Just because you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day at home doesn’t mean you have to 1) cook, or 2) skimp on luxuries like truffle pasta or beef Wellington. One silver lining of pandemic, year three: chefs have their to-go game down when it comes to multi-course holiday specials.
Note that Valentine’s Day lands on a Monday this year, so many restaurants are offering specials through the weekend (and some are closed on Monday). In any case, pre-orders are already live—and many places require advance notice. Make your Valentine happy and plan accordingly.
Bantam King and Tonari
501 G St., NW; 707 Sixth St., NW
Looking for casual yet impressive V-Day takeout? Ramen and chicken shop Bantam King is offering a $55 package with a four-piece bucket plus dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, miso corn, rice topped with chicken drippings, and a flourless chocolate cake decorated in cherry blossoms for dessert. Sister restaurant Tonari—a new destination for Italian-Japanese cuisine—is serving a five-course menu for dine-in and to-go ($99 per person) with splurges like wagyu meatballs over spaghetti in an umeboshi-plum-pomodoro sauce. Pre-order for pickup, Feb. 10-12 and Feb. 14.
Bresca and Jônt
1906 14th St., NW
Chef Ryan Ratino’s Michelin-starred dining rooms are serving a four-course takeout menu that doesn’t skimp on the fancy stuff. In the luxe lineup: a foie gras terrine, truffle fondue, surf n’ turf with wagyu beef and lobster, and rare Japanese strawberries dipped in chocolate. It ain’t cheap ($245 per person), but neither is your Valentine. Order online for pickup, Feb. 11-Feb. 13.
Buffalo & Bergen
Capitol Hill and Union Market locations
If your Valentine is all about breakfast in bed, Gina Chersevani’s “You’re My Everything” bagel package is a sweet treat ($65 for two). The kit includes two everything bagels with house-made horseradish cream cheese, whiskey-cured lox, a bottle of Champagne, and fresh orange juice. Pick up Feb. 11-14.
Chaia
Georgetown and Chinatown locations
Want to score points with your special someone by ordering a cute and casual Valentine’s Day lunch or dinner? Veggie-centric taqueria Chaia is offering pink tortillas for the holiday (using natural beet root powder, of course). Extra points if you send it delivery to your Valentine’s office or home desk. Available Feb. 14.
Chiko
Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, Bethesda, and Shirlington locations
Typically we shy away from things like pink and/or heart-shaped food for Valentine’s Day, but the red-hued takeout menu ($90 for two) from these Chinese-Korean spots sounds great: chili wontons, char siu pork, lobster stir fry, red velvet cake…hard to go wrong here. Pre-order online for dinner on Feb. 14.
Cut by Wolfgang Puck
1050 31st St., NW
The Georgetown chophouse offers a fine dining takeout package ($295 for two) with dishes like Maine lobster and prawn ravioli, filet mignon Wellingtons, steakhouse sides, and panna cotta. Pre-order online for pickup on Feb. 14.
Gravitas
1401 Okie St., NE
Chef Matt Baker’s Michelin-starred tasting room is offering a three-course takeout menu in addition to dine-in. The package ($110 for two) includes roasted lobster bisque, a grilled New York strip entree, and chocolate tortes for dessert. Diners can also add bottle of wine or a cocktail package for two. If you’re into breakfast in bed, sister market Baker’s Daughter makes a take-home Valentine’s brunch ($56 for two). Order online for pickup and delivery; February 11 through 14.
Green Almond Pantry
3210 Grace St., NW
Chef Cagla Onal’s lovely Mediterranean spot in Georgetown is a one-stop-shop Valentine’s Day market and takeout destination on Sunday, Feb. 13 from 11 AM to 2 PM. In addition to ready-heat meals like homemade baked rotolo pasta ($18) and duck confit or short ribs ($24 to $26), a variety of local vendors will be selling gifts and flowers. Look for An Made naturally-dyed textiles, new ceramics and wood wares from Material Things Studio, bouquets from Bad Saint’s Genevieve Villamora (available for pre-order here), and more. Food can be pre-ordered online here.
