Something Sweet
Local businesses going all out for Valentine’s Day
When the calendar flips to February, the arrival of Cupid is not far off. Valentine’s Day is observed on Feb. 14 every year. Although many associate the day with romantic love, it’s a day that celebrates love in all its forms, including friendships and familial bonds. It’s recognized as a day of warmth and affection, but its roots were not so genteel.
It’s believed the idea for the holiday originated from the Roman fertility festival, Lupercalia, which was celebrated every spring.
The festival started with the sacrifice of goats and a dog. The sacrifices were followed by a ceremony and great feast. After the feast, men would slap the women with strips of hide from the animals they had just slain, believing the blows made the women fertile. Later, the names of all young, single women would be placed in a jar, with each bachelor drawing a name. They would then be paired off for the day and sometimes longer.
The Catholic Church eventually replaced this pagan celebration with St. Valentine’s Day, although it’s not clear who exactly St. Valentine was.
Today’s celebration is much more benign and usually involves cards and flowers. In addition to expressing love, Valentine’s Day is also a great opportunity to eat lots of sugary treats.
A mixed box of chocolate has become a traditional gift, but it’s not the only sweet way to say “I love you.” From bakeries, to restaurants to local chocolatiers, Albuquerque residents many options from which to choose.
Following is a list of 10 places one might consider this Valentine’s Day. Hours continue to be updated because of the pandemic. Call to get the most recent information. Many of the businesses also have social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram where they post daily updates.
As always, this list is in no way extensive. Did your favorite make the cut?
This business opened four years ago on Albuquerque’s West Side and offers baked goods with a specialization in cakes. This Valentine’s Day, the shop is offering 10 different cookie packages ranging in price from $8 to $40. Some of the cookies available are Mickey Mouse, cookies that spell love and a mini-cookie set. The cookies must be ordered in advance by 6 p.m. on Feb. 6.
Customers will be able to pick up their orders at a scheduled time Feb. 12 or 13. There will also be other items for purchase in the store this week, but it will be closed on Feb. 14. Daily, it carries decorated cookies, cake pops, whoopie pies, cupcakes, keto bread and mini-pies.
BUFFETT’S CANDIES
7001 Lomas NE, 505-265-7731, buffettscandies.com
The Buffett family has been making candy for Albuquerque residents for more than six decades. Buffett’s Candies opened in 1956, and its sign has become an iconic marker along Lomas.
Manager and family member Tyler Buffett said Feb. 13 and 14 are the store’s two busiest days of the year. It carries chocolate, brittle, nuts and caramel corn. For Valentine’s Day, the store focuses on a large arrangement of heart boxes. It will also have chocolate-covered strawberries. Buffett warned that due to current pandemic capacity limits, people should not wait until the last minute to get their candy, especially if they want a custom packed box. He said the store starts to get busy about Feb. 11 and customers might consider stopping in before that.
“We are limited to only five people in the store right now, so we will try to get people out as quickly as possible,” he said. “There will probably be a line out the door.”
CHOCOLATE CARTEL
315 Juan Tabo NE, Suite A, 505-797-1193, chocolatecartel.com
This trendy shop fuses chocolate and chile, appealing to those who love both but might have never considered eating them together. The Diablo Dark Chocolate features red chile, giving it a spicy flavor.
It has a wide selection of chocolate boxes for Valentine’s Day as well as chocolate-covered strawberries. The Cupid’s Sampler box costs $21.95 and includes chocolate-covered almonds and pretzel sticks, dipped Oreos and truffles. The sampler comes with milk, dark or mixed chocolate. A truck will be parked in front of the shop Feb. 13 and 14, doing extra sales.
Call the store or visit the website for more information.
THE CHOCOLATE DUDE
3339 Central NE, Suite E, 505-639-5502, chocolatedudeabq.com
The Chocolate Dude provides an assortment of chocolate, with vegan options, and a large selection of coffee choices. The company uses cacao from Ecuador and is committed to using companies that pay their employees fair wages.
This Valentine’s season, the store will offer some traditional favorites such as chocolatecovered strawberries. It also sells some unique creations. There will be cake pops for $2; cheesecake bites for $7.95; frozen raspberries on a stick for $3.50; a $9.95 truffle box; strawberry boxes ranging from $20 to $40; and a large rose strawberry bouquet featuring a dozen chocolatecovered strawberries, half a dozen roses and three sticks of frozen raspberries for $67.95. Add a single rose to any order for $6.50.
The special Valentine’s Day items must be pre-ordered and picked up at a scheduled time. Pre-ordering will close Feb. 10 at the end of business day.
There will be a limited number of items for sale in the store Valentine’s Day weekend.
A HEAVENLY TASTE CAKERY
El Vado Motel ABQ, 2500 Central SW, No. 1, 505-730-4083
The owner of this boutique shop, Amanda Jones, has been creating sweet treats for almost a decade out of her home. She decided to make the venture more permanent by renting a space at the revitalized El Vado Motel on Central. Her sales have tripled since then.
