Let’s just admit it: Valentine’s Day sucks.
For everyone in relationships, it’s simply a bank-breaking obligation. For the single, it’s a day spent updating relationship statuses on Facebook or overdosing on conversation hearts while watching “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
I wouldn’t normally advise healing a broken heart or relationship woes with food (we’re humans, after all, not dogs), but this year, let’s make an exception. Instead of spending a fortune on roses and Godiva chocolates this Valentine’s Day, I suggest indulging in some of D.C.’s best gourmet offerings.
Here are four epicurean spots that offer delicious gifts and promise to delight even the grouchiest of Valentine’s haters.
Praline Bakery
Bethesda’s Praline Bakery is a pastry-holic’s haven. The bakery has your typical buttery almond croissant and chocolate chip cookie, but the menu is chock-full of interesting treats like rustic apple tarts and citrus-flavored mousses.
Branch out from the expected box of chocolates and give your sweetheart a bag of the Parisian, pastel-colored macaroons. The light, flaky macaroon shell pairs perfectly with the soft, gooey center and comes in mouth-watering flavors like pistachio and tart raspberry.
Planning a romantic breakfast for your sweetheart? Praline Bakery has you covered with flavorful pound cakes, like lemon blueberry and sour cream streusel. Pair a slice with a foamy, rich cappuccino and you’ll make them fall in love all over again.
Secolari Olive Oil and Vinegar Shop
Nestled along Bethesda Row, Secolari is the newest addition to the chic Maryland suburb. The tiny oil and vinegar emporium offers vats upon vats of fruity olive oils and balsamics, which patrons can use to fill Secolari’s own recycled glass bottles. Ask for vinegar and oil combination suggestions and have the store box up the bottles in a rustic, wooden box.
You can also find unique culinary treats at Secolari, such as red pepper marmalades, pickled green bean spears and spicy sesame rubs for fish and chicken. You can still find goodies for the non-foodie as well: the shop has a wide range of herbal soaps and candy-colored bath salts.
Dean and Deluca
This New York-based shop with a Georgetown location is the holy grail of grocery stores. Dean and Deluca is loaded with crusty breads, the finest meats around, an enormous cheese selection and fresh produce.
You’re sure to find ingredients for a gourmet meal in this artisan mecca. From Tuscan wines and French de Puy lentils, Dean and Deluca is also a place for those hard-to-find ingredients you can’t get at Safeway.
And let’s not forget the mouth-watering prepared food section, which features everything from Indian samosas to Waldorf chicken salad to meaty, lumpy crab cakes.
Grab a few tulip stems from the fresh-cut flower section and call it a day.
Cowgirl Creamery
Nothing says I love you more than cheese, and Cowgirl Creamery offers the best in the city. Located not far from the Metro Center stop, Cowgirl Creamery is known and regarded for its high quality, organic cheese.
Try the award-winning Red Hawk, a delightful organic cow’s milk cheese, or the tangy Inverness, which has a Brie-like gooeyness. The Devil’ Gulch is also a standout with its red pepper flake rind that adds a spicy kick. And just in time for Valentine’s, Cowgirl Creamery offers a special cheese-lover’s gift, featuring triple-crème, sheep’s milk and goat cheeses, along with dark chocolate and nutty crostini.
