WHAT TO EAT

“Sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no make up on that's when".. you eat chili. For National Chili Day embrace the one pot lifestyle and throw in your favorite meats/vegetables/beans/broth and spices to create the chili of your dreams that will last a lifetime (in the freezer in Ziploc bags). If you're thinking “but I don't deserve to eat chili it's past the Super Bowl" please don't stress yourself.

Since our favorite little furry guy, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow it looks like we have a few more weeks of winter ahead of us and a warm bowl of chili is perfect for these negative degree-days. Below we have a ridiculously addicting recipe that combines all of your favorites-- coffee, beer and brown sugar-- with some healthy additions too. But if you prefer not to cook, make the trek to these NYC spots to find that perfect bowl o' chili.

WHAT TO DRINK

In the infamous words of Dave Chappelle-cum-Samuel L. Jackson: beer, it'll get you drunk. That's right, starting today, Friday, 20th, through March 1st, New York City Beer Week will be celebrating everything craft beer with tastings, festivals, meal pairings and generally every kind of event that will quench your need for (fine) brew.

Think a 5 course feast, with each course paired with a craft beer from one of the five boroughs (Five Borough Beer Tasting & Dinner), a dialogue on beer culture accompanied by… beers, Rare Beer Night featuring 10 taps, and for those ambitious sud fiends, there’s even a NYC Beer Trail you can check out and check off your list.

For a complete list of events, visit the NYC Brewers Guild website.

WHAT TO EAT

New Yorkers your favorite time of the year is back. Although some of you might be lamenting the fact that this glorious three-week-long event fell two days too late (#Valentine’sDay), NYC Restaurant Week is finally here and you need to celebrate. Twice a year, summer and winter, NYC Restaurant week graciously falls upon us mere mortals and allows us to feast like a Queen, or King, at the city's fine dining spots for a price that won’t break the bank.

This year, from February 16th through March 6th, enjoy over 300 restaurants around the NYC area, each offering three courses for lunch ($25) and for dinner ($38). If you need help deciding where to glut yourself during this culinary boon, we have some ideas below to get you started. Check out the complete, awe/drool-eliciting list and make your NYC Restaurant Week reservations here.

WHAT TO EAT

Fellow urbanites: ready your schedule and belly for a dinner-plus-beer event of epic proportions. West Village’s Chapter One American Tavern will be hosting a Five Borough Beer Tasting & Dinner on Monday, February 23, from 6-9:30 p.m., celebrating New York City Beer Week.

Prepare your palates for a delectable five-course pairing menu, spotlighting regionally made beers from NYC’s five boroughs. New General Manager Katie O’Donnell (of Esca, where she pursued the role of chef de cuisine) and Executive Chef Warren Baird (also of Esca) have worked together to create an incredible menu that will seduce every palate.

RESTAURANT OPENING

Seafood lovers and Hamptonites can finally breath a sigh of relief. Father-and-son team and co-owners Eric and Adam Miller are bringing their sought-after “sea-to-table” cuisine from the picturesque Bay Kitchen Bar in East Hampton to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, with their chic new outpost BKB.

At last, New Yorkers will be able to savor Chef Eric Miller’s seafood inspired menu all year round, now just a quick subway or taxi ride away. BKB will be opening this upcoming Tuesday, February 17th in the restaurant space of the prestigious Bohemian National Hall, located at 321 East 73rd Street.

WHERE TO EAT

Need last minute Valentine’s Day reservations? Maybe you just met the he/she of your dreams, you mis-read your S.O.’s Valentine’s Day protests or you're just a typical procrastinator (we're with you on that one)— no matter what has made you wait until the last minute, don't despair, there is still a modicum of hope for you. Check out some reservations that we can’t believe are still up for grabs for Valentine’s Day. Hurry before these are snatched up too.

Acme (9 Great Jones)

WHERE TO EAT

If you are still struggling to find Valentine’s Day inspiration, don’t despair. A number of New York restaurants are offering prix-fixe menus perfectly curated for a special night out, and these are six of our favorites. Offering everything from ambiance to beautifully crafted menus, these options take the guesswork out of the event. Just bring your date, sip some bubbly and enjoy the night.

1. Limani (45 Rockefeller Plaza)

BEST OF

Whether you’re happily shackled, newly single, or reveling in that hazy period before one of you ventures the “so, what are we” conversation, you can’t deny it: Valentine’s Day is here. Loving or cloying, for most of us, Valentine’s Day means we’re gonna need extra liquid courage to get through the day and to marathon Netflix alone in drunken dignity celebrate with a little more zing.

We’re here to help you with that. Below are some of the best Valentine’s Day-themed cocktails that restaurants and bars across New York City have thought up to set the mood for you lovebirds/make you hate your single life. If you’re one of the former, then go forth and sample these love potions at their respective establishments or make them with your darling for some hands-on fun (if you know what we're saying). If you’re one of the latter, don’t be jellz, you should still make these delicious concoctions so you can drown your sorrow/notGAF. But with class (see: rose smoke).

WHAT TO EAT

“Here’s looking at you, kid.” ~Casablanca There’s a new kid in town: Amar Patel’s intriguing new Moroccan restaurant and fabulous hookah lounge opens in the East Village on February 12th, bringing a fresh voice to the neighborhood's dining scene.

Combining local artwork, unique hookah flavors and Moroccan inspired dishes, Casablanca is about to rock your world. Located at 189 East 3rd Street, the restaurant embraces the romance of the eponymous city and film by featuring beautiful Moroccan lanterns, vintage artwork from the classic film, and décor that adds to the intimate and relaxing vibe. Underground, with a separate florescent-lit entrance, is the speakeasy lounge, Fes Down, where guests will be able to unwind and forget their worries for the night with an authentic Moroccan hookah experience.

WHERE TO EAT

Executive chef Didier Pawlicki, who also runs the kitchen at sister restaurant La Sirene, prides himself on wholesome, homemade ingredients, and does an excellent job of catering to dietary restrictions of all sorts at this cozy East Village French restaurant.

The menu, teeming with information regarding whether or not each item is vegan or vegetarian or gluten free, can be a bit cluttered at first glance, but reading it more closely, each dish begins to resonate with the diner. When Chef Didier originally opened this location, he wanted to cater to what he thought to be the majority of the East Village population: those who adhere to a plant-based diet. But he came to realize that a purely vegetarian menu was unappealing to the remaining East Village carnivores, and that he needed to broaden the scope of his menu in order to attract both sects of diners. We're glad he did as both his foie gras and Brussel sprouts are some of the most creative we have ever sampled, making this a prime spot for veggie-lovers to bring their meat-loving friends.

DAILY BITES

Delight your palate at Olma Caviar Boutique & Bar. Located in the prestigious Plaza Food Hall inside The Plaza Hotel, Olma is a prime luxury spot to seduce your taste buds with the finest selection of black & red caviar…paired with champagne, of course.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, this elite caviar producer was founded in 2001. Dozens of types of Olma’s black and red caviars are imported from overseas and Alaska. From lavish, juicy sweet Salmon Red Caviar, to profoundly nutty tasting Hackleback Caviar and more, Olma certainly offers a luxurious selection of this delicacy to guests.