East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District offers a plethora of gift-giving essentials, locally made chocolates, intricate floral arrangements and top-tier date night spots for one romantic, unforgettable Valentine’s Day – to spend with one’s better half, “Galentine”, or even solo as the ultimate practice of self-care.
The simple and easy yet thoughtful go-to gift to give [or keep] each year for Valentine’s Day is the classic flowers and chocolates duo. Creations By Coppola (1724 E. Passyunk Ave.) custom crafts elaborate floral arrangements, with bouquets available for pre-order online, and Grab & Go bouquets ready for pick-up in-store. A short trek down the Avenue, Favors and Flavors (1827 E. Passyunk Ave.) offers decadent sweets including chocolate-covered strawberries, custom candy bouquets and personalized gift baskets.
When it comes to reserving a table for two or snagging a solo seat at the bar on Valentine’s Day, standout Avenue restaurants and bars open for service on Feb. 14 include Barcelona Wine Bar, Bing Bing Dim Sum, Le Virtù, Noir, Pistolas del Sur and Triangle Tavern.
As for gifting personalized and one-of-a-kind presents for someone special, various local retailers and services offer a plethora of items including hand-crafted, custom heart-shaped earrings, rings and pendants from Sermania Jewelry (1719 E. Passyunk Ave.). Along the Avenue, Deja 42 Art Gallery (1912 E. Passyunk Ave.) is an ideal source for sentimental gifts ranging from local art to jewelry to home décor, while Occasionette (1825 E. Passyunk Ave.) boasts an extensive selection of Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day greeting cards, chocolate and candy, jewelry, candles, self-care necessities and more.
For those furry, four-legged Valentine’s, Amelie’s Bark Shop (1544 E. Passyunk Ave.) has red- and white-themed bow ties for cats and dogs to accessorize, Valentine’s Mystery Boxes brimming with surprise goodies and an assortment of heart-shaped treats monogrammed with notes such as “Puppy Love,” “I Chews You” and “XOXO.” All items are available for on-site shopping and online ordering for pick-up and delivery.
Post-Valentine’s Day celebrations can be found in the form of Love Notes 2.0 … Sour Notes, a cabaret-style show hosted by East Passyunk Opera Project at Society Hill Dance Academy [1919 E. Passyunk Ave.] featuring local artists singing opera, musical theater and art songs that explore the “other” side of love (i.e. sad, angry, breaking up) on Feb. 19.
Valentine’s Day-themed lottery drawings
The Pennsylvania Lottery’s A Dozen Roses Second-Chance Drawing is now open to players, offering a total of $260,000 in prizes, including money to play the Pennsylvania Lottery online.
This is the Lottery’s third annual Valentine’s Day-themed Second-Chance Drawing that features Scratch-Off and Fast Play games.
Between now and Feb. 17, players may enter any non-winning Love 2 Win, My Lucky Valentine and Perfect Match Scratch-Off tickets. Players who enter these tickets have a chance to win one of 10 top prizes of $12,000, one of five prizes of $4,000, one of 14 prizes of $1,000, one of 10 prizes of $100 and one of 50 prizes of $100 to play online.
Players may enter the following non-winning Fast Play tickets into this Second-Chance Drawing: Lucky in Love, Cupcake Cash and Bee Mine. Players who enter these tickets have a chance to win one of five top prizes of $12,000, one of five prizes of $4,000, one of 14 prizes of $1,000, one of 10 prizes of $100 and one of 50 prizes of $100 to play online.
Love 2 Win and Lucky in Love will award five entries each, My Lucky Valentine and Cupcake Cash will award two entries each, and Perfect Match and Bee Mine will award one entry each. A 12X entry multiplier will be randomly awarded.
Enter through the VIP Players Club at palottery.com after reviewing entry instructions, prize details, rules, restrictions and drawing information. Winners will be announced at palottery.com.
Valentine’s shows at jazz club
Chris’ Jazz Café, 1421 Sansom St., will be celebrating with pre-Valentine’s Day shows that kick off Friday, Feb. 11, with vocalist Denise King. On Saturday, Feb. 12, Anaïs Reno takes the stage.
The club is closed on Sunday, Feb., 13, but on Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14, Chris’ continues the tradition of hosting songstress Joanna Pascale. An additional seating has been added to the performance with dinner and show packages ($85 per person) at 6, 8 and 10 p.m.
All guests must show proof of vaccination with a photo ID to gain entry.
To learn more or to make reservations, call 215-568-3131 or visit http://www.ChrisJazzCafe.com.
Valentine’s Day-themed workshop at Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, will host a junior scientist workshop, How Do Plants Communicate?, on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The workshop is for kids in grades 3-5.
Youngsters will learn to interpret the signals that plants send, from “Stay away!” to “Help me move!” They will explore plant chemical defenses as well as plant and animal interactions.
Also, they will examine Valentine’s Day flowers and fruits to discover all the ways that plants communicate with friends and foes. They will enjoy a guided taste test of chocolate, peppers and other botanicals to find out just how good plants are at communicating.
For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/3Da6brG.
Fond reopens for one night
Fond, the acclaimed Three-Bell Restaurant in the East Passyunk neighborhood, returns for one final farewell service in honor of Valentine’s Day with A Fond Farewell Valentine, featuring a carefully curated five-course menu prepared personally by chef and owner Lee Styer served with complementing wine pairings, available for one seating only at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 for $500 a couple.
The South Philadelphia culinary institution closed in December after 12 years in business with the goal of moving its sister restaurant The Dutch into the space on 11th and Tasker in spring of this year and expanding service to dinner with a full bar. Fans of the French restaurant and bar will see Styer as he prepares, cooks and serves guests a multi-course dinner from start to finish. The seating is limited to a total of 18 guests, and the Chef’s Table is available for a four- to six-person party. Reservations for A Fond Farewell Valentine are recommended, and can be made by sending an email to info@fondphilly.com.
