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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Local Valentine’s Day memories date back to 2013 and then some

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UPDATE, Feb. 14, 2022 / Again, readers have been searching this website for “Valentine’s Day.” We, too, just did a “Valentine” search.

We’re also looking back with fond memories of visiting a museum in London about 15 years ago where Victorian-era Valentine’s on display provided a taste of the antics, sometimes sentimentally mean-spirited, that were sent featuring lizards and frogs. The postcards featured below are more heartfelt!

Valentine’s greetings from local historian Bryan Ogg!

Briefly stated with a few historical notes dating back to the Middle Ages (500 to 1500 in Europe) for local love birds, folks in France and England believed that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, creating a day for romance. Early today in Naperville, Illinois, birds were chirping loudly in the trees outside our window. Go figure.

The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer recognized St. Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1381-82 poem “Parliament of Fowls.” In fact, the poem, written before the printing press, is one of the first references to the idea that St. Valentine’s Day was a special day for lovers.

Back then, Chaucer wrote, “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day / Whan every fowl cometh ther to choose his mate.”

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400.

Keep digging and the history of Valentine’s Day results in a wide range of stories, sometimes dating back to AD 270. Some historians trace it to an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia. Others suggest it started with saints in the early Christian church. Throw in the belief that birds chose their mates on Feb. 14 and create a compelling love story to tell every day.

News reports for 2022 suggest that more than $24 billion will be spent on Valentine’s Day.

Thanks for shopping and dining where your heart is… right in your hometown!

One more thing… A friend just called with a message about a potential meeting next week—and he mentioned he was on his way to the store to pick up ingredients to prepare homemade pizza. He and his wife have a long-standing Valentine’s Day tradition to bake heart-shaped pizza on Feb. 14. Cheers!

Flashbacks begin here…

Flashback to Feb. 13, 2021 / While trying to deal with the protocols of the pandemic, Valentine’s Day 2021 provided a time to note why many individuals and families chose to live in this community. Celebrate safely.

The heart of the Riverwalk provides a warm welcome every day at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Eagle Street, marking the spot of Landforms, a sculpture donated by the Naperville Art League to the community in 1984. Every visit to the Riverwalk is a chance to discover historic markers that help showcase a small sample of the community’s contributions to the city’s rich heritage, dating back to the city’s rural roots.  And, of course, downtown Naperville abounds with dozens of good eateries and throughout the city more than 270 restaurants are set to whet your appetite!

Click here / Since 1831, many hearts have contributed to Naperville’s rich history

Flashback to Feb. 2, 2020 / According to website analytics, this page has been receiving many views the past few days. Since PN’s archives are saved in the cloud, PN editors thought readers might find it interesting to see a few changes among mostly constants since 2013. 

Watch for 2021 Naperville Restaurant week when it returns about the same time next year.

For starters, in 2015, Naperville hosted its inaugural Restaurant Week. And ever since, Dine Naperville has welcomed its local hospitality industry to participate. Currently, the sixth annual Naperville Restaurant Week is in progress, through Feb. 8, 2020.

For everything you want to know about dining at more than 260 restaurants for Restaurant Week or Valentine’s Day, Fri., Feb. 14, 2020, visit Dine Naperville.

Find a restaurant to please any taste for today and every day!

Looking ahead, restaurant insiders often refer to Valentine’s Day as Deuce City because every reservation is a “table for two.”

Reserve a quiet little table in the corner anytime for Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 14 through Feb. 16, 2020.

One interesting inquiry came from a reader looking for a White Castle in Naperville. The fast-food chain known for its sliders and chocolate shakes also is known, we learned, for taking reservations on Valentine’s Day. The fast-food restaurant, however, is not listed among Naperville 260-plus eateries.

To reserve accommodations at one of Naperville’s 19 hotels for a weekend getaway, visit www.visitnaperville.com.

Think dinner and the show Valentine’s Weekend…

Also, consider musical entertainment on stage on the campus of North Central College for your sweetheart.

An Evening with Jazz Vocalist Janice Borla is set for 8PM Valentine’s Day at Madden Theatre.

