Love is in the air (and on the menu) at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. From February 1st through 16th, celebrated on-site eateries Jack Dusty and Rufa are serving up Valentine’s-inspired craft cocktails. On February 14th, Jack Dusty will also offer a romantic prix fixe dinner.

“When designing the cocktails, we wanted to make them very approachable to everyone,” says lead bartender Heidi Finley. “And who doesn’t love chocolate and strawberries and cherries on Valentine’s Day?”

Those influences are found in both cocktails at Jack Dusty. The first is the Cupid’s Bow, a white chocolate strawberry martini that features the eatery’s signature handcrafted ingredients like vanilla bean-infused vodka and fresh strawberry puree. The second is the more spirit-forward Red Velvet, a chocolate-cherry old-fashioned with tart cherry syrup and walnut bitters. At Rufa, the resort’s new al fresco dining and lounge experience, The Love at First Sight has a breezier feel. Served in a wine glass with a cranberry heart ice cube, the cocktail features bergamot liqueur, butterfly pea tea, lavender mint syrup and prosecco.

If you haven’t finalized your Valentine’s Day plans, there’s still time to make reservations at Jack Dusty on February 14th between 5pm and 10pm. The three-course prix-fixe menu consists of an appetizer, entree and dessert for $150 per person (not including tax and a 20% automatic gratuity).

“I was going for a romantic vibe with the colors,” says Joe Bennet, the new specialty chef at The Ritz-Carlton. “Looking at the menu you’ll see a lot of red going on there, a lot of purples.”

Diners have four different options to choose from for each course, and the menu is thoughtfully balanced to ensure it will have widespread appeal. The beausoleil oyster appetizer is accompanied by caviar and strawberry champagne mignonette and a touch of real champagne adds a fun textural element to the dish. The entree of large, succulent scallops is accompanied by decadent seafood risotto infused with a saffron lemon beurre blanc. Pastry chef Chris Vitanza has created enticing desserts like a dark chocolate heart filled with tart passion fruit mousse and sweet raspberry coulis that plays beautifully off the bitterness of the chocolate. No matter what menu selections you choose, you’re sure to fall in love with this meal.

Jack Dusty/Rufa at The Ritz-Carlton Sarasota, 1111 Ritz Carlton Drive, Sarasota, 941-309-2000.