The announcements inundating our email inboxes this semester made it difficult to forget the approach of Valentine’s Day—Bon Appétit has singlehandedly taken up the role of reminding us about this upcoming holiday for several weeks now by sending us reminder e-mails and posting bulletins in Usdan about the (admittedly impressive) Valentine’s feast.
However, many of us are still without plans for this quintessential Hallmark Holiday. We’re here to help you out.
Whether you want to spend the holiday alone, with friends, or with a special someone, here are some Middletown mainstays to get you through Feb. 14 without wanting to strangle Cupid.
Goin’ it Solo:
We understand—being single and celebrating Valentine’s Day can be hard. Instead of ignoring it, some single Wesleyan students still intend to honor the holiday, at least in their own ways. Take it from Andrew Postman ’15—sometimes reveling in your singleness is by far the most pleasant option.
“I’m sitting alone in my room eating chocolate and listening to Adele,” Postman said.
We also suggest watching some truly excellent Valentine’s day episodes of great TV shows—try out the “Friends” episode “The One With the Candy Hearts,” or “Anna Howard Shaw Day” from “30 Rock.”
For other Internet-based entertainment, try out buzzfeed.com. The website has debuted a stunning collection of sarcastic cards, all available on etsy.com, aimed at those uninterested in the traditional “roses are red” version. If you’re feeling extra snarky, order several misanthropic cards from this small-business site and distribute them to your similarly romantically disinclined friends.
If you’re looking to get out of the dorm, bundle up in your coziest sweater and scarf and try taking a walk toward Long Lane Farm at sunset.
With Your BFFs
Reminding yourself of how awesome your friends are, or reminding yourself of how awesome you are as a friend, is another way to commemorate a day that really is all about love—in any form.
“My plans for Valentine’s Day include a fuzzy blanket, lots of ice cream, and being a lot of my friends’ backup boyfriend,” said Colin Russell ’15.
If you want to have more concrete plans with your friends, we suggest offering your patronage at one of the great restaurants located in Middletown. Since you’re going “non-traditional” by eating with friends, try a traditional Valentine’s meal—Italian.
Yes, you could go to Esca or First and Last Tavern—both of which are sure to be swamped on V-Day by those looking for fancy dishes or “Lady and the Tramp”—style spaghetti—but we here at The Argus suggest that you get adventurous this Tuesday and look off the beaten path.
Check out the tasty Cantina Café Ristorante, a basement eatery underneath the Middletown Italian Society on Court St. toward the river. The pasta dishes are huge and large enough to feed two to three people easily, so don’t be deterred by their seemingly steep price tag. Just ask for a few plates to share so that you can keep that nasty norovirus at bay!
After dinner, consider taking a leisurely walk down Main Street to one of Middletown’s newest additions, the NoRA cupcake shop. We can be fairly assured that they’ll go all out for V-Day, if their front window gives any hints. They offer both vegan and gluten-free options.
Of course, you might have gone the Wes route and already booked your reservations with Bon Appétit at Le Club D.F.C. (a.k.a. the Daniel Family Commons) this Tuesday. This is a great event to attend with friends, as you’ll be guaranteed a spot and shouldn’t have to worry about finding a table for nine, as you might at other local establishments.
On a Date
If you are one of the few Wes students who still goes on dates instead of saying, “You know, we’ll just see each other when we see each other,” then you go, Glenn Coco, you go.
Take advantage of your unusual plan-making abilities and spend a unique evening with that special someone. Drive to someplace new—perhaps stray past Middletown’s watchful eye to Portland or Hartford.
If your mobility is restricted, then try the refurbished Iguanas Ranas; it has a semi-new location on Main Street. We suggest ordering their mole enchiladas. With a rich, delicious Oaxacan sauce that incorporates chocolate, this delicious plate is the perfect start to a V-day feast.
If you’re not in the mood for Mexican, ION is another good bet. It’s also great for couples who need chalk-drawings to fill those awkward silences.
The classic O’Rourke’s is also offering a special Valentine’s Day menu, complete with vegetarian options and decadent desert.
If you are not completely stuffed following your delicious and romantic dinner, walk over to Tschudin Chocolates, ideally while holding hands ironically and ranting about the corporatization of Valentine’s Day like a true Wes student. When you get to Tschudin, let Rob make you something exquisite in his adorable and fussy way and try to snag one of the two tiny tables in the shop to eat your dessert. Or, ask for a few of his delicious chocolates to go. We highly suggest anything with exotic spices or labeled “Forest Gump.”
Once you have your chocolates, head back to a dorm and settle down to eat them while watching an excellent, atypically romantic movie. We here at The Argus highly suggest “Let The Right One In,” a Scandinavian horror movie that’s a little like a badass “Twilight” with twelve-year-olds—a flick that manages to make a whole lot of blood, guts, and torment adorable. At least one of our staff members was unable to make it through this movie without pausing it several times to make out.
We only hope that you are so lucky this Valentine’s Day.