@Fox and Pearl
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
— Emily Brontë
Welcome, {{secret_name | Secret Reader}}
Before it was roses and prix-fixe menus, Valentine’s Day had pagan roots.
Mid-February was once marked by Lupercalia, a Roman festival tied to purification, fertility, and the coming of spring. It was loud, a little wild, and centered on renewal. Centuries later, the Church reframed the season around St. Valentine — the quiet rebel priest said to have performed marriages in secret. Over time, the story softened. The rituals changed. What stayed was the idea of choosing someone on purpose.
Now it’s cards, reservations, expectations. But at its core? It’s still about connection. About intention.
And this year, it rolls straight into Fat Tuesday — another tradition with layered history. Mardi Gras, rooted in Catholic calendars, is the last indulgent stretch before Lent. Feast before the fast. Music before the quiet. Joy before restraint.
So we’ve got romance on one end of the weekend and brass bands on the other. I’m here for it. I kept it simple this week — dinner with friends at Fox and Pearl. Smoke in the air from the open fire, that steady hum of conversation, a smoked pork chop that was on the money. We split the ice cream flight around like we’ve been doing this for centuries.
Maybe that’s the real throughline from Lupercalia to Lent — gather your people, break bread — Move with intention.
I’ll see you at the bar.
—Jay, SecretKC editor
🕯 The Pregame — Thursday
Ease into Cupid’s weekend.
Soul Fundamentals at The 1909 Club · Thu | Evening
An immersive journey through the roots of soul music.
→ The 1909 Club
Love Fest at Tom’s Town · Thu | Evening
Distillery-driven Valentine’s celebration.
→ Tom’s Town
🥃 The Short List
Rooms that always understand the assignment.
Date Night Moves · Evening
Fox and Pearl
Smoke-kissed plates, warm wood, no rush.
Get the Ice Cream Flight!
Cocktail-first lounge · Evening
The 1909 Club
Deep seats, serious drinks.
A room built for staying longer than planned.
Voo Lounge
Dim lighting, smooth pacing.
Works best after 9 when the room settles in.
Personal Favorites · Evening
The Monarch Bar
Serious cocktails, intentional energy.
A clean handoff between dinner and night.
XO Hifi
Intentional sound, low conversation, focused room.
Best when you want to hear the music and your thoughts.
The Lobby Bar of KC · Evening
Bar Stillwell
Grown Ass Bar Energy
Best place to begin and end adventures.
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❤️ Valentine’s Weekend Cheat Sheet
Sherri’s Executive Lounge – Valentine’s Eve Date Night · Fri | 8:00–11:00 PM
Live with She Groove. Romance, rhythm, close-up energy.
→ Sherri’s Lounge
Cine Club Presents: Amélie · Feb 13–14 | Romantic film screening
A French classic for soft Valentine’s energy.
→ Cine Club KC
Valentine’s Date Night in the Monogram Lounge · Fri | Evening
Cocktails, dressed-up ambiance, intentional pacing.
→ Reserve via OpenTable
Valentine’s Jazz After Dark · Fri | Restless Spirits Distilling
Featuring Bobby Watson & Gerald Dunn.
→ Restless Spirits
Ryan Marquez Trio at Uptown Lounge · Fri/Sat | Piano-driven soul & jazz
Intimate cocktail bar energy.
→ Uptown Lounge
Valentine’s Weekend Jazz Sets at Black Dolphin Lounge · Thu–Sun
Neighborhood jazz with grown pacing.
→ Black Dolphin Lounge
A Cheeky Valentine’s Featuring KC Burlesque · Sat | 8:00 PM | Hey Hey Club
Burlesque-forward Valentine’s night with edge.
→ The Hey Hey Club
Candlelight: Valentine’s Day Special · Sat | Candlelit concert
Multi-sensory music at Unity Temple.
→ Fever Event Page
CAFÉTON: Valentine’s Day Latin Brunch Party · Sat | Daytime | Cafe Corazon
Latin brunch energy for couples or friend groups.
→ Cafe Corazon
Valentine’s Weekend at Tannin · Weekend | Tannin
Dinner first, then drinks.
→ Tannin
Love Is in the Air at YaYa’s Alpaca Farm · Weekend
Valentine’s experience. Unexpected, playful, memorable.
→ YaYa’s Alpaca Farm
The Love Wheel · Valentine’s Weekend | KC Wheel
Romantic city views from above.
→ KC Wheel
Galentine’s Igloo Soirée at Char Bar · Valentine’s Weekend
Playful, themed girls’ night energy.
→ Char Bar
Love Out Loud: Evening of Note · Sat | Uptown Theater
Dinner + entertainment + after-party. Live show energy with DJ close.
→ Uptown Theater Event
Quixotic Presents at Crown Center · Feb 13–15
Immersive multimedia performance. Theatrical, visual, experiential.
→ Quixotic Presents
🎭 Mardi Gras · Feb 12–21
Mardi Pardi Bar Crawl at KC Live! · Sat Feb 14 | New Orleans-inspired crawl
Multiple venues, beads, themed energy.
→ KC Live! Event Page
Beads, Beans & Booze at J. Rieger & Company · Tue Feb 17 | Fat Tuesday celebration
Cajun-inspired food, drinks, live music.
→ Event Details
Mardi Gras Dawn Parade (Westside) · Tue Feb 17 | Sunrise street parade
Grassroots brass and colorful procession.
→ KC Magazine Coverage
Mardi Gras Season at Jazz – A Louisiana Kitchen · Through Feb 17 | Themed dining
Season-long celebration leading into Fat Tuesday.
→ Jazz Kitchen
Lawrence Mardi Gras Parade · Tue Feb 17 | Downtown Lawrence, KS
Regional parade with live brass bands.
→ Lawrence Journal-World
Last Call — @Fox and Pearl
Negroni with Hedrick’s Gin
Nothing flashy. No loud music fighting your conversation. Just warm wood, that open-fire smell in the air, and a dining room that feels large and comfortable. Like you can sit there a while and nobody’s rushing you. And that’s exactly what we did!
I went with the Smoked Pork Chop — bourbon glaze, refried black-eyed peas, bacon-sorghum kale. Those chops had real smoke on it, fantastic! The black-eyed peas were solid. Would eat again!
Get the Ice Cream Flight, especially if you brought friends — That’s the move!
It’s playful without feeling precious. Multiple small scoops, different textures and flavors, passed back and forth across the table. It gives you something to talk about, something to compare.
Fox and Pearl works for:
A real date
A reset dinner after a long week
Valentine’s without the prix-fixe pressure
And there’s a LOUNGE DOWNSTAIRS, and we missed it!!
Stay sharp, KC ☾