Ah, l’amore. Some may call it a battlefield; but when it comes to waxing love poetic, the editors at Luxe File Chicago prefer The Beatles’ homage: All You Need Is Love.
Whether you’re still searching for the lovable little cherub with an arrow fetish, or are on the road to happily ever after, VDAY teleports us past the mundanity in our everyday relationships to the mushy sweet spots where we celebrate the simple joys and joie de vivre of loving the one you're with.
We caught up with several of the city’s most marvelous couples, both pre- and post-knot tiers, and asked them what was on their Valentine’s Day To-Do list, their private pet names, and how they were upping the romance meter on the most red hot day of the year. Now that’s a love story.
Bianca Alexander, Host and Executive Producer of Conscious Planet Media; and husband, Michael Alexander
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Bianca Alexander: Since our production schedule for Conscious Living TV this year has been so hectic, we’re looking forward to having a romantic dinner at home. Michael is a great vegan and raw chef, so he’ll whip up one of our favorite dishes which we’ll probably eat in front of a crackling fire, followed by our favorite pastime: movie night! We could watch hours of indie romantic and foreign films without getting bored.
LFC: How many years have you been dating or married?
BA: Seven years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
BA: A deep spiritual connection is our secret to lasting love through thick and thin. We meditate daily, which provides a foundation for clarity, compassion and motivation to bring out the best in each other. We both love sports like eco-snowboarding, salsa, and yoga. It also helps to keep things spicy in the bedroom.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
BA: A funny, but true story: we met at a gay party in West Hollywood. He literally bumped me from behind, which was our first contact.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
BA: Surprise concert tickets to see Jill Scott and Raphael Saadiq in Hollywood. Prince was also at the concert and sat only a few seats away with his wife. This year, for an early Valentine’s Day gift, we had Tammy Kohl of Takohl Gallery of Exceptional Fine Jewels regemerate our old wedding bands into brand-new rings.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
BA: “Boo time” and plenty of hugs, kisses, and booty-squeezing.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
BA: Bobo, JoJo, and Baby
Rick Bayless, chef/restaurateur of Frontera Restaurants, cookbook author, philanthropist, TV personality; and wife, Deann Bayless
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
RB: My wife and I enjoy the theater so I’m surprising her with a trip to New York, tickets to her favorite Broadway shows, and a long visit with our daughter.
LFC: How many years have you been dating or married?
RB: 30 years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
RB: Good food
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
RB: We met in college. Deann cooked me a really elaborate meal in her dorm room and it’s true that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
RB: Spending the most romantic day of the year in the most romantic city in the world: Paris.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
RB: Gastronomy. Every meal is like a personal love story.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
RB: Rick and Deann
LFC: What Valentine’s Day delicacies are you serving up at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo?
RB: Great food, bubbles, and plenty of oysters.
D.C. Crenshaw, President & CEO of Fete Select TV LLC, Executive Producer of Game Time Dine, and Host of Watch312.com’s Chicago Unplugged; and wife, Alayna Washington Crenshaw
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
D.C. Crenshaw: It’s a secret for the Mrs., so I can’t really reveal anything now. But of course, there’s food involved at some point in the day.
LFC: How many years have you been married?
DC: 5 years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
DC: First, you really have to like the person because if you don’t there won’t be any sizzle. We like doing nice things for one another that are unexpected and come from the heart.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
DC: We met in Vegas! Not what you may think though - I was there on a boys' trip and Alayna had just moved there to open a luxury Italian men’s clothing store at the Wynn Hotel. I walked into her store and it was over!
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
DC: Spa treatments for both of us.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
DC: Not appropriate to share for this blog!
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
DC: Babe, Baby, and Crenshaw
Carolynn D'Antino, Director of Public Relations of Powered by Action; and husband, Michael D’Antino
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Carolynn D’Antino: We have box seats at the Chicago Lyric Opera House to see Show Boat and are having a romantic pre-theater dinner in the Sarah and Peer Pedersen Room.
LFC: How many years have you been married?
CA: 4 years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
CA: We take vacations regularly and I enjoy whipping up new dishes and old favorites that I know he loves. Since Michael and I were friends before we started dating, we have the mutual respect down pat. Everything else comes naturally.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
CA: Michael and I are the non-fiction equivalent of When Harry Met Sally. We met in college and became really good friends. Then, during our senior year, we were out with friends and Michael was, as usual, flirting with me. Taking the bull by the horns, I told him, “When we first met I had a major crush on you.” Michael’s jaw dropped to the ground. One of our best friends said, “Well, it IS only a couple years later!" We started dating after that and have been together ever since.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine's Day gift you have ever received?
