Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday this year, but with President's Day on Monday, you can still sleep in the next day! Make it a Valentine's Weekend with the events below. Steal away with your partner to Monterey, Salinas, Carmel Valley, Pacific Grove, the Salinas Valley, Seaside or Carmel-by-the-Sea!
Throughout February, celebrate your romance with romantic special offers from hotels, restaurants, spas and other businesses throughout Monterey County. Click here to view the area's best romantic offers, and start planning your February romantic getaway. And for even more budget-conscious romantic ideas, don't miss our Romance on a Shoestring article.
If your partner is in love with wine, don't miss the Pisoni Winemaker Dinner at the Terrace Grill at La Playa Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Winemaker Gary Pisoni hosts and pours Pisoni wines perfectly paired with the five course meal prepared by Executive Chef Bunyan Fortune. 6:30pm, call 831-624-6476 to reserve.
Warm up for a romantic Valentine's Day with the Valentine's Passport event on Saturday, February 13! Indulge in wine, chocolates, and special discounts when you get this passport to twelve of Monterey County's best wineries. You'll get to taste special vintages and rarely-tasted wines at every spot, eat great appetizers, and listen to live music. All guests recieve a souvenir glass and a special gift. You'll even be entered into a drawing for a special prize! Passports are $20 until February 1 and $25 after. Learn more at the River Road Wine Trail website.
Learn some skills you can take home and romance each other with again and again! Learn about great chocolate recipes with pastry chef Ben Spungin, who will also demonstrate his signature desserts. Then experience organic and all-natural essential oils from renowned Carmel-by-the-Sea perfumery and apothecary Ajne. Attendees will then enjoy a private table at Chef Cal Stamenov's grand wine country buffet. 11am-3pm, $95 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity. Contact Bernardus Lodge to make reservations.
Celebrate romance in John Steinbeck's childhood home in Salinas. The Steinbeck House holds a Victorian Valentine's Tea from 1-3pm, featuring special tea blends, an array of tea sandwiches and sweets. That evening, for the first time ever, the Steinbeck House will offer a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. The prix fixe menu includes a choice of soup or salad, New York Steak or salmon, and creme brulee or chocolate flan. 6-9pm, $40/person includes a glass of Monterey County wine. Call 831-424-2735 to reserve.
Carmel Walks hosts a special tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea called "A Walk For Lovers," just in time for Valentine's Day weekend. The walk takes visitors past Carmel's most romantic spots as the tour leader shares Carmel's romantic stories. 2pm, $25/person. Call 831-642-2700 for reservations.
If golf is your partner's other passion, take them to Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside for a four-course dinner that includes views of the golf course and Monterey Bay. $24.95 per person, call 831-899-5954 for reservations.
Take an adults-only tour on the wild side! Spend a fun-filled evening exploring the "naughty by nature" mating behaviors of the animal kingdom at Wild Things. As you take the tour, you'll compete in the "Mating Game" competition. The winning couple will receive a gift certificate for a night at the Safari Bed and Breakfast! The tour is followed by a chocolate and sparkling cider reception, as well as the opportunity to have your photo taken with a wild animal. 7:30-9:30pm, $25/person, reservations are required. Dinner packages also available. Call 831-455-1901 ext. 3 to reserve.
What could be better than a four-course meal with perfectly paired wine, accompanied by live entertainment? Dine and dance the night away with jazz from Charmaigne Scott and her Love Ensemble at Chateau Coralini just off the River Road Wine Trail. The event includes live entertainment, a reception and a four course meal, for only $125 a person. 6:30-11:30pm; contact Chateau Coralini for reservations. Weekend packages also available.
Experience an unforgettable Valentine's Day journey wine tasting in the aesthetic beauty of Carmel Valley aboard Tours Monterey's "The Love Trolley." The tour picks up at Monterey's Portola Hotel and Spa at 11:00 AM and visits 5 different wineries! $54/person.
Pacific Grove's Fandango Restaurant hosts a special Valentine's Day L'Amour Brunch. The menu includes champagne, mimosas, Ramos Fizzes or sparkling French lemonade; a fresh fruit salad or spinach salad; filet mignon Benedict, smoked salmon Benedict, cheese blintzes or quiche Lorraine; coffee service; and a L'Amour heart-shaped cookie treat, all for $23.95 per person. 11:30am-2:30pm. Reservations required; call 831-372-3456 to reserve.
