Valentine's Day Throwdown

Boston magazine’s top picks for singles and couples alike (and haters, too).

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Whether you’re still swinging single or all coupled up, we found countless places to eat and party to your heart’s content on February 14. From prix fixe romatic dinners to cooking classes, nightlife, massages, and even some anti V-Day events, there’s no way you’ll be sitting solo (or side-by-side) on the couch with Ben & Jerry this year. Click on our links to learn more information about each event.

ROMANTIC DINNERS

Beacon Hill Bistro
Feb. 14, 5:30 p.m., Beacon Hill Bistro, 25 Charles St., Boston

Enjoy a romantic four-course prix fixe menu with choices that include Wellfleet oysters or a duck liver mousse crostini of skewered and grilled duck hearts as appetizers, a striped bass or white yam ravioli as entrees, profiteroles for dessert, and much more.

Chez Henri
Feb 14., 6 p.m., Chex henri, One Shepard St., Cambridge

Enjoy one of two four-course prix fixe dinners including: Raw Duxbury oysters with champagne mignonette, seared Nantucket bay scallops with caviar beurre blanc, Peruvian crab salad, duck prosciutto, and beet carpaccio with blue cheese, and foraged mushroom soup with truffled watercress. Or try this menu: Oxtail consommé with mirepoix and truffled potato dumpling, lemon sole with celery root puree, organic breast of pheasant with sweetbreads and sunchokes, oil-poached halibut, and butter poached lobster and mussels with blood orange vinaigrette.

dante
Feb. 14, 5:30-10 p.m., dante, 40 Edwin Land Blvd., Cambridge

They may sound a little like shades of lipstick. But Flirt, Smooch, Climax, and Bubble Bath are in fact the names of courses on a decadent menu that chef Dante de Magistris is cooking up for Valentine’s Day.

 

Five-Course Rosé Champagne Dinner
Feb. 12-16, 5:30-10 p.m., Meritage, Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston

Take in views of the Boston Harbor at Meritage as you savor Chef Daniel Bruce’s five-course prix fixe dinner paired with a variety of pink champagnes from around the world. The menu includes pan peared sea bass in a lobster, saffron, and pearled pasta essence, mint roasted rack of baby lamb, a duet of dark chocolate “sweetheart” and cherry almond tart, and much more!

Icarus
Feb. 14, 6 p.m., Icarus, 3 Appleton St., Boston

Choose from half a dozen options for each course of this three-course prix fixe dinner, including shrimp with mango-jalepeno sorbet, crab cake with avocado-herb salad, VT quail with brandied chestnuts and pomegranate, grilled wild king salmon with citrus fruits, roast beef tenderloin bearnaise with potato-turnip gratin, pan roast of lobster with sweet potato, bourbon & chervil, and caramelized apple galette for two.

Masa
Feb. 14, 5 p.m., Masa, 439 Tremont St., Boston

Valentine’s Day gets a Southwestern makeover at MASA with a three-course prix fixe meal, including choices like smoked poblano and yukon gold potato chowder, crispy agavero chicken with chile pasilla banana mole, Southwestern style steak fries, and more. Dinner wraps up with a chocolate trio–chocolate mousse tacos, chocolate truffle tamale, and habanero chocolate truffles. There’ll also be complimentary salsa dancing lessons after dinner. Make a night of it at Masa!

Odyssey Valentine’s Dinner Cruise
Feb. 14, 7-10 p.m.; Feb. 15, 8-11 p.m.; Feb 16., 8-11 p.m.

Odyssey Cruises planned the entire evening for you, including the roses. Enjoy this Valentine’s Day aboard a romantic dinner cruise, complete with spectacular Boston skyline views, a four-course dinner menu, champagne, and a rose for your lady.

Sandrine’s Bistro
Feb. 14., 6 p.m., Sandrine’s Bistro, 8 Holyoke St., Cambridge

Chef Raymond Ost’s three-course prix fixe menu is priced by entrée selection, but diners can choose from six options, including Terre et Mer (L.I. duck magret with sauteed blue prawns), rack of lamb, lobster thermidor, vegetable tofu quiche, and filet mignon. And the choice of appetizers includes foie gras crème brulee with terrine of foie gras, tartare duo (lemon thyme scallop/sesame soy tuna), St. Marceline fondue, and a half dozen escargot.

