kisskissangela: The Valentine's Day Edition

Not everyone is as talented as Bakerella. Adorable and sweet home-made cakes and sweets; fun decorating ideas that would WOW everyone; No, unfortunately, not all of us are so talented...
But fortunately, there is still Hallmark. Valentine's day, isn't it Hallmark's idea anyway? I mean, didn't poor St. Valentine die on that day or buried on that day or something? I don't even know the origins of Valentine's Day. And the worst thing is, Wikipedia doesn't even know. And if Wiki doesn't know it, then it shouldn't even exist...


Okay, enough B*tching about this Hallmark-ized Valentine's day, aka Single Awareness Day (SAD). As tough as love finding is, I still wish all the lovebirds out there a Happy Valentine's Day. And for those poor fellas who doesn't have a single idea on what to do for your special girl. Here I am. Your last minute resource to this big day... A day so big that it could determine your fate and your happiness for the rest of your life...


Here are some of my thoughts: So, what could lovebirds do in Minneapolis? Where is a guarantee romantic success spot? What is a good V'day budget? I mean, you want to be smart to stay in budget, so you can get that girl a big ring someday right? So... here's the list. From the thriftiest to the most extravagant dinner, all in the beloved and romantically inspired Twin Cities.




#1. White Castle

- Yes, you heard it right. White Castle is hosting a special Valentine's Day dinner on the 14th. It's not just a suitcase of 30 sliders to-go with a coke. It's a DINNER!

Wow your special someone with tableside service, flowers and candlelight, in a place made famous for late night cravings.

This is really hard to bet huh? A waiter, a reserved dinner, flowers, candlelight and a suitcase of sliders?! As long as you spin it right, this could really be a memory of a lifetime. And of course, you better be getting her some big diamonds later on with this huge savings on dinner... Unless, this is your plan on ditching her... Let's hope she won't be calling you again...
Gifts-wise: you really have to be creative here. If you are funny enough to take her to White Castle for the laugh, you shouldn't be boring by giving her a gift card. A handcrafted home-made box of chocolate will definitely surprise this down-to-earth girl. A special 5th grader hand written special love card and a home-mad ugly but sweet box of chocolate covered strawberries. You may be able to seal the deal.


#2. D'amico & Sons

- Special V'day three-course menu for two. Wood fire oven pizza, Italian sandwiches, fresh pasta and entrees. Many many to choose from, without the commercialized fancy schmuncy people pressurizing you to pick an expensive wine. At this local favorite chain deli, just do whatever you want. Maybe you guys are just starting to hang out, and you don't want her to take it the wrong way or to think too much too early on. Hey, this seems to be sensible choice. Or, you will come out like a Jerk at the end of the night if she can't handle the rejection. I would suggest at least going to the D'amico in Edina/50th & France area. Even if you couldn't afford a fancy dinner, you can still afford a fancy atmosphere offered by the lights and boutiques from the 50th & France area right?




#3. Cafe Lurcat

- Ok, another D'amico's creation. Cafe Lurcat, gotta love the decor. I especially love the vintage style. Wooden furniture, chandeliers, brick walls... oh my. I just absolutely adore the decor. Fine dining services with accessible and easy to understand menu. Yes, easy to understand menu; as in Crab Cake is Crab Cake, not gâteau de crabe  or something in foreign language. It has a upscale bar. And did I mention the beautiful chandeliers? 
Roses, flowers, or for me, Lilies please. A semi-fancy upscale dinner has to pair with a nice bouquet of flowers right? Since you are already kind of splurging on the dinner, a nice bouquet of flowers should be able to do it. Or if you really like her, a nice pair of earrings, a beautiful necklace. V'day is not about practical gifts, it's all about "awwww" and "You're so sweeeeet" type of gifts. Plus, after a couple glasses of wine, she has to be totally in love with you. wink*


#4. Vincent's

- Speaking of gâteau de crabe   , how could a romantic dinner be romantic if there's no French components involved? Sorry to say, I'm a big French snob. I wish I'm living in Paris, eating macaroons and sipping Cafe au Lait. Reality kicks in, it's more practical to live in the US than the dreamy yet expensive and dirty Paris. Still, my French snob side still needs to breathe once a while. And there's Vincent's. Special V'day a la carte or tasting menu, pair with wine flight, for an $100+ per person dinner.  It's pricy, but it's French. I guess I could recommend La Belle Vie, another upscale French restaurant. But I personally think La Belle Vie's decor is too old-school and doesn't really have any romantic elements in it. It's just bunch of segregated dining rooms with horrible lighting and no decor at all. Vincent's should be a much comfy and cosy place. You want to be able to sit close and stare into each other's eyes anyway right?
Gifts... Mmmmm. I supposed if you can afford this dinner, you should be able to get her a gift card to a spa treatment or facial treatment or something in those salons right? I highly recommend the Spalon in Edina. Very very well decoration and extremely skilled staff. It's time for my mani and pedi, Honey!


#5. Sea Change Restaurant

 - Oh my. One of my top restaurants to go. I love seafood, and this Tim McKee restaurant's newest addition is all about seafood. And not just any seafood, but Sustainable Seafood. You know how they say Tunas are dying too fast because we are eating too much of them. This didn't come out as sophisticated or serious as I intended, but you get the idea. Sustainable growing/farming of seafood maybe the way to go to balance our ecosystem. Unfortunately, I have never been to the Sea Change. But the photo gallery definitely makes me dream about going there. Plus, this one is a easy one. You should have a pair of tickets to the Guthrie theater, which is where Sea Change is located. Nice, extravagant dinner with high class theater entertainment. Man, you've got it!