Date Night: Double Your Pleasure At Lilly Handmade Chocolates

Taste test the theory that opposites attract by pairing truffles and cocktails at Tremont’s Lilly Handmade Chocolates, an intimate confectionery with walls striped in Valentine’s pink brocade. Take turns sampling the delicate, hand-painted truffles made from French and Belgian-imported chocolate, each filled with a heady punch of liqueur. Ask the bartender to play matchmaker with the spirits and cocktail list. “Dark liquors — bourbon, rum and cognac — are the best,” says co-owner Joshua Montague. “Everything about those just enhances the flavor of chocolate and the flavor of the drink.” Toast surviving the rough spots with Darkest Storm, a cherry cola-inspired concoction of Kraken black-spiced rum, cola and spicy ginger syrup with a piece of chocolate floating on top like an island. 761 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, 216-771-3333, lillytremont.com  Before: Start with a seductive simmer under the cozy low lights of Bourbon Street Barrel Room, where Big Easy architecture and a Creole-inspired menu jazz up any evening. 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-298-4400, bourbonstreetbarrelroom.com #Foodie #Culture #Moderate