Spirit of Boston Valentine’s Cruise
Feb. 14, 6:30-10 p.m.; Feb. 16, 6:30-10 p.m., The Spirit of Boston, Seaport World Trade Center Marine Terminal on Seaport Boulevard

The romance package includes a private candlelight dinner for two from the Spirit’s Grande Dinner Buffet, live entertainment and dancing, as well as a champagne toast and a red rose for your date. Or kick it up a notch with the first class package, which includes special seating in the V.I.P. Section, premium open bar, the chef’s appetizer selection, as well as the Spirit’s Grande Dinner Buffet.

 

Stella
Feb. 14, 5:30-11 p.m., Stella, 1525 Washington St., Boston

Enjoy a three-course dinner including various selections for each course. For the first course, choose from roasted cauliflower soup with pancetta and basil oil, baby arugala insalata, crudo misto, crispy fried artichoke hearts, or bistecca tartare. For the second course, choices include linguine with asparagus cream, truffle, and thyme, pork Milanese, braised beef short rib, basil roasted chicken, or honey glazed salmon. And for the third course, select cannoli, gelato misto, warm apple crostada, or chocolate torte with vanilla gelato and chocolate ganache.

 

Top of the Hub
Feb. 14, 4-11 p.m., Top of the Hub, Prudential Center, Boston

Dubbed one of the most romantic restaurant locations in the world by The Travel Channel, Top of the Hub’s Valentine’s Day menu includes options like duck confit or pan seared scallops, sesame seed crusted salmon, pan seared rainbow trout, roasted beef tournedos “poivrade” or anise seed scented pork loin, and more.

Go on to the next page for couples cooking classes and other date night ideas…

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COOKING CLASSES

Food and Film Series
Feb. 14, Sebastians Interactive Kitchen, 157 Seaport Blvd., Boston

Sebastians Interactive Kitchen hosts cooking demonstrations combined with film screenings on six f
lat screen televisions. Chef Julia Shanks will teach cooking techniques, then guests will be treated to a cocktail reception and a three-course meal, paired with wines provided by Lower Falls Wine Company. Choose from Remy’s French Fest or My Big Fat Greek Dinner Demo.

DATE NIGHT

Casablanca
Feb. 13-14, 5 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 9:45 p.m., Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge

Watch the most romantic film of all time, for two days only. No present day movie can compare to the authentic romance between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) during a love affair that took place in German-occupied French Morocco during WWII.

 

Italian Romance Antiques Sale
Feb. 14-15, 4-7 p.m.; Feb. 16-17, Noon-5 p.m., red M Studio, 164 Prince St., Boston

Spend Valentine’s weekend building your love nest. Michael Valvo, red M owner and interior designer, will showcase antique Italian furniture and decorative items in the romantic genre for sale from the private collection of a North Shore collector. The collection features Loom Italia furniture, decorative tabletop pieces, upholstered chairs, lighting, and Murano glass.

Romeo & Juliet
Feb. 14-Mar. 2, See website for show schedule, Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St., Boston

John Cranko’s acclaimed staging of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet launches on Valentine’s Day, performed by Boston Ballet Company. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s magnificent score, the show is a unique take on the most infamous story about star-crossed lovers.

 

Valentine’s Day Skate Date
Feb. 14, 6-10 p.m., Kendall Square Community Skating Rink, 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge

Go the traditional route with a skate date in Kendall Square. Hold hands, glide to the music, sip hot chocolate, and watch as spectators gag on the sidelines.

 

 

Go on to the next page for massage deals and party ideas…

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PAMPER YOURSELF

 

Salon Capri $140 V-Day Menu
Feb. 7-14, Salon Capri, 31 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands; Salon Capri, 1207 River St., Hyde Park

The award-winning stylists at Salon Capri are offering a $140 Valentine’s Day menu special now through next Thursday. Satisfy your aesthetic appetite by choosing from one service from each course: starters, entrée, and dessert. All services must be completed on the same day.

