It’s nice to have something to root for in February. The Olympics have been delivering that in a big way, and for those of us here in Vermont, it's been a little extra sweet.

We did something a little different for Valentine's Day this year. Instead of the usual table for two, we reserved a private room at a local steakhouse and spent the evening with three other couples we love. It was loud and fun and ran late, and we drove home feeling exactly the way a good evening out with good friends is supposed to make you feel.

It got us thinking about how much we enjoy any excuse to gather around a table with people we like…and how the best versions of that don't always require a lot of work. The dinner party, in all its forms, seems worth talking about more these days…whether it’s the low-key, “come-over-we-made-something” version, or the “let's-book-a-room-and-do-this-properly” version. Both are great. And sometimes the simplest evenings are the ones nobody wants to leave.

We're curious what that looks like for you. What are your favorite moves when you get people together? Any traditions, easy hacks, or dishes you swear by? Send us an email…we'd love to hear about it.

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It’s always so gratifying when “one of our own” in the food and beverage space gets recognized for doing amazing work. In this case, Birnn Chocolates of Vermont was just named Outstanding Business of the Year by VermontBiz and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce…a well-deserved nod to a South Burlington institution that has been making truffles since 1915 and is now in its fourth generation of family ownership. Every truffle sold in all 50 states is still made right here in our backyard. A well deserved “congratulations” to Julia, Mel and their team.

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Occasionally, you go somewhere for dinner and leave talking about dessert.

We recently made our way to the new Spaghet in Williston, which bills itself as a “red sauce joint”…and it delivers exactly that, with the kind of comfortable, unfussy Italian meal that makes you remember why you love Italian food in the first place. The mozzarella sticks were amazing, the eggplant parm was excellent, and the salads were some of the freshest we've had in a while.

Friends, we did. And it was rather extraordinary.

If you haven't been to Spaghet yet, go for the parm. Stay for the Ferris Wheel.

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Speaking of decadence…Cole's Cookie Co. in Essex just launched Cole's Cookie Club…a monthly subscription that ships seven cookies in rotating flavors to your door for $25 a month, including shipping. You’ll be the first to try out new flavors, and you can cancel anytime (though we’re not sure why you’d want to). No judgment on how fast they disappear.

Winter in Vermont can have a way of testing your resolve. Luckily, the weeks ahead have plenty of fun going on, including a few events to make you laugh…

Wit & Wine Comedy Night lands at Shelburne Vineyard on tomorrow night, February 20, with five of Vermont's top stand-ups taking over the winery loft for a night produced by Vermont Comedy All Stars and hosted by Gordon Clark. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8, and tickets are $10.

Then on Thursday, February 26, Twiggs American Gastropub in St. Albans hosts Comedy for a Cause, with all proceeds going to Friends of Duke animal rescue. Full dinner and drink service will be available, but please note that tickets will not be sold at the door, so be sure to grab them in advance.

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Also this Friday the 20th, Ski Vermont's Vermont Specialty Food Tasting pops up at Smugglers' Notch from 11 to 3. This farmer's market-style showcase at the base of the mountain features treats and tastings from more than a dozen of Vermont’s favorite food and beverage producers, including Cabot, Vermont Marshmallow Company, Mad River Distillers and many more. No need to ski to enjoy this one.

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The Venetian Soda Lounge is hosting a Slow Burn Sunday this weekend (February 22), where they play full albums from start to finish. This week’s lineup includes Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and The Neville Brothers, alongside their new Spring cocktail menu. Sounds like an easy and relaxing Sunday evening.

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Kind of wondering why it took someone so long to put this pairing together…but Vermont Cider Lab is hosting a Nacho Wednesday pop-up with ChaCha Garna Tostada Kitchen on February 25, from 5 to 9. ChaCha Garna started as a food tent and catering company bringing Belizean cuisine to the Burlington Farmer’s Market, and they’re continuing to spread their wings into new venues. There’s live music, too. Come hungry. Leave happy.

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Here’s another of those to file under, “Only in Vermont:” Outdoor Gear Exchange is hosting Wax and Wine event on Thursday, February 26…an evening pairing wines with, yes, the art of ski waxing. As they say in their IG caption, “From merlot and glide wax to chardonnay and kick zones, by the end of the night you'll appreciate the difference between a dry base and a dry red.” Entry is a $5 donation to Migrant Justice.

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Hotel Vermont's Ice Bar returns February 27 & 28 for its 14th year, this time as a “hoedown on the harbor.” Cowboy boots are encouraged, and the best dressed each night wins tickets to next year's event. The evening’s festivities include ice sculptures, DJ Cre8, local cocktails and snacks. This event has been known to sell out, so don't wait.

And for what it's worth…the 10-day forecast is looking about as good as it gets for a Vermont outdoor winter event, with highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s. Anyone who has ever produced an outdoor event in Vermont (ahem) knows that kind of forecast is not something you take for granted.

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The Vermont Italian Cultural Association is gearing up Carnevale in just a few weeks on Saturday, March 7, at the Farmhouse at Essex Resort & Spa. This gala fundraiser includes dancing, live performances, heavy hors d’oeuvres (with a pasta station) and a silent auction with a raffle for a one-to-two week apartment rental in Tuscany. Costumes and masks are encouraged. And remember, “A Carnevale, ogni scherzo vale”…at Carnevale, anything goes.

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And in the weeks ahead, we’re sure to be posting more and more events celebrating a highlight of the Vermont year…maple season! For now, put Adventure Dinner's Mud & Maple Dinner on your radar. It’s a four-course sugarbush feast at Palmer's Sugarhouse in Shelburne on March 27, with paired drinks included. Just a small taste of the sweetest season to come.

In closing, we like to end each week on something that makes you smile, and this week the award goes to Switchback: they spent some time this week posting childhood photos of their staff on Instagram with the caption, 'Who put these kids in charge?' We're not sure if this is their own brilliant idea or something sweeping social media, but either way, here's hoping every Vermont food and drink business jumps on that bandwagon.

We’ll go first…