Last-minute cupids scrambling for candy, flowers and dinner reservations, take heart: You have some gimme room. Valentine’s Day falls on Thursday, allowing you to stretch the holiday into a four-day weekend. So don’t worry if that table for two on Feb. 14 is already booked. You have options.
Thanks to restaurateurs, confectioners and a few of St. Louis’ unique destinations, you can treat your sweet to something all week. However, don’t be a stupid cupid. Make plans now. Pick from Valentine dinners to a heart-pounding walk in the dark – all special events designed to fan the fires of love.
Fondue for Two
Nathaniel Reid Bakery has taken the box of sweets to the next level with its Fondue for Two Kit. The kit includes a mini fondue pan and candle, chocolate fondue made with Valrhona French chocolate, and mini brownies, raspberry marshmallows and cookies for dipping. Chocolate lovers may also want to consider taking home the Enzo cake, a heart-shaped chocolate almond cake layered with raspberry caramel, crispy hazelnut, milk chocolate and Chantilly cream. nrbakery.com
Dine with Bubbles
The bubbly will flow Feb. 14 to 16 at Robust Wine Bar. Featured for both Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day are bubbly gift baskets packed with red or white sparkling wine and Kakao Chocolates, or a three-course tasting menu with a glass of bubbles. robustwinebar.com
To make the evening really pop, head to Pop, the new sparkling (wine) bar located in Lafayette Square. Pop is David Bailey’s latest culinary love offering, which is housed next door to its sister operation, Bailey’s Chocolate Bar. Be romantic, and share any of Pop’s small plates, paired with one or more bottles of bubbly. popstlouis.com
Cupids who love real French Champagne won’t want to miss the deal at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. A bottle of Barons de Rothschild Champagne can be included to enhance its five-course Valentine’s feast, crafted by Chef Melissa Lee. The additional cost for the Barons de Rothschild Champagne is $80, which wine aficionados know is a sweetheart deal. ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/st-louis
Valentine Wine Country Getaway
Grab your sweetie and prepare to sip and sample the joys of Hermann’s Chocolate Wine Trail Feb. 16 and 17. It’s a romantic rendezvous that takes couples to seven area wineries for pairings of award-winning wines and chocolate creations, such as Dierberg Star Lane Winery’s Millionaire Chocolate Ganache Tart with merlot, and Hermannhof Winery’s Blackberry and Chocolate Strudel, paired with Norton. HermannWineTrail.com
Unique Love Offerings
Take a stroll on Valentine’s evening at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the opening of its Orchid Nights, which will run each Thursday night until March 7. Feb. 14 will have a Valentine’s Day theme. The first 200 people at the garden event will receive a Valentine flower. Look for the cookie orchid, baked with the garden’s favorite ingredient, vanilla, a flavoring made from vanilla orchids. mobot.org
After the garden, stop by Clementine’s Creamery for a scoop of Madagascar vanilla ice cream topped with heart-shaped waffle pieces. While there, pucker up. Throughout February, guests are invited to snap a photo in Clementine’s Kissing Booth and post it to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #PuckerForAPint for a chance to win a pint of ice cream a month, for a year. clementinescreamery.com
Finally, hang on tight to your “Ghoul Friend” and prepare for a night of heart-pounding thrills from 7 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 16 at The Darkness. This is a Valentine’s event where scary brides, gruesome grooms and ill-fated lovers will haunt the halls. The night includes free Valentine candy treats and photo ops. Before the haunting, consider a snack of Fright Castles from White Castles, the favorite haunt of cupids short on cash. scarefest.com
