Washington in Love: Valentine's Day Guide

Happy Valentine's Day, Washington! If you've procrastinated and still need some activities to do today, here's a roundup.

• Obama/Lincoln Cupcake Portrait
• Make a Deal: An Art and Music Experience
• Valentine's Day Tour and Tea
• Where to find Valentine's Day cupcakes
• Special Valentine's Day dinners
• Event at the Baltimore Museum of Art
• Valentine Cocktails
• The Washington Ballet, Highland Fling (I saw this and it's so good!)

• And there are still tickets to the Wine and Food Festival tomorrow, which I will be attending with several friends.

Washington in Love: Valentine’s Tour and Tea

Valentine's Day is all about different types of love, and this sounds like a perfect mother-daughter or friend activity. The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden in Alexandria is holding a Valentine’s Tour and Tea on Saturday.

It's a Victorian tea, which to me sounds like there will be great tea cakes and the like. The house was built in 1785, and there are beautiful gardens.

Tickets are available on the hour with the last tour at 3 p.m. Reservations are required and tickets are $20

Washington in Love: Artisanal Chocolates at Coco Sala

Maybe it's because this restaurant shares the same name as my cat (just the Coco part), but I love Coco Sala.

Besides some really delicious savory treats like sliders and mac and cheese, and three course desserts, Coco Sala sells boxes of artisanal chocolates. A 16-piece box is $42, so they're pricier than your average box of Russell Stover, but for a special occasion they're fabulous. I received a box when Coco Sala first opened, and flavors include earl grey and mango. Not your usual sweet for your sweet.

Washington in Love: I Love You Cards

I Love You Cards, by Atlanta-based artist Heidi Geldhauser, let you spread the love by leaving little cards all around the city (and the world). Then post pictures on her site of where you leave them. Some people even use them to leave their names and numbers for handsome strangers (who then call).

Sign up here for a free set of cards.

Thanks to L. for the heads up on this one!

Washington in Love: Chocolate Tasting at Domasoteca

You've heard of wine and cheese pairings, but tonight from 5-8 p.m. Domasoteca at the Hotel Palomar in Rosslyn is holding a chocolate tasting with wine pairings. Wines include, fittingly, Layer Cake Primitivo and Terra Valentine Spring Mountain.

The cost is $15 per person and $25 per couple. Tickets are available at the door.

Washington Love: Make a Date, an Art & Music Experience

The Pink Line Project, Artomatic and Capitol Riverfront BID have teamed up for a three-day art and music event at venues around the Navy Yard Metro. Hours are Friday, February 13, 6-9 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 6-9 p.m., Sunday, February 15, 2-6 p.m.

Washington in Love: Crafts & Kisses

If you want a different kind of Valentine present, head to Crafts & Kisses, a Valentine-themed craft fair, today. The fair will take place at the Josephine Butler Parks Center at 2437 15th St., NW from 12-6 p.m.

There will be 25 crafters handmade items like valentines and cards, handmade books, pottery, etc., as well as food, music and goodie bags for the first 50 people.

See some of the items for sale on the Crafts & Kisses web site.

Washington in Love: Valentine's Day Cupcakes

Georgetown Cupcake, which always has cute heart-topped cupcakes, makes a special cupcake for Valentine's Day, available all next week. They also have strawberry cupcakes and chocolate strawberry cupcakes available throughout February.


Hello Cupcake offers Sweet Tart for your Sweetheart, a pink lemonade cake topped with sweet lemon cream cheese frosting and studded with red, pink and white hearts.

MallowDrama, which is located in Reston, has four different Valentine's Day designs, which are available in red velvet and spicy chocolate topped with cinnamon ganache (my favorite of the two). The cupcakes are available from February 8-15, and a box of two red velvet cupcakes and two spicy chocolate cupcakes and is $14. Call 703-758-1474 or e-mail info@mallowdrama.com to place your order.

Washington in Love: Art and Soul

Still mulling where to make dinner reservations? Art and Soul is offering a three-course tasting menu for two that is designed to be shared for $130 or $65 per person. The menu, which is available February 12 through February 14, consists of an amuse-bouche of "his and hers" hoecakes, "surf and turf" of rib eye steak and lobster for the entree, and a surprise dessert to share.

Need some more restaurant suggestions? Click over to a roundup I wrote for this week's Blade.

Washington in Love: A Night of Romance of at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Here's something for my Maryland readers: the Baltimore Museum of Art is holding their annual Night of Romance on Valentine's Day.

