For Valentine’s Day this year, my two girlfriends and I went out for dinner and cocktails at Louie Louie in Philadelphia. Louie Louie is a French-inspired American bistro with classical French bites and seasonal ingredients complemented by swanky cocktails, wines and beer.

If you’re anything like me, whenever you go out to eat you have to have the whole menu memorized in order to properly order when you get there. Looking ahead, I had already decided I was in the mood for oysters on the half shell and the pappardelle pasta with pork belly, but I decided to wait until I arrived to choose which of the cocktails I was going to try.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was a couple minutes early. I checked in with the hostess, and she sat me at our table while I waited for my friends. I ordered the Still Not an Aperol Spritz, a twist on the original. Once my friends arrived, we exchanged flowers and cards to celebrate the holiday together. What better way to celebrate Love Day than over dinner with your best friends?

After settling in, we ordered oysters to share and enjoyed our drinks. For my entrée, I ordered the pasta dish and paired it with a side of broccolini in Romesco sauce. While I will pass on the broccolini when I come back, the pasta was delicious. We closed our night with one last round of drinks; I went with the White Cosmopolitan, outfitted with a pretty pink ice rose.

Louie Louie was the perfect Valentine’s Day spot, with moody bistro décor and lively energy. Although the experience was lovely, nothing beats time celebrating with your girls over food and drinks!

— Aly Evans, administrative assistant