By Sidney Burt
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it’s time to start making plans. And, with the holiday falling on a Wednesday, it’s the perfect opportunity to plan a week’s worth of fun-filled activities!
Whether you are planning a romantic date night or just looking to have fun out on the town with friends, there are plenty of options for everyone! Take a look at how you can celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day in style.
Valentine’s Day Date Night Options:
Dawson’s Steakhouse Valentine’s Day Dinner – Indulge in specialties such as a Dungeness Crab Tower, Seared Scallop or a Niman Ranch Prime Beef Filet. And be sure to save room at the end for something sweet. (Reservations required)
Hyatt Regency Sacramento
1209 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Painted Cork Date Night – This Valentine’s Day, enjoy an evening of professional art instruction with all art supplies included. Plus, complimentary wine and chocolate with the class to celebrate that special someone!
The Painted Cork
1624 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ella Dining Room & Bar – Enjoy a beautifully prepared and locally sourced prix fixe menu to celebrate Valentine’s Day! (Reservations required)
Ella Dining Room & Bar
1131 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Valentine’s Dinner Train – Treat your loved one to three courses of hearty American fare while taking a leisurely ride along the old Garden Highway in rural West Sacramento.
Sacramento River Train
400 N Harbor Blvd, West
Sacramento, CA 95605
Selland’s Market-Café – Spend the night at home with delicious bites. Menu is available for pick-up and don’t forget the bubbles! (Must place orders by February 12)
Selland’s Market-Café – East Sacramento, Broadway and El Dorado Hills
Valentine’s Week Celebrations:
Cupid Crawl – Grab a friend and head out to the Cupid Crawl. Indulge in some great eats and delicious libations from Milagro’s Restaurant Community.
Milagro Center
February 9, 2018
Advance: $10; Door: $15
Port, Wine and Chocolate Lover’s Weekend – Enjoy wines, ports, dessert wines, and sweet delights at the Old Sugar Mill Wineries. 15 Wineries will be offering wine tastings and pairings all weekend.
Old Sugar Mill
February 10 & 11, 2018
Advance: $29.50 Door: $40
Valentine’s Day Yappy Hour – Celebrate Valentine’s Day rain or shine with your furry friends and help the animals at the SPCA. For every pint purchased, $1 will go directly to the Sacramento SPCA.
Big Sexy Brewing Company
February 15, 2018
FREE
Valentine's Day in Sacramento
By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt
Valentine’s Day is almost here. We know that everyone can use a little bit of help with the planning process sometimes, so we have gathered Valentine’s weekend events and restaurant specials that are sure to please!
Valentine’s Day Weekend Events:
Port, Wine and Chocolate Lover’s Weekend
Port, Wine and Chocolate? You can’t go wrong there! Old Sugar Mill is giving you access to all three with their Lover’s Weekend. Thirteen wineries are in one location offering tastings from the barrels – of wine and chocolate. A cigar lounge, live music and demonstrations, including a “Bottle Your Own Port” activity round out the event. This is a unique event that will certainly add some fun to your Valentine’s Day weekend.
Cost: $29.50 in advance, $40 the day of, and $10 for any Designated Driver; $125 for the Bon Temps Package for groups of 6 or more. (purchase tickets)
February 11, 2017 – February 12, 2017
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Old Sugar Mill
35265 Willow Avenue
Clarksburg, CA 95612
Valentine’s Day Wine Tour
Odds are you are going to get some sort of chocolate this Valentine’s Day and nothing pairs better with chocolate than wine! Grab your heart shaped box and hop on the Valentine’s Day Wine Tour presented by Cain Event Planning. This all-day tour includes transportation to participating Amador County wineries Karmere, Dobra Zemjla and Helwig Winery, drink service during travel, lunch and of course wine tastings. It is a great way to spend the day with your loved one.
Cost: $59 for a single ticket and $110 for a couple’s ticket (purchase tickets)
February 11, 2017
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Butterfield Station
9636 Butterfield Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95827
American Whiskey with the Bourbon Babes
Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. offers an alternative option for Valentine’s Day weekend. Join The Bourbon Babes at Cocktail Academy and learn everything there is to know about American Whiskey.
