Best
bets for celebrating Valentine’s Day in the
Hub by Josh B. Wardrop
There’s nothing romantic about pressure. and yet that’s what many of us feel when the calendar turns to February—the stores are full of heart-shaped boxes and florists get the idea that $75 is an acceptable amount to charge for a dozen roses. If you’re stuck for ideas on how to treat your special someone to a grand, romantic Valentine’s Day, fear not—we’ve got you covered. Here are a few Panorama suggestions to make Valentine’s Day in Boston a night you’ll both treasure for a long time to come.
Fire and Ice
Ice skating outdoors in New England is more
than just a fantasy sketched on a Currier &
Ives Christmas card. You and your sweetheart
can glide gracefully (or not so gracefully)
across the Boston Common Frog
Pond (refer to
sightseeing listing), the Hub’s version
of Rockefeller Center and a popular winter
destination for young lovers. Best of all,
once you doff those skates and your feet
feel like blocks of ice, you’re not far from
exactly what you need to thaw them— a
blazing fireplace. Hungry i
(refer to
beacon hill listing)—a converted Beacon
Hill brownstone that’s been regarded as one
of Boston’s most romantic restaurants for
more than 25 years—has three working
fireplaces, intimate tables for two and
exquisite French cuisine that will satisfy
you both.
Animal Lovers
™™
We all know that “the birds and the bees”
have a lot to do with what attracts one
person to another, but what role do “the
birds and the bees” have in the social lives
of...er...birds and bees (and mammals, for that
matter)?
Franklin Park Zoo (refer to sightseeing listing) offers an illuminating and voyeuristic peek into the private lives of our counterparts in the animal kingdom with What’s Love Got to Do With It?, a lecture by FPZ animal experts on the mating rituals, nesting behaviors and sexual curiosities of animals that takes place February 13 from 5:30–7:15 p.m. at Redline (59 JFK St., Cambridge). Admission is free, but RSVP is required for this 21+ event by calling 617-989-3760.
What’s Cooking,
Good Looking?
Going out for a romantic dinner on
Valentine’s Day is always a popular move,
but there are those that believe a
home-cooked meal is even better—more
intimate a setting, for sure, and, of
course, there’s the fact that one puts all
that time and care into the meal itself.
However, we can’t all cook like Julia
Child—some of us just cook like, well, a
child. That’s where a professional cooking
class might come in handy. On February 11,
the popular Italian eatery
nebo (90 North Washington St.) hosts
a special Couples Cooking Class led by
restaurateurs the Pallotta sisters, who’ll
instruct lovebirds on the secret to making
gnocchi with broccoli rabe and tagliatelle
with funghi misti ($190 per couple; $100 for
individuals—call 617-723-6326 to reserve a
spot). Meanwhile on February 23, Chef
Arthur Landis opens up the kitchen at
McCormick & Schmick’s
in Faneuil Hall (refer to
faneuil hall restaurant listing) to
teach attendees ($48 per person) how to cook
a “heart healthy” seafood dinner for two.
 Table for Two Here’s 10 more great bets for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner with the one you love. Dali, 415 Washington St., Somerville, 617- 661-3254. Beautiful décor and delicious Spanish cuisine in an intimate setting. The Wine Cellar, 30 Massachusetts Ave., 617-236-0080. Fondue for two? What could be finer? Top of the Hub, Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., 52nd floor, 617-536-1775. The most stunning view of Boston to accompany great New American cuisine. The Red House, 98 Winthrop St., Cambridge, 617-576-0605. Cozy, semi-private dining rooms with plenty of working fireplaces. Tapeo, 266 Newbury St., 617-267-4799. Tapas-style dining on ritzy Newbury Street. L’Espalier, 30 Gloucester St., 617-262-3023. World-class French cuisine in an elegant Back Bay townhouse setting. Sandrine’s Bistro, 8 Holyoke St., Cambridge, 617-497-5300. Creative Alsatian cuisine with a genuine European vibe. Mamma Maria, 3 North Square, 617-523-0077 (pictured above). Delicious Italian food removed from the usual hustle and bustle of the North End. Lala Rokh, 97 Mt. Vernon St., 617-720-5511. Exotic and flavorful Persian cuisine on lovely Beacon Hill. Icarus, 3 Appleton St., 617-426-1790. Swanky and suave subterranean supper club vibe. |
A
Kiss is still a Kiss...
...and the timeless love affair between
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in
Casablanca is still thrillingly romantic.
The Brattle Theatre
(refer to
film listing) continues an annual
Valentine’s Day tradition, screening the
legendary film at 5, 7:15 and 9:45 p.m. on
February 13 & 14 as part of its
repertory series of “Great Romances” (which
also includes screenings of Amelie
and The Science of Sleep on
February 12). And after you and your
sweetie have watched Ilsa fly away, your
trip to Casablanca
needn’t end—simply step downstairs to the
restaurant of the same name (40 Brattle St.,
617-876-0999) where you can enjoy delicious
Mediterranean-influenced tapas and entrees,
or sip an exotic cocktail like the Sweet
Pomegranate Greyhound (Reyka Iceland vodka,
pink grapefruit juice and pomegranate
molasses) and celebrate your “beautiful
friendship.”
Hearts and the Arts
Chances are, you see your significant other
as a work of art—priceless, beautiful and
unique. So, there are few better ways to
spend this most romantic of days than in the
presence of some other outstanding works of
art. The Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum (refer to
museums listing) hosts A
Venetian Valentine from 6–8 p.m. on
February 14. This special event allows art
lovers to stroll the gorgeous, flowering
courtyard of the Gardner at night, enjoying
live jazz music, poetry readings, cocktails
and hors d’oeuvres as you take in the
Gardner’s treasures during a self-guided
tour. Or, if you prefer to enjoy the fine
arts with your ears rather than your eyes,
the Boston Lyric Opera invites you to join
them for Soiree d’amore,
a cocktail party for young professionals who
love the opera on February 13 from
6–9 p.m. The event, which takes place at
a brownstone residence at 211 Commonwealth
Ave., is a fundraiser for the Fund for
Emerging Artists and offers up delectable
hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, with all
attendees getting a discount on admission to
the BLO’s March 14–25 production,
L’elisir d’amore. Call 617-542-4912, ext.
229 for more information.
Just Desserts
Sometimes, when you’re with the one you
love, you want to skip dinner and cut right
to the chase. Get your mind out of the
gutter—we’re talking about dessert.
Finale (refer to
theatre district restaurant listing)
specializes in sinfully rich sweets, and as
one would imagine, V-Day is its busiest
night. This February 14, executive
pastry chef Nicole Coady has whipped up some
special menu items, including the
Chocolate Infatuation
(a plate of chocolate desserts for two
including a chocolate meringue cake and a
Napoleon layered with tart Morello cherry
marmalade and Bavarian crème) as well as
other decadent pleasures like
chocolate-dipped strawberries, cherry
cheesecake and even boxed handmade
chocolates to bring to an absent lover.
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