CA: Michael is a huge White Sox fan, so one year I surprised him with a trip to Arizona while the team was there for spring training. Michael is Cupid’s ingénue! He enjoys pampering me whether it’s with a beautiful necklace from Tiffany’s, a spa lovers weekend at the Park Hyatt, or romantic candlelight dinners at TRU and NoMI. He wonderfully overwhelms me.
LFC: When no one is looking, how do you show your affection?
CA: Whenever I ask Michael, “Do you love me?”, he replies, “Too much!” We never take the other for granted.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
CA: Michele (Italian for “Michael”) and Gnocchi.
Meg Galus, Pastry Chef at Park Hyatt Chicago's NoMI Kitchen, and husband, Jeff Galus
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Meg Galus: I’ll be working. Luckily, we just returned from a two-week trip to South America and Antarctica, where we got to spend lots of quality time together.
LFC: How many years have you been dating or married?
MG: We just celebrated our eighth anniversary in January.
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
MG: Great communication and finding time to be alone when we’re both home and awake.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
MG: We were introduced by a mutual friend at a funeral. Unfortunate circumstances, but we knew within a week we would spend the rest of our lives together. Sounds cheesy, right? I didn’t tell my friends for months, figuring they would think I was nuts. We are truly soulmates.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
MG: We got engaged in February so I guess my ring counts. The stone came from his grandmother’s engagement ring.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
MG: We send each other funny and sweet texts; we flirt with each other; and we both try to make small gestures every day to let the other one know they are loved. We won’t hang up the phone without saying “I love you” even if the phone call is just to ask the other person to bring home milk or check to make sure the garage door is down.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
MG: “Deffy” and “Mahrgwet”; “Bug and “Buggy”
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Janet Isabelli: We are going to a play at Steppenwolf and then out for a late dinner!
LFC: How many years have you been married?
JI: We’ll be married two years this June.
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
JI: Because we’re married and work together, it’s important that we set aside time that can be spent as a couple, where business talk is off-limits and we do more than just run errands. Going to concerts, museums, spending time with friends or even just sitting together and having a glass of wine and talking is what keeps us growing as a couple. We also try to take a trip every few months, even if it’s just a quick weekend getaway.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
JI: Most people assume that we met through the industry, since we’ve both worked in hospitality throughout our careers. But we actually met at the bar at Quartino on a random night out!
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
JI: Just the gift of being able to spend time together.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
JI: Really, it’s the little things. Coming home to fresh flowers or a home cooked dinner that your spouse made, handling some of the mundane household chores without being asked (or asking), surprising your other half with a little chocolate treat…all of these little things add up. It’s about finding joy in making your other half happy!
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
JI: Hah! We plead the fifth on that one!
Candace Jordan, Candid Candace blogger and Host of Watch312.com’s Candid Candace Chicago; and husband, Charles Jordan
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Candace Jordan: We’re going to a screening of one of my favorite Disney films, Lady & the Tramp. Afterward we’ll either have a quiet dinner at home or enjoy a delectable meal by Chef Ryan LaRoche at NoMI Kitchen. They have a wonderful special which features witty love notes called “Suitor Stationary.”
LFC: How many years have you been married?
CJ: 22 years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
CJ: Make sure you marry your best friend then the sizzle remains in the most important ways.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
CJ: A mutual friend introduced us at the old Palm on East Lake Shore Drive.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
CJ: Chuck made a trail of handmade love notes that started from our bed and ended up in our kitchen where he had cooked heart-shaped pancakes for me. He also finds the most remarkable cards that all sound like he wrote them himself - they always make me cry.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
CJ: You can never stop showing or telling someone how much you love them.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
CJ: Chuck is the “Hornet” and I am “Cato”. They change all the time so don’t try using these on us!
Chris LaMorte, Chicago Editor at Urbandaddy, and boyfriend, Rob (left)
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
CL: We both have pretty unconventional schedules, so we made a date of it on February 11 with a trip to Urban Union in Little Italy. It’s a very cool new spot that perfectly fit the mood. We started with pink cava and oysters and the rest of the night unfolded splendidly. We’re not completely hanging up on Valentine’s Day. Who can resist a little gift and card exchange, and, what the hell, a little more bubbly?
LFC: How many years have you been dating or married?
CL: “Married” is kind of a loaded term for us. We’ve been together 16 years. We prepared legal paperwork officiated by a lawyer about 8 years ago (all very touching) and have contemplated Civil Union just to add another layer of protection. But married? I guess we’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it.