Kinship
1015 Seventh St., NW
Michelin-starred chef Eric Ziebold puts on a refined Valentine’s spread to-go as well as dine-in options at the Shaw restaurant. The four-course takeout prix-fixe ($225 for two) starts with tuna tartare, followed by lobster tagliatelle, roast Cornish chicken with potato-truffle casserole and Brussels sprouts, and a chocolate-y finish. Pre-order online for takeout Feb. 14.
La Famosa
1300 Fourth St., SE
The Puerto Rican restaurant is offering a special “Mucho Amor” carryout package ($85 for two), which includes a three-course dinner starring Puerto Rican-style porchetta with an herb mojo sauce, a riff on mofongo (smashed plantains), and chocolate torta. Looking for a gift? Diners can add treats from local partners, including flowers from local florist Concrete Rose Floral ($50) or a box of hand-made truffles from Artisan Confections ($12). Pre-order for pickup Feb. 11-14.
Little Serow
1511 17th St., NW
Chef Johnny Monis is planning a special nine-course takeout menu for Valentine’s Day weekend at his fiery Thai restaurant. The $140 spread for two includes shareable plates like crab steamed buns, Isaan-style duck laap, glass noodles with pork belly and shrimp, beef panang curry, and more (plus complimentary rice and cooling veggies). You can also add spice-friendly wines and bubbles from the suggested pairings. And if you’re looking for a cool foodie gift, sister restaurant Happy Gyro next door is selling a number of sweet gift ideas, including ice cream telegrams and a “chocolate fiend” gift box. Pre-order online for pickup, Feb 11, 12, and 14.
Mélange
449 K St., NW
Chef Elias Taddesse blends his Ethiopian heritage and French fine-dining training at the Mount Vernon Triangle spot (dine-in and takeout). A limited number of Valentine’s Day to-go packages ($150 for two) are available, featuring dishes like kibbeh-aged beef tenderloin, mascarpone cheesecake, and more. Order online by Feb. 10 for pickup on Feb. 12 and 13.
Modena
1100 New York Ave., NW
Chef John Melfi is serving a three-course Italian holiday meal, available for dine-in or pickup. Guests have plenty of options between primi (we like the sound of wood-grilled octopus or tortellini en brodo), secondi such as butter-poached lobster fra diavola, and desserts. Menu is available here; call for pickup on Feb. 14.
Nina May
1337 11th St., NW
In addition to a dine-in celebration, chef Colin McClimans offers a multi-course, family-style $80 per-person “chef’s choice” menu to-go with courses like cacio e pepe agnolotti, pan-seared rockfish, glazed duck, and chocolate tarts. All can be paired with beverage director Danilo Simic’s specialty Valentine’s Day cocktails. Pre-order online for pickup on Feb. 14.
Pennyroyal Station
3310 Rhode Island Ave., Mount Rainier
Pennyroyal caters equally to omnivores and vegans—and the same is true for Valentine’s Day takeout. Both chef Jesse Miller’s menus ($80 for two) come with comforting dishes like soups (lobster bisque for one, “cream” of mushroom for the other) and a main event of braised beef short ribs or vegetable Wellington. Pre-order by Feb. 6 for pickup between 2 and 4 PM on Feb. 13.
Shilling Canning Company
360 Water St., SE
Chef Reid Shilling is offering a seasonal American feast to-go as well as dine-in on Valentine’s Day—which includes vegetarian options for every course. Start off with ramp biscuits before dishes like ember-roasted beets with house-made ricotta, wood-oven roasted lobster thermidor, butternut squash wellington, and more ($115 per person). Diners can also order a three-course prix-fixe ($60-$65). Pre-order online for pickup.
Stellina
399 Morse St., NE; 2800 S Randolph St., Arlington
You may know these Italian spots for pizza, but the Valentine’s take-home dinner package goes upscale with a four-course dinner for two for $150. Dishes include hamachi crudo with blood orange and pistachio pesto, heart-shaped ravioli with oyster and caviar sauce, asparagus-crusted butter-poached halibut, and chocolate semifreddo. Pre-order online by Feb. 10 for pickup Feb 11-13.
Taqueria Xochi
924 U St., NW
If your love language is birria, consommé your relationship at this U Street taco spot. Now through Feb. 14, a heart-shaped taco box is available with your choice of six street-style tacos or quesabirria tacos (starting at $30). Pre-order online for pickup.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
