Michele StuevenUpdated on Feb. 8, 11 a.m.
Be it vegan, sparkling, carnivorous, heart-shaped, frosty or celebrating Greek love, here are some romantic ideas from the desert to the sea to put you in the mood for Valentine’s Day.
Greekman’s has put together a five-course, family-style feast featuring some new dishes, available for one night only, with an option for Greek wine pairings in a romantic candlelit setting. Tickets are $80pp via Resy and the full Greekman’s menu will also be available a la carte as well! Items include feta, phyllo and pomegranate, prawn waganaki with heirloom tomato sauce, dry-aged New York steak or whole grilled dorade, and pistachio panna cotta with rose and tangerine for dessert.
Kimpton Everly Hollywood’s Winter Chalet experience is a cozy spot for Petrossian caviar and chips, cheese fondue, lobster pot pie, Oaxacan shortbread butter cookies with Mexican hot chocolate and Freezer Martini enhanced with an optional caviar bump. The chalet transitions to a romance theme for February and will be decking the space out with botanicals. There’s a love letter writing station, personal haikuist, art with the Roofless Painters and classic wooden board games in an alpine setting.
There will be a floral pop-up by Black Leaf from Sunday, Feb. 11, through Tuesday, Feb. 13, for signature bouquets and a “Love Hour” will take place in the Ever Bar on Feb. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a DJ spinning romantic tunes accompanied by a Valentine’s Day-themed cocktail menu.
Winter Chalet (Courtesy Kimpton Everly Hollywood)
Hotel Casa del Mar at the beach offers couples two ways to celebrate love. The Romance by the Sea intimate Valentine’s Dinner starts with a welcome glass of champagne and amuse-bouche. Appetizers include oysters, kampachi crudo and celery root carpaccio. For entrees, pick from Chilean sea bass, American Wagyu NY strip, Iberico pork chop, or spaghetti puttanesca. Top it off with a choice of banana cream, Cupid’s Cake, or salted chocolate mousse for dessert. The price is $125 per person; reservations can be made HERE.
The hotel’s Romantic Escape overnight package includes a bottle of champagne on ice upon arrival, a $200 food and beverage credit for in-room dining or to be used at Terrazza, a guaranteed ocean view table at Terrazza, and overnight valet parking for one vehicle. To book, click here.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort, Palm Desert’s largest resort is debuting an interactive co-ed wellness lounge with 15 state-of-the-art lounge chairs and wellness add-ons, the new space is a nice addition to The Spa at Desert Springs, which also features aromatic hammams, Finnish saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, whirlpools and a heated outdoor saltwater lap pool overlooking 450 acres of desert gardens and the property’s signature lakes. Couples are outfitted with noise-canceling headsets and get cozy under a blanket to experience tranquility and transcendence with the mind-sync lounger. The full-service experience blends scientifically proven, vibroacoustic sound wave therapy with zero gravity positioning to achieve relaxation. Carefully curated music synchronizes the brain’s left and right hemispheres, gently lowering brain activity to the calmer Alpha, Theta and Delta states.
Courtesy JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort
The Love and Flowers Chef Dinner on Top of The Aster takes place on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and features a four-course menu whimsically paired with a flower. There will be complimentary champagne and amuse-bouche upon arrival, followed by a heart beet carpaccio, hibiscus and tuna, miso honey salmon and strawberry sorbet. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options and wine pairing add-ons available. $115/person, $92/person for club members. Tickets are available for purchase on Resy.
PLANTA is collaborating with Oishii, the world’s largest indoor vertical strawberry farm, on a special limited-time menu for February. There’s an Oishii omakase berry strudel in puff pastry with Oishii strawberry jam, matcha icing and freeze-dried strawberry, as well as a Strawberry Feels cocktail with bourbon, sesame, Oishii omakase berry, lemon and agave. The alcohol-free First Straw is a mixture of Seedlip Garden, mint, lime, Oishii omakase berry and green tea.
For a limited time through Monday, Feb. 19, nonalcoholic aperitif Ghia is teaming up with Awan, the vegan Indonesian ice cream company to make custom pints and scoops featuring Ghia’s Ghianduja spread and Berry Aperitif. All ice cream flavors are made with a vegan coconut base. Three flavors feature Ghianduja, Ghia’s chocolate hazelnut spread made with olive oil, along with a variety of flavor bases. The Berry flavor is made with Ghia’s newest non-alc aperitif, Berry — typically enjoyed on the rocks or in mixed drinks — which is cooked down and rippled throughout the flavor. Scoops will be available at Awan’s West Hollywood window, or a bundle of pints and Ghia treats can be pre-ordered directly from Ghia’s website.
Pink conchas (Courtesy La Monarca Bakery)
On Valentine’s Day La Monarca Bakery has a sweet twist with pink conchas and hot drinks with specialty pink whipped cream available.
Cozy up and lean in for a romantic evening at Shirley Brasserie at The Hollywood Roosevelt in front of the historic lobby’s roaring fireplace in velvet chairs on Wednesday, Feb. 14. There will be a $125 four-course tasting menu in the elegant dining room with optional wine pairings. The dinner led by Chef Craig Hopson will include classic French dishes like lamb chop and confit lamb shoulder, char-grilled sea bass, coal-grilled Puget Sound Oysters Kilpatrick and more. For an additional charge, couples can enhance their culinary experience with The Cote de Boeuf for two, cooked on an open flame.
