Ditch the dishes and go out this Valentine's Day
Who actually wants to cook on Valentine’s Day? Unless you’re really trying to avoid overcrowded restaurants or save cash, it’s worth it to enjoy the night without worrying about the cleanup.
This handy list will organize the best V-Day venues for whatever stage your love life is in.
For single ladies looking to celebrate their love of girlfriends, try a fun place like Hotbox Cookies. What better way to show your friends some love than by sharing milk and cookies over a board game? With professors packing on the homework to catch up after the snow days, taking time to return to carefree kid time is well deserved.
If you’re looking for a healthier place to spend Valentine’s Day with a friend, try Yogoluv or Red Mango. Both serve frozen yogurt with various toppings that allow you to customize your dish. Both of these places are worth fitting in a lunch date on V-Day.
New relationship plans are way more stressful than older, more established relationships. What’s trying too hard? Will they think this is stupid? Do they want more? What assumptions should I make? OK, try to keep things simple. Try a dinner and movie date at Uprise Bakery and Ragtag Cinema. Uprise has vegetarian friendly options and hearty soups that are absolutely perfect for the weather. "Blue Valentine" starts showing this weekend, and who really wants to watch another predictable romantic comedy at the bigger theaters in town?
If you’re looking to be fun and adventurous, try eating at Going Bonkers, where its casual appetizer and pizza menu becomes secondary to the playground. Take some time to get to know your new cutie on an adult-friendly playground.
Psychological studies have proven that the best way to stay in love is to experience new things together, so why not spend Valentine’s Day trying an exotic cuisine?
If you’ve never tried true Mediterranean fare, I fully recommend Casablanca. They have delicious appetizers to sample (I recommend their soup or hummus) and plenty of vegetarian and omnivore-friendly dishes.
Want to try a more Eastern fare? Bangkok Gardens has a variety of Thai dishes and an interesting atmosphere. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce anything on the menu, the staff is good about describing flavors and spice levels and recommending dishes.
Columbia also has a variety of Japanese restaurants. A Google search gave me six in the Columbia area. My favorite is Kobe Steakhouse, where I frequently eat sushi. For a general sampler, try the Bento Box, which starts with Miso soup and ends with a literal box of various sushi dishes.
If you’re over 21 and want a romantic atmosphere, The Wine Cellar and Bistro is the place to go. The traditional French cuisine will quench the desire for an elegant, rich dinner and dessert to celebrate the evening.
