Consider us your own personal Cupid.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and there is no shortage of ways to show that special someone you care.
Whether it’s a quiet, romantic dinner your sweetheart craves this Saturday–or a raucous night out on the town–we’ve compiled a short list of themed happenings sure to score you some big points.
You can enjoy a special prix fixe menu for two between 5 and 10 p.m. in the newly renovated dining room at Pembroke’s Restaurant, 1125-A Military Cutoff Road. The chefs have designed a four-course dinner–a shared appetizer, choice of soup or salad, an entree and a shared dessert–all paired with a selection of wine, beer or bourbon for $110 per couple. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (910) 239-9153. If you prefer the downtown scene, Pembroke’s sister restaurant, Rx, is offering up the very same at its 421 Castle St. location. Call ahead–(910) 399-3080 to reserve a table.
Sweet n’ Savory Cafe is putting on the fancy linens and lighting the candles in celebration of Valentine’s Day. The Wrightsville Beach-area eatery will serve a five-course meal from 5-10 p.m. (reservations required–(910) 256-0115). The regular dinner menu will not be available.
If you’re in the mood for something a little less traditional, head over to Fermental, 7250 Market St. in Ogden, at 6 p.m. for a night of Italian libations. From Prosecco to pale ale, this tasting features a seductive selection of Italy’s most acclaimed wine varietals and beer styles.
Industry experts will be on hand to give you a lesson while you sip, and chef Kirsten Mitchell and the Vittles Food Truck will serve up Italian tapas in a casual six-course a la carte menu. Local folk-funk guitarist Mark Herbert will perform.
The tasting is $10 per person (tapas menu sold separately).
And The Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St., hosts a night of revelry with “AMOUR: the Amazing Menagerie Of Unusual Ridiculosity.”
This fringe–and perhaps a bit debaucherous–evening features comedy, music, burlesque, cabaret, free chocolate and more. Events include a “People’s Court”-style live Comedy Court, a live version of “The Dating Game,” a “Dare Wheel,” a kissing booth, pinatas, lasers and deejays. The cafe and nightspot will also serve up the “Seven Deadly Gins” and there will be lots of desserts on hand.
Glamorous attire is encouraged–think 1940s-era. Performances start at 9 p.m. and continue throughout the night. No reservations are required. Admission is $5 for those who dress for the occasion and $7 for the ones who don’t ($10 for couples).
Members of the Lonely Hearts Club, don’t fret. There’s lots to do if you’re blue–or just want to celebrate being single–in our weekly arts and entertainment roundup.
Most of the items listed below can be found on The Scene, our free community events calendar.
Music
Cameron Art Museum continues its Jazz at the CAM series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. This performance features The Gregg Gelb Jazz Quartet, with vocalist Kathy Montgomery Gelb. Admission is $5-$12.
Americana-folk band Beta Radio performs Friday at Bourgie Nights as part of its intimate, acoustic tour. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the show gets underway at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show.
The Scoundrels Reunion help ring in “Mistress Night”—the night before Valentine’s Day–with a live show at 9 p.m. Friday at Bombers Bev Co. Admission is free.
The iconic George Clinton performs alongside Parliament Funkadelic Friday at Ziggy’s By The Sea. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. VIP Suite and Gold Room reservations are available.
The Brent Stimmel Band returns to Duck and Dive Friday for an evening of pre-Valentine jams, including covers and original tunes. The band kicks off around 10 p.m.
Innovative and award-winning group Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra play UNC-Wilmington’s Kenan Auditorium at 7 p.m. Saturday. Mayfield, the artistic director, trumpeter and composer, leads the band. The group’s latest album, “Book One,” won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. Tickets are $35 ($5 for students).
Blues man Tab Benoit comes to Ziggy’s By The Sea Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. VIP Suite and Platinum Table reservations are available.
Acoustic duo ilyAIMY plays Bourgie Nights, with opening act Stray Local, on Sunday. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 the day of the show.
Theater/Comedy
The music of Johnny Cash comes to life with “Ring of Fire” at 7:30 tonight at Thalian Hall. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday. The musical delves into the world Johnny Cash created through his music and features 38 of his tunes. Tickets are $30.
Big Dawg Productions presents “Dearly Beloved” at 8 tonight through Saturday, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, at Cape Fear Playhouse. The comedy tells the story of the Futrelle sisters’ plans to throw an antebellum-themed wedding in their small town of Frayo, Texas. Admission is $15 tonight and $20 Friday through Sunday ($18 for seniors, military members and students).
TheatreNOW dinner theater presents “Love Happens,” a romantic comedy that follows a year in the lives of two couples–one just starting out and the other nearing a 50th anniversary, Friday and Saturday. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the play begins at 7. Tickets are $24 to $42.
Sirius XM host Kenny Zimlinghaus returns to Dead Crow Comedy Room this Friday and Saturday for two shows each night at 8 and 10 p.m. Admission is $13. Dinner is available.
Cape Fear Theatre Arts’ raucous adaptation, “Triassic Parq: The Musical” continues at 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday at City Stage. In this retelling of the classic flick, “Jurassic Park,” humans play singing, dancing, swearing dinosaurs. Seen from the beasts’ perspective, the play tackles religion, identity and raptors, as chaos ensues when one dinosaur in a clan of females spontaneously turns male. The mutation spawns a chain reaction of identity crises, forcing the dinosaurs to question everything they know. This play features music by local indie favorites Justin Lacy and the Swimming Machine. Tickets are $22-$27.
Film
The UNCW Flicker Film Society hosts the ninth annual student-run Reel Teal Film Festival on Friday in UNCW’s Lumina Theater. The event features two blocks of local, national and international films from 7-8:30 p.m. and 9:30-11:30 p.m. at UNCW’s Lumina Theater. A filmmaker’s lounge will be staged during the break in the Clocktower Lounge on the second floor of Fisher Student Center. The festival is free. Tickets can be obtained at Sharky’s Box Office the day of the event, one hour prior to the event at 6 p.m.
Read related story: A ‘family’ of UNCW film enthusiasts to present Reel Teal film fest
Art
Spectrum Art Gallery hosts an opening reception for an exhibit by Evalyn Boyd Hines at 6 tonight. Hines paints on canvas or on the surface of recycled polycarbonate, which creates a unique surface and texture, then mounts her paintings on PVC panel. Admission is free.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at (910) 772-6341 or [email protected].