Oenophiles Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power have added a new sparkling rose to their Avaline line of organic wines at an approachable price of $30. Subtly pink with a slightly orange hue, it’s a light, fruit-driven wine with raspberry aromas, citrus and orange oil notes, and a low acidity. It’s made in the traditional Cava method and is aged for at least 15 months, versus the typical nine.
As with all Avaline wines, the sparkling rose is organically produced, vegan-friendly and free from added sugar, artificial colors and concentrates. Avaline partnered with Pedregosa, an organic, biodynamic, and dry-farmed producer based in Sant Sadurni, Spain with 70% of all electricity offset by solar panels, electric forklifts, and charging stations.
Sparkling Rose (Courtesy Avaline)
Situated on the outskirts of the canals of Naples Island in Long Beach, Michael’s on Naples is offering an exclusive five-course prix-fixe menu crafted by Executive Chef Eric Samaniego. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Feb. 14, Michael’s will be serving up the following courses:
Per Cominciare:
- Gnocco Fritto – Fried Dough, Burrata, Osetra Caviar Trento DOC // Paired with Ferrari N.V. Trentino
Antipasti (CHOOSE 1):
- Capesante Cruda – Raw Sliced Diver Scallops, Rhubarb, Gala Apple, Sicilian Olive Oil // Paired with Etna Bianco, Tornatore ’21 Sicilia
- Maiale – Grilled Beeler’s Pork Belly, Farmer’s Market Citrus, Beluga Lentils Vino Nobile di Montepulciano // Paired with Contucci ’17 Toscana
Primi (CHOOSE 1):
- Risotto ai Gamberi – Sautéed Prawns, Prosecco, Carnaroli Rice, Chives, Shrimp Powder Orvieto // Paired with Castello Della Sala “San Giovanni” ’21 Umbria
- Tagliatelle ai Funghi – Hand-Cut Pasta, Mushroom “Bolognese,” Parmigiano-Reggiano Nebbiolo // Paired with Prunotto “Occhetti” ’21 Piemonte
Secondi (CHOOSE 1):
- Tonno in Padella – Seared Ahi Tuna, Brown Butter Carrot Purée, Fregola Sarda, Black Olive Powder Vermentino // Paired with Argiolas “Costamolino” ’22 Sardegna
- Manzo alla Griglia – Grilled Ribeye Cap, Barolo-Braised Red Cabbage, Creamy Polenta, Gorgonzola Dolce Terre // Paired with San Leonardo ’18 Alto Adige
Dolci (CHOOSE 1):
- Budino – White Chocolate Custard, Strawberries Recioto della Valpolicella // Paired with Recchia ’16 Venet
- Frutto della Passione – Passion Fruit Mousse, Raspberry Moscato d’Arancia // Paired with Cantina Pellegrino ’20 Sicilia
This dining experience comes at a set price of $95 per person, or $140 with wine pairings (plus tax and gratuity).
Oishii omakase berry strudel (Courtesy Planta)
And if it’s got to be heart-shaped:
Polly’s Pies has heart-shaped hand pies that come in boysenberry, apple and cherry and are available for purchase online at $35.99 for a pack of four.
Buca di Beppo’s Valentine’s Lasagna Lovefeast is available on Wednesday, Feb.14. Perfect for two at $59.99, it includes the choice of a small salad, small garlic bread, a heart-shaped lasagna with towering layers of meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan. The dessert cannoli is topped with heart-shaped sprinkles.
Olivieri 1882 is back with its limited-edition “San Valentino ” heart-shaped panettone for Valentine’s Day. Fifth-generation pastry chef Nicola Olivieri gives the traditional recipe a romantic twist with Tahitian Bourbon vanilla beans, Italian wheat flours, raw cane sugar, and Italian acacia honey, the decadent cake is then studded with dark chocolate chunks and candied strawberries. The panettone comes in custom-designed Valentine’s Day packaging with a bespoke love letter option. $54.90, shipping included, ushers the panettone fresh from Italy, arriving at all U.S. front doors in less than 48 hours. Orders can be placed here. The panettone will also be available on Goldbelly
Mountain Mike’s Pizza once again is rolling out its popular Heart-Shaped Pizzas. Available through Thursday, Feb. 29, at all Mountain Mike’s locations, this year, Heart-Shaped Pizzas can be personalized with various toppings.
Compartes Chocolates has an exquisite selection of lovely candy boxes that include everything from luxurious chocolate-covered fruits and artful truffles to bourbon chocolates from Woodford Reserve in flavors like butterscotch, pear nutmeg, oak smoked salt caramel and maple pecan.
In celebration of its new Korean-style menu and Valentine’s Day, Shake Shack will be hosting two Los Angeles dining experiences on Wednesday, Feb. 14 – Swicy Date Night at the Culver City Shack and Umami Dinner Party at the West Hollywood Shack. Tickets are available now for either one-night-only custom prix fixe menu experience here.
Courtesy Polly’s Pies