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
CL: Bacon cologne
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
CL: I was living in Denver at the time and returned to Chicago for a visit. I invited some friends to meet at The Mashed Potato Club on North Clark and an ex that I was still friendly with brought an ex he was still friendly with and we all headed to Berlin, where all romance is born.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
CL: My birthday is February 15, and so it’s hard to know where the Valentine’s Day gift ends and the birthday gift begins. A few years ago, we threw a Valentine’s Day Birthday Dance Party at a bar that specialized in grilled cheese sandwiches (we like comfort foods). We brought in Greg Haus to spin, who was working at Berlin the night we met. All our friends came and I think a few found love that night, too.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
CL: Rob makes me coffee in the morning and I drink it.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
CL: Rob and Chris
Amanda Puck, Executive Vice President of Public Relations of XA, The Experimental Agency and Host of Watch312.com's dish IT! with Amanda Puck; and boyfriend, Jerome Weitzel
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
AP: We are nerds! We’re staying in and Jerome is making me one of my favorites: beef bourguignon. Then we’ll max out the evening’s romance barometer with an adventurous game of Scramble, our latest obsession by Zynga.
LFC: How long have you been dating or married?
AP: 1.5 years
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
AP: We are always doing fun stuff so we never get bored. We share the same interests and especially love restaurants.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
AP: Jerome hates when I admit this, but we met on the relationship website, Match.com. I swear it works. We are both from the same hometown of Staten Island, NY and live here in Chicago. I don’t think we would have met otherwise.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
AP: I love a great card with a meaningful note.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
AP: Cooking is a passion and I enjoy making gastronomic treats for my boyfriend.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
AP: NOT TELLING!
Rachel Schwanz, Caterer and Event Planner at Entertaining Company; and boyfriend, James David De Marte
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
RS: Piece Pizza on North Avenue. We both agree that many Valentine’s Day menus tend to be over-rated. James was going to prepare Beef Bourguignon, a comfort favorite of mine, but I thought a white pizza smothered with clams and banana peppers from Piece would be fun and casual.
LFC: How many years have you been dating?
RS: 1 year
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
RS: As a couple, we’re still ‘new’ but we haven't hit a romantic speed bump yet.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
RS: Like many couples, we met at work. James had recently returned to Chicago after living abroad for the past decade in Italy. He's currently the Executive Sous Chef at Entertaining Company.
LFC: Was it love at first sight?
RS: Not at all! James wasn’t my type and we couldn’t stand each other at first. Then, one day everything changed and I saw him in a different light (I also knew he was crushing on me). We have very different roles at Entertaining Company and I think it’s important for couples who work together to balance autonomy and interaction.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best VD gift you have ever received?
RS: In high school, my favorite gifts were from Tiffany. My tastes are edgier now, but classics are classics.
LFC: When no one is looking, how do you show your affection?
RS: Holding hands, stealing kisses, and being cozy. Even when James puts his hand on my leg, I love the simple, intimate caress.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
RS: When we first started dating, James called me “Babycakes”. Now he calls me “Chicken”. I call James “Monkey” since I figured if I was a chicken, he needed to be an animal, too!
Art Smith, chef/owner of Table Fifty-Two and Southern Art and Bourbon Bar; and husband, Jesus Salgueiro
Luxe File Chicago: What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
AS: Jesus and I celebrated Valentine’s Day early. He made his famous arepas - Venezuelan traditional corn bread filled with roasted chicken, egg and cheese. You can taste love and comfort when you eat them.
LFC: What is your favorite way to show your spouse love and affection?
AS: We show each other love by being supportive of our art. We don’t do anything without chatting about it. Jesus is the quiet one behind the Chef Art Smith Empire.
LFC: How did you lovebirds meet?
AS: We met 13 years ago in a flower shop in South Beach. I was on holiday with Oprah Winfrey and went out to buy flowers and we locked eyes.
LFC: Secrets to keeping the sizzle crackling?
AS: Give each other lots of space and allow each other to follow their dreams and be supportive.
LFC: Cards and candy aside, what is the best Valentine’s Day gift you have ever received?
AS: Being at home with our puppies and kitties.
LFC: What affectionate names do you call each other?
AS: “Baby” and “Baby Jesus”
Photo credits:
Photo of Candace and Chuck Jordan courtesy of Mila Samohkina Photography
Photo of Carolynn and Michael D'Antino courtesy of Mike Colon
Posted by Sally & Kerry Shorr
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