much as cigar enthusiasts. Capital Cigar boasts a selection of 15,000 high-quality cigars, including the coveted Alec Bradley brand. There is also a full-service bar for guests to connect over a cocktail. With community in mind, Capital Cigar Lounge has many more events, like the Valentine’s Day getaway, planned for the future. Keep up with the lounge to learn more about poker night, ladies night, holiday celebrations, and much more.

Share the Love…and the Sweets

There is no wonder why Capital Cigar Lounge jumped at the opportunity to partner with Butterfly Bakery for their Valentine’s Day event. Butterfly Bakery is quickly becoming everyone’s not-so-guilty pleasure. With care and craftsmanship going into each pastry, baked good, and delicious dessert, there is not much to feel bad about.

“We are able to personalize our desserts to compliment your loved one’s style,” Mary Urtel with Butterfly Bakery informs. “We work with our customers to ensure we have a clear vision of the story they want to tell through our handcrafted and scratch-baked artisan pastries. We currently offer a variety of small pastries and cookies in wide ranges of flavors. Our most popular items during Valentine’s Day are our gourmet chocolate-dipped strawberries, decorated, cut-out sugar cookies, petit fours, and chocolate truffles. We offer delivery at a discounted price the week of Valentine’s Day, so having something special delivered to your significant other is always recommended! Who doesn’t love a surprise? Especially one that is shareable with coworkers! For the single ladies, girls’ night wouldn’t be the same without some chocolate and wine! At Butterfly Bakery, we have gourmet brownies, truffles, and mousse cups that will pair perfectly with your favorite wine and/or champagne.”

Let’s not leave any of the senses out. Love can be seen and smelt too…A prime example being a breath-taking arrangement of flowers that has the power to brighten up a day and fill an entire room with a rejuvenating, fresh scent.

Getting flowers for your loved one on Valentine’s Day is a classic move. Here in Lincoln, we have a variety of florists that can assist you. One we highly recommend is Fields Floral. “Our forte is creativity and flowers,” comments Sara Sudman with Fields Floral. “We take your vision and make it a reality by creating unique floral arrangements within your budget. We figure out what is in season to be cost effective, while also incorporating your needs and wants. We do it all from start to finish and can even deliver! Coral is a big trend, from weddings to personal flower gifts. After all, Living Coral is the Pantone Color of the Year for 2019! And it’s a very fitting shade for the Valentine’s Day occasion.”

Fields Floral is well known for offering dependable delivery service and unmatched floral designs. Just give them a call and let them know who you are buying flowers for, and they’ll deliver a beautiful arrangement to your loved one no matter where they are. Flowers are a great surprise to get at work! Brighten up your sweetheart’s desk with one of Fields Floral’s many bouquet options. If you set up a bouquet subscription with Fields Floral, you can pick dates throughout the year that you want to have flowers delivered to that special someone and Fields Floral will take care of the rest.

Love Yourself

“Treating yourself is the way to go, and indulging in a massage or special treatment certainly fits the bill,” says Erin Lange of 5 Elements Massage. “I’ll be offering chocolate wrap massages as a Valentine’s Day special. Topically applying raw cocoa can reduce the look of fine lines and uneven texture on the skin. It actively hydrates the lipids in your skin, tightens and tones, giving you a more youthful, slender look. It also has a very energizing effect on the body and spirit; it’s very cool how many positive health benefits are derived from the use of raw cocoa. Based on my professional training with sugar scrubs and salt glows, I’ve put together my own blends that I utilize in conjunction with the different massage modalities I offer. Reach out to me if you’re curious to learn more!”

No matter if you are practicing a little self love or treating your true love to something special, take this Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to enjoy an exciting new adventure in Lincoln. There are so many professionals in the area that want to help you make this V-day a day to remember. XOXO!