Culture, Entertainment, Food

Valentine’s Day for Singles

A good friend who is single said she loved this blog’s ideas about Valentine’s Day Bests, but she doesn’t have a boyfriend or partner and the ideas are beyond her budget. So, thought I, why not write a post about ideas to celebrate for under $100. So here are ideas for Valentine’s Day for singles and also, tips for self pampering to make every day special.

Have a festive dinner at home without cooking. Head to Joe’s Take Away for some of Miami’s tastiest claws in town like their famed stone crabs ($29.95 for 7 medium crabs). Get the sides (creamed spinach and hashed browns) or just make a beautiful salad, team it up with your favorite wine (for a new treat, perhaps a bottle of Maison Angelvin rose?) and eat by candlelight.

Go to a gastrobar like Bulla in Coral Gables or any other place with a bustling bar scene where you can sit at the bar, have some tapas or light bites of delicacies you wouldn’t normally order, and splurge on a glass of fine wine you always wanted to try.

Buy yourself a box of gourmet chocolates from places like Beacon Hill Chocolates on Biscayne Boulevard, Romanicos on Coral Way or Guayaba y Chocolate on Calle Ocho. Have the heavenly bites with a glass of well chilled champagne or Prosecco and watch your favorite movie.

Get a group of girl or guy friends together, go to one of Miami’s art film theaters or better yet, the iPic theater with plush seating (and unlimited popcorn) and order one of their bottles that’s a total experience. Buy a bottle of your favorite liquor, say Grey Goose, starting at $100. The experience includes a glass of rose for 6 people, your choice of puree which can include blood orange, strawberry lemonade, passion fruit, or others; and a series of garnishes. The combo is then “flamed” with nitrogen with dramatic flair (serves 6) .

Bottle service includes a glass of Rose, choice of fruit puree, garnishes and a full show of mixology

Move ahead on your agenda to write your profile and do online dating. Check out my friend Natalie Moore’s book, It’s a Match, The Guide to Finding Lasting Love sold on Amazon (you can download a chapter for free). And, at the same time you can find out about the Divorcees Getaway she is hosting (for all solos) in May complete with workshops and social events.

DIY spa evening. Fill up the tub with bubble bath (I like this lavender one from Whole Foods as it’s a lovely fragrance but isn’t oily), light a fragrant candle, pour yourself a glass of bubbly and some spa tunes. Voila. A sensual experience.

And for a splurge , order online or pick up a tin of premier Caviar at the new Caviar Russe boutique on Brickell Avenue at the Four Seasons Tower. The amber hued caviar eggs of the Caspian Osetra offer a mild yet precise indulgence which starts at $145 for 28oz. Team it up with some blinis and creme fraiche.