“People told me I was crazy to open in the middle of a pandemic,” she said. “It blew up to something I never could have imagined.”
A Heavenly Taste Cakery sells cookies, cheesecake, slices of cake, cupcakes, candies and cake jars, which are their most popular item. The different flavored jars are filled with things like fruit, whipped cream, cookies and pudding.
For Valentine’s Day, it will sell a love box for $110 that has a dozen roses, a dozen berries and a bottle of local wine. There will also be a do-it-yourself cookie kit and chocolatecovered strawberries by the dozen. Breakable bear and heart boxes range from $60 to $75. These items must be ordered before Valentine’s Day. Orders can be placed by calling, visiting the shop or messaging it on Facebook. The shop will be open Valentine’s Day.
M’tucci’s is known for its great ambiance and unique menu choices at each of its three locations. It has also adapted to the lack of indoor dining by focusing on carryout options, including a variety of meal kits. It’s created a meal kit for Valentine’s Day and desserts to prepare at home that can be preordered and picked up Feb.12-14.
All restaurants will offer a $49 meal kit for two featuring buttered lobster cream cheese puff pastry with lemon cream caper beurre blanc appetizer. The entree is M’tuccis 6 ounce bacon-wrapped filet mignon, roasted asparagus and salt water potatoes with a creamy Tuscan garlic shrimp sauce. Cannoli with sweetened ricotta filling and chocolate-covered strawberries round out the meal.
Those just wanting dessert also have options. Dessert fondue kits can be pre-ordered for $25 at all locations and come with caramel chocolate ganache, chocolate brownie pieces, prosecco marshmallows, strawberries, palmier cookies and pound cake. Customers can stop in Feb. 12 to 14 to pick up a chocolate-covered red velvet cake roll filled with Chantilly cream, topped with raspberry meringue and chocolate cake pieces or one of the gelato and sorbet choices.
Q’S CAKES AND SWEETS BOUTIQUE
2720 Central SE, Suite D, 505-514-6775, qcakes.com
The shop is owned by Brooklyn native and Air Force veteran Queneesha Meyers, who fell in love with baking at 11 years old when she made her first batch of chocolate chip cookies that she handed out to other kids in the neighborhood.
After retiring from the military, she turned her attention to baking, finally opening her storefront in 2014.
She takes classic desserts and adds her own unique flair, including her line of “comfort food cakes” that features flavors such as green chile caramel apple and churro. Get your loved one a cupcake bouquet from Q’s Cakes and Sweets Boutique for $32. The frosting on the cupcakes is applied so it looks like the bloom on a flower. The cupcakes are then placed inside a box, resembling a bouquet. There’s something for men too. The $25 Men’s Chocolate Shoe Package features chocolate shaped like a shoe and filled with chocolate-covered strawberries. A $10 treat box will have candy and chocolate-covered Oreos and can be customized for him or her.
SEÑOR PALETA BAR AT THE MUNCHIES SPOT
5015 Menaul NE, 505-503-7045
Paleta bars are a frozen treat great for any occasion, including Valentine’s Day. The store has two Sweetheart Valentine’s Packs for Valentine’s Day. The first is a dozen chocolatecovered strawberries and three paletas for $29.99. The second deal comes with 12 covered strawberries and costs $20.99.
A paleta bar is the Mexican version of a Popsicle. It’s filled with fresh fruit and can be dipped in chocolate or rolled in a dry topping such as chili powder, candies or nuts.
The paleta bars at Señor go beyond the traditional recipes. Señor has bars with cookies and candy mixed in and even an avocado paleta.
SERGIO’S BAKERY & CAFE
2740 Wyoming NE, Suite 8, 505-554-2602 In addition to fresh meals, this shop has a large selection of baked goods at reasonable prices. It sells loaves of fresh baked bread, pastas, spaghetti sauce, pies, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts and fine dessert creations like cannoli, strawberry shortcake and cream puffs. It will be offering its signature boxes with a Valentine’s theme for $35. The box will have five miniature fine desserts, including chocolatecovered strawberries. Boxes must be ordered in advance by Feb. 10.
There will also be cookie decorating kits to do at home and chocolate-covered strawberries. The shop will have other Valentine’s Day treats available daily.
TWO BOYS DONUTS
6400 Holly NE, Suite H, 505302-0102, twoboysdonuts.com If candies and cakes aren’t your thing, how about doughnuts and coffee? Two Boys Donuts provides fresh, baked doughnuts daily. It’s owned by a couple, and its name was inspired by their two sons.
It will have Valentine’s Day-themed doughnuts available. Check the website, twoboysdonuts.com, for daily offerings. Regular flavors included glazed, strawberry frosted, chocolate with peanuts, powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar twists. There are also apple and blueberry fritters and cinnamon rolls.
It has a truck that parks at different locations in the city. Check the Facebook page or call the shop to find out where it will be. Gluten-free and vegan doughnuts are available with 24-hour notice.