Giving red roses or a heart-shaped box of chocolates to someone you love on Valentine’s Day is lovely, but if you want to break with tradition, there are plenty of other options you can both enjoy.
You could work the Valentine’s chocolate off by hitting the dance floor in Qualicum Bay.
The Maloomba Boogie Band is celebrating love and their 25 year anniversary at the Lighthouse Community Centre Feb. 14.
Touted as one of the best boogie bands around, the Maloomba Boogie band will be rocking the night away. Grab your sweetheart and dance on a fabulously springy floor. Advance tickets are $15, or pay $18 at the door. Visit communityhall.ca or purchase tickets in Bowser at the Georgia Parks Store and The Salish Sea Market, in Qualicum By at the Sandbar Café and in Parksville at Cranky Dog Music. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and alcohol and snacks are available.
In Coombs you can check out the Big Dance 4 U featuring the Dave Gilroy Band. Dance your socks off to the top 40/modern rock sounds of one of Nanaimo’s party rock bands. Doors open at 7 p.m. with music from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, and they are available at the Coombs General Store, Cranky Dog Music in Parksville and Cruisers Grille in Whiskey Creek.
Parksville musician Dave Marco and his Big Twang Theory will be performing at Smoke N’ Water at Pacific Shores Resort in Nanoose Bay Feb. 14. Dance while enjoying delicious food and stunning ocean views from 7 to 11 p.m.
C View Restaurant at the Qualicum Beach Inn has come up with a menu that is sure to send cupid into overdrive. It was hard not to blush when restaurant manager Scott De Freitas-Graff described their Lovers’ (of food) aphrodisiac menu. He explained that Executive Chef Shaun Spooner had a few chuckles when he presented his ideas.
“Chef was creative with his food choices. He was giggling when he told me what he wanted to do and then I started laughing and I said lets roll with it,” explained De Freitas-Graff who thoroughly did his homework related to foods that are allegedly a turn-on.
He said while most of aphrodisiac mythology stems from foods with symbolic colours or shapes, certain foods do contain properties that stimulate pleasure centres in the brain and these types of foods have been incorporated into their Valentine’s menu.
Some of the sexy items in the four-course dinner include the Oyster Two Way and a Wasabi Pea Chicken Lollipop with red curry aioli.
“Oysters have long been touted as an aphrodisiac and wasabi will get you fired up,” he claimed.
Qualicum Beach Inn Manager Jim Gardiner agreed their Valentine’s bill of fare is not your traditional prixe fix V-day dinner.
“We have never done a menu like this before and we all had input into it. We are trying to put a new spin on Valentines,” said Gardiner.
If you are curious about the other erotic dishes, you can check out the menu on-line at qualicumbeachinn.com.
The aphrodisiac edibles cost $129 per couple, which also includes a bottle of Prosecco, and if you feel like spending the night staff will prepare your room with a rose petal turn down service.
Other resorts in the area have also set the love metre high for a romantic Valentine’s Day.
Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort is celebrating love all month long with a rediscover romance package at The Grotto Spa and a Valentine’s Lovers Feast menu at Cedar’s Restaurant. Visit tigh-na-mara.com for more details.
The Beach Club Resort’s Pacific Prime Restaurant has an amazing three-course dinner with optional wine pairing for Valentine’s Day. Overnight packages include petal turndown service with sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries. Visit beachclubbc.com to find out more.