Step outside the box with Valentine’s Day dining, entertaining ideas
Classic dinners, trivia games and beer paired with candy are options.
There are endless ways to say ‘I love you,’ but for me, the greatest of them all is with food.
I love hard with my heart and mind, but I also love with my stomach with wild abandon. Eating a meal together and breaking bread with others is a beautiful gift that should not be taken for granted. Even better when it’s the person who most dominates your mind and holds your heart.
Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, sure, but to me it serves as a reminder to relish in the romance of food and adventure no matter what your relationship status may be.
A majority of respondents to a recent 2023 survey by Restaurant. com, 75 percent, indicated they plan to celebrate with a meal at a restaurant this year, although 42 percent said they won’t make dining plans until the week of Valentine’s Day, with 32 percent waiting until Valentine’s Day itself to plan their date. Just 22 percent of respondents said they will make Valentine’s Day dining plans several weeks in advance.
For those not planning ahead, here is a list of ideas to help savor the day doing something different that will help mark the occasion with flavor and flair.
A pair meets a pair
Eudora Brewing Company (3022 Wilmington Pike, Dayton; www. eudorabrewing.com) is partnering with The Paint Place to put on an “I Chews You” Valentine’s Day craft and beer pairing. This couples’ Valentine’s celebration is a creative way for BFF’s or soul mates to bond while creating a masterpiece together.
The evening features four courses of 5 oz. beers paired with four classic Valentine’s Day candies. Enjoy while painting adorable laser wood gumball and “I chews you” cutouts to paint. Cost is $85 for the Feb. 14 event that runs from 6-9 p.m. Visit www.thepaintplace.org/events/i-chews-you-valentines-day-craft-beer-pairing to reserve your spot.
When it comes to food, Eudora has plenty to order that’s sharable — spinach and artichoke dip, cheese curds, pretzels and beer cheese, poutine, a hummus plate, cauliflower bites and chicken wings, among others. Or even better, consider ordering two different types of street tacos (3 to an order for $9.20) and share. You can do the Gambas with tequila grilled shrimp, guacamole, mango puree, queso fresco and cilantro; carnitas with creme fraiche, diced red onions, queso fresco and cilantro or thunderbolt braised shredded
beef with avocado aioli, pickled red onion, queso fresco and cilantro.
CozyMelts Paint Your Own Pottery (http://cozymelts.com) in Beavercreek at the Mall at Fairfield Commons has a Valentine’s Day Spoon Rest for $18 per person that they will be making on Feb. 14 if you prefer to keep alcohol out of the mix with your crafts. With plenty of restaurants to enjoy nearby, you have options galore to make the pairing you are looking for.
I knew it, I knew it!
Don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day? Not sure what to do with your sweetie? Head to Yellow Cab (www.yellowcabtavern. com) in the Oregon District and celebrate by playing trivia.
Bonus: Tuesdays, you can get pizza from the Pizza Bandit for half price, or you can grab an early dinner at some place a little more formal at one of the popular nearby Oregon District restaurants.
The event, which takes place from 6:30-8 p.m., is hosted by the Paw Patrol of Dayton who will have adoptable animals on the patio if the weather is appropriate. And if you didn’t arrive already in love, you may leave in love with a new four-legged friend.
Show fondue-ness for your love
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, the Melting Pot in Centerville (www.meltingpot.com/centerville-dayton-oh) is ready to help you show your fondue-ness for the one you love. From Noon-9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, and 2-9 p.m. Feb. 13 and 14, the restaurant will be serving up a four-course Valentine’s menu as the only option, because .... love.
Rose petals will be on the table, pictures will be taken and fondue will be had. There are several cheese fondue options to choose