Brookfield Zoo Hosts Valentine's Day Brunch, Dinner

BROOKFIELD, IL — Head out to Brookfield Zoo for a new way to celebrate Valentine's Day. The zoo will host a Valentine’s dinner on Saturday, Feb. 10. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres alongside the giraffes in the zoo’s Habitat Africa! The Savannah, where an animal care specialist will be available to answer questions about these majestic mammals.

The zoo said after the cocktail hour, board the heated Snowball Express for a short ride to the zoo’s Bocaditos dining room for a delectable four-course meal beginning with the chef’s popular butternut squash soup and traditional Caesar salad. An intermezzo of lemon sorbet served in a frozen lemon rind bowl precedes the main course of petite filet and lobster tail accompanied with dauphinoise potatoes and a fresh zucchini basket filled with zucchini, carrots, and squash. (Spinach and cheese ravioli with a vodka sauce is available for vegetarians.) The meal concludes with a scrumptious chocolate truffle cake with a raspberry infusion.

According to the zoo, a premium bar package, along with wine and champagne, are included. Following dinner, enjoy dancing to music provided by a DJ until 11:30 p.m. Tickets for the Valentine’s dinner cost $225 per couple.

If you can't make the dinner, the zoo will also host a Valentine's brunch on Sunday, Feb. 11. Celebrate as a couple or bring the entire family for a fun-filled day. The delicious all-you-can-eat brunch begins at 11 a.m. in the zoo’s Discovery Center.

The zoo said menu items being served include assorted breakfast pastries; eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce; buttermilk pancakes; bacon and sausage links; Lyonnaise potatoes; butternut squash soup; Caesar and mixed greens salads; roasted vegetables; peel-and-eat shrimp; smoked salmon; lox and bagels; herb-roasted free-range chicken; grilled lamb kabobs; homemade crab cakes and penne primavera. The chef will also be offering made-to-order omelettes with all the fixings and a carving station featuring a round of beef with port wine sauce and Virginia ham. Last but not least, guests can enjoy items from the decadent sweet table of chocolate fondue dip with fresh fruits and assorted pastries. Coffee, tea, and juice, as well as champagne for adults, will be served tableside. Tickets for brunch are $47 for adults and $37 for children 3-11.

Reservations are required and seating is limited for both the Valentine’s dinner and brunch. For either event, guests should enter the zoo via its south gate entrance at in Brookfield. Visit CZS.org/Events or call (708) 688-8355 to make reservations and for further information.

Photos provided by Chicago Zoological Society.