Golf fans can indulge their love of the game and their love for their partner on Valentine's Day with a champagne brunch at Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses in Seaside. $27.95; call 831-899-5954 for reservations.
Artist and cartoonist Wolfgang Niesielski will draw unique and memorable "couples" caricatures at Taste Morgan's "Portraits, Pairs and Pinot" Valentine's Day event at their tasting room at the Crossroads Shopping Village in Carmel. Portraits are complimentary with a minimum 2-bottle purchase. 12:30pm-4:30pm.
Celebrate Valentine's Day with an outrageouosly decadent chocolate buffet at Bernardus Lodge. Pastry chef Ben Spungin's buffet includes handmade chocolate truffles, spiced hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, Valrhona chocolate pudding with candied orange, chocolate croissants, chocolate cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting, flourless chocolate cake, cashew-chip biscotti, chocolate cookies and dessert bars and homemade ice creams and sorbets. There will also be an Illy espresso and chocolate bar, as well as California sparkling wines and newly released Bernardus wines poured by Wine Director Mark Jensen. $55 inclusive of tax and gratuity; seating begins at 2pm. Contact Bernardus Lodge to make reservations.
Aubergine executive chef Christophe Grosjean and Executive Pastry Chef Ron Mendoza have planned two over-the-top menus of sumptuous dishes, brilliant wines and decadent desserts for Valentine's Day in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The 5:30 seating has a five-course menu ($125 per person, $220 per person with wine pairings, not inclusive of tax and gratuity), while the second seating (8:30pm to close) has an outrageously indulgent eight-course menu ($150 per person, $260 per person with wine pairings, not inclusive of tax and gratuity). Call 831-622-5907 to reserve.
Have a special Valentine's Day dinner at one of the most romantic places in Central California. The Zagat Survey has rated Marinus at Bernardus Lodge as one of the "Most Romantic" restaurants south of San Francisco since 2001. For Valentine's Day, Chef Cal Stamenov has designed a special 5-course tasting menu with choices in each category. $125 per person, 6pm-10pm, call 831-658-3595 to reserve.
Carmel-by-the-Sea's La Playa Hotel offers an entire Valentine's Day experience with an ocean view. Guests will receive a glass of champagne upon arrival and a rose for their sweetheart as a classical guitarist sets the mood. Chef Bunyan Fortune's four course dinner in the Ocean View Ballroom includes lobster or filet mignon. Seatings at 6 and 8pm. $49 per person inclusive; stay the night for a special rate of $149. Call 831-624-6476 x488 to reserve.
Bring your sweetie in to the Duck Club Grill at Monterey Plaza Hotel for the special treatment on February 14th and enjoy a romantic ocean front dinner for two. You'll receive a complimentary dessert with the purchase of two entrees. Call 831-646-1706 to reserve.
Drink "the nectar for lovers," absinthe, and enjoy unique dinner specials at Bistro Beaujolais in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Valentine's Day drink specials include a number of cocktails featuring the exotic spirit absinthe. Martin Shears will serenade diners with romantic music. Call 831-624-5600 to reserve.
On February 12—14, Monterey Bay Sailing offers romantic Sunset Dinner Cruises. Take a two-hour sail on a 30 foot private sailing vessel and watch the sun set as you enjoy a four-course meal. The sail departs at 3:30pm and returns at 5:30pm. $349; call 831-372-7245 to reserve.
Celebrate your perfect match with the perfect pair of red wine and chocolate. Enjoy a sumptuous selection of chocolates on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm to complement Chateau Julien's red wines. $5/person, complimentary for club members.
Enjoy a romantic four-course meal with a breathtaking view of Quail Lodge Golf Course at Edgar's in Carmel. Menu selections include Artichoke Bisque, Grilled Wild Prawn and Lemon Mousseline Salad, Tournedos of Beef Tenderloin Henri IV with Béarnaise Sauce and Grilled Wild-caught Peppered Salmon. The meal ends with an intense Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse. $30 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Call 831-620-8910 to reserve.
Enjoy special Valentine's treatments like the Romance Ritual and Cupid's Rose Sole Revival at The Spa at Quail Lodge in Carmel. Other Valentine's Day specials include Spa Spectacular half-price treatments, including a Spa Manicure and Pedicure Combo for $50, a 50-minute massage or facial for $75 or a 50-minute massage and facial for $125. Call 831-620-8811 to reserve.
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942 1-877-MONTEREY info@mccvb.org
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
© Copyright 2009 Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