Dinner at Home with Friends
Feb. 14, at the location of your choice

Give them a week notice, and Max Ultimate Food caterers will create an elaborate five-course personalized meal for you and your friends in the comfort of your own home. The candlelight dinner (including table décor and wine) features dishes like butter-poached lobster on saffron risotto with roasted cauliflower cream and lobster oil; horseradish encrusted scallop with cucumber-smoked salmon broth; and thyme-roasted tenderloin of veal, truffled French fingerlings, braised asparagus and morel cream lead to the crescendo of coeur de crème with raspberry coulis and fresh berries for dessert. Plus, guests will get to take home a sweet treat!

 

Equinox Fitness’s Love Potion # 9
Feb. 7-14, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Equinox Fitness, 131 Dartmouth St., Boston

Equinox Fitness Club’s Boston location is offering the ultimate pampering experience in the spa. Couples can book treatment packages for various massages, including a 50-minute Swedish massage or deep tissue massage, a 50-minute signature facial with a 50-minute Swedish massage, or a 50-minute treatment of choice. Instead of rushing around shopping for that special someone, spend the day relaxing and rejuvenating together.

 

PARTY TIME

Venetian Valentine Evening Soirée
Feb. 14, 6-8:30 p.m., Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum captures the magic and romance of a bygone era with this romantic evening. Guests will enjoy live jazz, a special Art of Romance tour through the museum’s galleries, an open bar with an assortment of cocktails, plus a selection of hors d’oeuvres and decadent desserts. At the end of the evening, each guest will receive a free gift bag filled with romantic mementos and special offers, including a discount for a massage at exhale, delectable chocolates, and more.

Heaven & Hell at Vox
Feb. 14, 6 p.m.-1 a.m., Vox Populi, 755 Boylston St., Boston

Swinging singles and anti-Valentine’s Day revelers are invited to a party at Vox downstairs in HELL. Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres will be served, along with the specialty cocktail of the evening: The Broken Heart. Upstairs, in HEAVEN, angelic couples can enjoy a special four-course dinner.

The Beehive’s Love Ball
Feb. 14, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., The Beehive, 541 Tremont St., Boston

Sit back and enjoy some love potion as the Beehive plays matchmaker for you and other local hotties this Valentine’s Day. Ryan Landry of the upcoming reality series Showgirls! will be playing head matchmaker for the evening. Upon arrival, numbers will be distributed to guests, who can then send anonymous valentines amongst one another. At the end of the night, identities will be revealed and potential love matches made. And even if you’re not looking, you can cuddle with your cutie and listen to ballads by Ron Murphy, who will be playing music by the original love king, Barry White.

 

Go on to the next page for Anti-V-Day events…

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ANTI V-DAY

F&*K Valentine’s Day Dinner
Feb. 14, 5-10 p.m., The Savant Project, 1625 Tremont St., Boston

The Savant Project has a Love It/Hate It three-course Valentine’s Day menu that includes dishes like tuna sashimi or veggie tempura, steak frites or panko salmon, fried churros, and more on the “Love It” side. And on the “Hate It” side, you can order ch
icken wings or mac and cheese with Miller High Life, stuffed cheddar or veggie burgers, and fried twinkies. Even if you hate Valentine’s Day, you can’t help but love this menu!

Single and Bitter Erotic Pole Dancing Class
Feb. 14, noon-10:30 p.m., Gypsy Rose Pole Dancing Lessons, 364 Boylston St., Boston

Want to feel sexy even if you’re not getting any? Try this anti-Valentine’s Day class. Dress up in a sexy costume, strap on those heels, and learn to swing around a pole. Stand-out lesson: how to pick up a $20 bill with your butt.

Flirt Fest 2008
Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.-Midnight, Vinalia Restaurant Lounge and Wine Bar, 34 Summer St., Boston

Flirt the night away at this anti-Valentine’s Day bash full of x’s and o’s. Dance to the DJ’s tracks or sample complimentary hors d’oeuvres while crusing for your cupid. Nominate yourself to win the title of biggest flirt, or try your luck with the best or worst pick-up line.