What’s the most fab day of Feb? Valentine’s Day, of course! It’s a double holiday for me because my adorable daughter turns 7 on the 14^th. I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect sweet to celebrate my little sweetie and here’s what I’ve learned by making a few phone calls and scouring the Internet (FYI, not all Valentine’s Day menus are posted online so be sure to check out Facebook or Instagram for some mouth-watering photos):
Andy’s Candy Apothecary
1012 9th St.
MON-SAT: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SUN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
When the SacFoodies made a stop at Andy’s in December during our holiday outing, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Hands down the best caramel ever!!!! I spoke to Andy himself this week and he says the store pretty much looks like a Valentine’s Day shrine. From traditional conversation hearts and heart-shaped boxes to sour or sweet gummies to foil-wrapped chocolates, there is a candy for every taste bud. Andy says to come early because they often sell out!
Ettore’s
2376 Fair Oaks Blvd.
MON-THURS: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
FRI-SAT: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SUN: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Boxes of 4 or 6 chocolate-dipped strawberries are available and adorably packaged as well as Valentine’s Day-themed cookies (sugar sprinkle, tuxedo and conversation heart butter cookies!), cake pops, petit fours and individual Chocolate Cherry Cake Cups, a rich truffle sponge cake cup with chocolate and cherry mousse. For the record, the Princess Torte is one of my favorite cakes ever and would be a perfect Valentine’s Day treat (order the pink) but, lucky for us, it’s available year-round.
Freeport Bakery
2966 Freeport Blvd.
MON-FRI: 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
SAT: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
SUN: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
No surprise here, Freeport has a lot to offer with a Valentine’s Day theme. Strawberry Heart Tart (made with fresh strawberries), Two of Hearts (think strawberry mousse filling and chocolate ganache poured on top), Jewel Box (like you see during the holidays), Valentine’s Day Log (also like you see during the holidays) are all available, plus an assortment of cookies, cupcakes and more. If you know Freeport, you know there’s no shortage of amazing sweets!
Ginger Elizabeth
1801 L Street, Suite 60
TUES-THURS: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
FRI-SAT: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
SUN: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
MON: Closed
If it were my Valentine birthday, I’d be asking for the Chocolate Heart Box, which is filled with ten chocolate caramel hearts (have you figured out yet I have a thing for caramel?!). Also available is the Valentine’s Entremet, a Dark rum custard soaked banana cake with banana pudding and 64% Dominican Republic bittersweet chocolate mousse. Holy, wow! Adorable heart-shaped chocolates and milk chocolate discs sprinkled with Vahlrona cocoa nibs, sour cherries and candied rose petals also fill Ginger’s darling shop on L Street.
And don’t dismiss your local grocery store for great Valentine’s Day treats. Stores like Safeway, Nugget, Trader Joe’s and Raley’s all have a delicious display of sweets.
Happy heart day to all! I hope it’s the sweetest ever!!