Cost: $75
February 11, 2017
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co.
1630 S St
Sacramento, CA 95811
2014 Valentine's Day in Sacramento
When you’re lucky enough to have Valentine’s Day fall on a Friday, the options are endless where romantic dining is concerned.
Should you stay in and set the mood in the comfort of your own home? Do you go grand and reserve a table at the hottest restaurant in town? What about the single ladies and gents – should you defy cupid and indulge in solo pursuits on the most romantic day of the year?
Can’t decide? Not to worry, the Sac Foodies are here to help. We’ve created a list of must-dos for love-struck couples, happy homebodies and single ladies and lads to help everyone’s V-Day sizzle all night long.
Valentine’s Prix Fixe Offerings in Sacramento (Make reservations on Open Table or by contacting each restaurant quickly before it’s too late)
- The Melting Pot – $75 per person offers five-courses of mouthwatering fondue dishes with a variety of dessert and entrée options. There’s also a Lover’s Lane package for $125 per person, which offers four courses, sparkling wine and an embossed photo frame. See the full menu here.
The Melting Pot
814 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-2347
- Cafeteria 15L – $80 per couple includes a champagne toast, an appetizer, an entrée and dessert options for two. Dinner is served from 5 – 11 p.m. See the full menu here.
Cafeteria 15L
1116 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-1960
- Ella Dining Room and Bar – An Ella Valentine’s meal is an exquisite four-course adventure paired with one bottle of champagne per couple. The cost is $125 per person and the full menu can be found here.
Ella Dining Room and Bar
1131 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-3772
Creative Ideas for Homebodies (This is what I’ll be doing)
- Netflix subscribers rejoice! Season 2 of the award-winning ‘House of Cards’ premieres on Feb. 14. So tune in, cozy up, and kick off the night with a bottle of red and a home-cooked meal, made with love. Check out these appetizing delights on CookingLight.com for 20 delicious (and healthy!) romantic recipes to set the mood.
- Not in the cooking mood? Here are local hot-spots offering takeout for two.
- P.F. Chang’s – Nothing says takeout, like Chinese takeout! Here’s the full P.F. Chang’s menu to choose from. Call-in your order ahead of time to ensure it arrives quickly.
- Buca di Beppo – Known for their family-style Italian cuisine, Buca di Beppo offers heart-warming, tummy-filling meals to satisfy both you and your love. The best part? They deliver! Check out the full menu here.
- Looking for more delivery options? Look no further than Eat24.com to find any fine dining cuisine in your area that delivers straight to your front door.
- And if you really want to impress that special someone – try this amazingly simple, mood-setting treat guaranteed to wow: chocolate-covered strawberries. Believe it or not, I make these for friends and family at least twice a month because it’s that easy. As in, two-ingredients-one-microwave-and-15-minutes-easy. Here’s my go-to recipe on FoodNetwork.com that never fails.
All the single ladies… Now put your hands up!
- If you’re not marching to the beat of Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ song, then you’re truly missing out. Let your hair down and have more fun on Valentine’s Night, because you CAN! Consider indulging in these activities with a group of your closest pals.
- Harlow’s Restaurant – All-girl rock band, the Rainbow Girls will be performing at Harlow’s on Feb. 14, so turn Valentine’s Day into Ladies Night and enjoy good tunes, cold drinks and great company at Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub.
- Fox & Goose – Enjoy good folk music from Sea Legs and Davis folk rock group, Red Union Blue at local hot-spot Fox & Goose. Event starts at 9p.m. and tickets are $5.
- Shady Lady – Take yourself back to the Roaring Twenties when jazz and blues were all the rage. This Friday at 9 p.m., Shady Lady will bring original blues orchestra and jazz from Sacramento-based musician, Harley White Jr.
- Are you a single homebody? Then I suggest turning Valentine’s Night into a fun friends or family affair. Include a group of friends, your devoted pet, or perhaps your kids or parents and throw in some ice cream, pizza, beer, wine, or all of the above, and pop in your favorite movie for a full family date night!
Tell us, what are your plans for the big day?