From 7-9 p.m. on the 14th, the museum is holding twilight tours of works that explore the theme of love in art. There will also be champagne to sip on while making Valentine's Day cards for each other. And singles don't have to feel left out either — there's a "gallery rendezvous" for singletons.

The event costs $20/couple, $10/singles for non-members, and $15/couple, $5/singles for members.

If you're more of the athletic slant, the BMA is also holding a couples yoga class at 7 p.m. The price is $50 for non-members and $35 for members and includes admission to A Night of Romance.

Call 443-573-1832 or e-mail programs@artbma.org to register for either event.

Washington in Love: The Art of Flirting at Ici Urban Bistro

If you haven't been on a date in awhile, it may be time to brush up on your flirting skills. Ici Urban Bistro is holding an Art of Flirting event on Valentine's Day hosted by Jason Tesauro, co-author of The Modern Gentleman and The Modern Lover. There's a pre-dinner reception at Le Bar followed by a four-course dinner dinner at Ici, in which every course includes chocolate in some form. And having recently tried new pastry chef Beverly Bates' desserts, I can tell you that this will be a decadent and delicious dinner.

Details:
Feb. 14, 7 p.m.
806 15th Street, NW.
$75

Washington in Love: Valentine Cocktails

Romantic dinners aren't just about wine. Cocktails, which have been making a resurgence over the last year or two in Washington, are also appropriate, and area restaurants have created special drinks for the holiday.

At Café Atlantico, Jill Zimorski has created a "Champagne and Caviar" Cocktail. The drink is garnished table side with tiny, caviar-like strawberries which float in the cocktail and burst in your mouth.

Mixologist Todd Thrasher has whipped up several cocktails, all of which will be served at Restaurant Eve, The Majestic and PX in Virginia. Look for the gingery "Pear of Desire," the chocolately "Love Me Tender" and the Passion fruity "Persuasion."

The Park Hyatt Washington is offering White Chocolate Seduction, which tempting libation combines sweet Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka, White Crème de Cacao, Crème de Cassis and cream. They are also offering a mulled cider and a Riesling rosemary mulled wine, which is available now through Feb. 28. Or, make the mulled wine at home, with the recipe below.

Riesling Rosemary Mulled Wine

2 bottles Riesling white wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 whole cloves
2 tbsp rosemary
1/2 vanilla bean
1/4 cup honey
2 lemons, sliced

Simmer (but not boil) the water, sugar, rosemary, and honey for 10 minutes. Add in the wine. Peel the lemons and add in the peels. Allow to steep without boiling. Strain and serve warm.

Washington in Love: Woo at the Zoo

I'm not sure whether to think this is cute or weird, but the National Zoo's contribution to Valentine's Day is Woo at the Zoo on Feb. 12. I'll let the press release speak for itself on this one:

Woo at the Zoo, open to both singles and sweethearts, is "a light-hearted exploration into the sexual behaviors of animals. Hosted by the Zoo’s most charismatic animal experts, Woo at the Zoo presents an opportunity to learn about animal mating, dating and reproductive habits in an honest and humorous forum."

It's free, and there are complimentary hors d'oeuvres and roses, a cash bar, and a special Valentine activity for all attendees.

21+, and reservations are mandatory; choose from two presentation time slots: 6 – 7:30 p.m. or 8:00 – 9:30 p.m. Register here.

And if you think that's just too weird, but want to give an animal-related gift, you can "adopt a species." The red panda appears to be the cutest animal to adopt, but we can also get behind the flamingo (because they are pink), and the kiwi (on second thought, that might be the cutest animal). You can also go with tigers, elephants and giant pandas.

Photo credit: Mehgan Murphy, National Zoo

Washington in Love: The Washington Ballet: Highland Fling

Last year I did a Valentine's Day Gift Guide, but this year I wanted to do something a little different. Starting today, I'm counting down 14 Valentine-related events happening around D.C. Check back each day to see fun ways to spend the holiday, and even some ways to make the whole week leading up to February 14th all about love.

First up, The Washington Ballet: Highland Fling


Description from the Kennedy Center: A tour of the British Isles, this program pairs August Bournonville's masterpiece La Sylphide with Lila York's exuberant runaway hit Celts, both company premieres for The Washington Ballet. Set in the Scottish highlands, La Sylphide is the tragically romantic tale of love lost originally choreographed by the Danish master in 1836 after the 1832 original. TWB artists will delve into a magical and mysterious realm as they revisit this historic work. Capping off each performance will be Celts, an effervescent work set to lively Irish music by the Chieftains.

Performances are February 11-15 and tickets are $20-$120.