‘Anti-Valentines’
courtesy of ‘septuagesima’

So when you’re not dating someone on Valentine’s Day you pretty much just want the day to disappear.  So there’s no graceful way to start this post, I’m going to just dive right into all things that you should do on Valentine’s Day when you’re not really celebrating it. I don’t call it the anti-Valentine’s Day, because it’s not exactly. I’ve got advice for the ladies who like to go out with their friends, for those of you who need dinner but don’t want to be around goopy couples all over each other, for people thinking they’ll get lucky in love on the day made for love, and for guys who want to go out with their friends. So read on, romancer, and let’s start forgetting this holiday ever existed.

Go Somewhere That Doesn’t Have a Menu For Couples (cause that makes us want to vom).

On Saturday, February 13th, AGAINN will feature an anti-Valentine’s Day menu for singles with a three-course menu inspired by the cuisine of the British Isles, priced at $39 per person. Prepared by Executive Chef Wesley Morton, the menu begins with a choice of Celery Root Soup served with Stilton Mousse and Grated Apples or House-made Black Pudding served with a Fried Egg, Petite Mustard Greens and Toast followed by a choice of Grilled Salmon Served with King Richard Leeks, Olive Oil Crusted Butterball Potatoes and Watercress Broth or Mixed Grill of Tamworth Pork with 10-Hour Roast Shoulder, Crispy Belly, House-Made Sausage and Sage Dumplings Served with Brussels Sprouts and Heirloom Apple Sauce. For the perfect ending, guests will dine on Spotted Dick Served with Maple Rum Custard. I am going to refrain from jokes about dicks.**

‘Champagne’
courtesy of ‘simon_cocks’

Go Out With The Girls (cause, you know, chicks before dicks.) (annnd there’s my dick joke.**)

Poste is offering everyone roses. Rose wine, that is. A weekend of roses, in fact, starting Friday. I think it would be super cute to belly up to the bar with your closest girlfriends and sip classy wine and ignore the couple making out in the corner. Poste is offering a choice of ½ dozen or dozen roses. The 1/2 dozen rose option ($20) will include 2 oz pours of 3 different sparkling roses (to be paired with dinner). The one dozen option ($35) will offer 4 oz pours of the 3 different sparkling wines. Chef will also do a special of Randall Lineback Rose Veal Schnitzel with winter black truffle risotto. So basically, go get drunk on pink wine. WIN.

Go Somewhere To Meet People Who Are Also Single. (I have no snarky parenthesis here.)

So if Facebook and Twitter are the new phone number, then Restaurant 3 has you covered. Throughout the week of Valentine’s Day, guests at 3 in Arlington will no longer have stare at a number entered into their Blackberry with the name “hot girl” and wonder who it is. With the help of fill-in-the-blank napkins, your path to love is clear. These handy napkins come already printed with space for a name, phone number, twitter feed and Facebook page, and tell you exactly where the encounter happened. So no matter how fuzzy your memories of the night before, it’s all right there for you. The Fill-in-the-Blank napkins will be available at 3 throughout the week of Valentine’s Day.

In the vein of things that sound awful to me but might sound fun to you, PassionFish in Reston is holding a “Singles Mixer” on Saturday for an evening of delicious cocktails, hors d’oeurves, and endless possibilities. At a steep $70 per person, you should be hoping for more than endless possibilities, you should be hoping for a sure thing.

Go Out With The Guys. Or, Err… Don’t. (Brought to you by Kirk)

This is what happened when I tried to come up with ideas for what activities guys could do with their guy friends on Valentine’s Day.

[Setting: Gchat]
me: ok help. so, i’m doing an anti-valentine’s day round up of what the heck to do when you’re not dating someone on valentine’s day and i’ve got a bunch of girls ideas but would guys actually go out in a group of guys for valentine’s day? that sounds very un-manly. if you were to, though, what would you do?
WLDC Author Kirk: play video games and think of all the money we’re saving by not having to take anyone to dinner and not having to buy flowers, or jewelry or candy
me: HAHAHAHAHAHA. right. but where, if you were to go out?
Kirk: no.
Kirk: it’s just a state of mind
me: DAMN IT KIRK WORK WITH ME
Kirk: haha
me: i mean i get that it’s a reach
Kirk: going out on v-day is not what single, hetero guys do

So, fine. Whatever, dudes, you’re on your own.

You’re in love and dating and are going to be that smooshy couple on Valentine’s and are still reading this post trying to see if I throw you a bone.

FINE. Here’s what a link to my Restaurants For Any Stage of Your Relationship post. Don’t say I never did anything for you.

(**SORRY MOM)

Katie

Katie moved to DC in 2007, and has since embarked upon a love affair with the city. She’s an education reform advocate and communications professional during the day; at night and on the weekends, she’s an owner here at We Love DC. Katie has high goals to eat herself through the entire city, with only her running shoes to save her from herself. For up-to-the-minute news and reviews (among other musings), follow her on Twitter!