A Tribute to Whitney Houston “The Greatest Love of All” will begin at 6PM Sun., Feb. 16, at Pfeiffer Hall.

Better yet, put a Valentine’s Day experience with friends and family where your heart is… right in your own hometown. Enjoy the show and bon appétit!

Cheers to Valentine’s Day, Fri., Feb. 14, 2020! Celebrate safely!


Flash back to 2013…

Original Post Jan. 30, 2013 (Alert! Prices are updated to reflect 2020/Other info remains the same, so menus may be different.)

Roses are red, dinner for two–Valentine’s Day is often the busiest day of the year for area restaurants and hotels. Many offer special menus and packages and the following are some local hot spots perfect for romantics.  

Be sure to make reservations early to avoid disappointment!  For a comprehensive directory of Naperville restaurants, visit www.dinenaperville.com. For a list of Naperville hotels, click here.

Hotel Arista is offering a “Love is in the air” Valentine’s Day Package. It includes overnight accommodations, $50 food and beverage credit, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, complimentary valet parking. Packages begin at $279. Visit hotelarista.com for more info. (Update 2020 / Weekend Love Story is an overnight stay with champagne, rose petals, dinner at Che Figata, deluxe accommodations and late checkout @ $209 + a menu of add-ons.)

Agapornis fischeri -World of Birds-8a

Meson Sabika will engage romantics in the tastes of Spain Feb. 14 thru 17. A pre-fixed menu for two is available. (For 2020, live Spanish guitar and Flamenco dancer beginning at 6:30PM) The normal dinner menu will not be available after 2PM.

A few highlights on the San Valentin menu include grilled tiger shrimp in a garlic lemon butter sauce and a skewer of beef tenderloin with caramelized onions; baked stuffed mushroom caps and baked eggplant rolled with Spanish goat cheese; New York strip steak grilled with asparagus spears rolled with imported Jamon Serrano served with an herbed white wine sauce an Mahi Mahi.

hearts

Desserts include a tri-layered chocolate cake with honey butter cream and chocolate pieces; and vanilla mousse layered in hazelnut sponge cake.

Reservations made before February 12 will be entered into a drawing for a complimentary dinner. For reservations call (630) 983-3000 x2 or visit www.mesonsabika.com.

Catch 35 is offering Valentine inspired seafood specials Feb. 14-16 along with their full seafood menu. Diners can avoid the Valentine crowds and visit Catch 35 during Chicago restaurant week Feb 1-10, 2013. Specially priced three and four course menus are $33 and $44, (2020 updated menu and prices are Grilled Filet Mignon for $38 , Steak & Crab Cake for $44 and Stuffed Maine Lobster Tail for $49 from Feb. 12 through Feb. 16.) respectively, featuring George’s Bank sea scallops, Florida red grouper, and Maine lobster will delight seafood aficionados. Reservations can be made by calling (630) 717-3500. Catch 35 is located at 35 S. Washington in downtown Naperville.

CityGate Grille is asking “What Type of Romantic Are You?” Enter on their Facebook page, facebook.com/citygategrille, for a chance to win a free dinner for two on Valentine’s Day, Thurs., Feb. 14, 2013.  The Grille will be serving its full dinner menu inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean. Reservations  can be made by calling (630) 718-1010 or by visiting opentable.com. CityGate Grille is located in the Calamos investments building in CityGate Centre, I-88 and Rt. 59.

SugarToad at Hotel Arista*** will be heating up the night with a  “Red” menu for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14–16. The three course menu is $55 and includes a complimentary welcome cocktail.

Appetizers include porcini and truffle raviolis; house smoked trout, fuji apple, pomegranate cream; Maine Lobster Bisque with celery root, blood orange & hearts of palm; and Fried Oyster Salad. Entrées include prime filet of beef; pan-roasted ono with baby bok choy, Asian pears; and roasted quail with red chard and creamy Parmesan polenta. Desserts include warm red current cake, raspberry tart, and bittersweet chocolate pot au crème. A red wine flight is also available for $20.

Editor’s Note, February 2020:

***Space previously occupied by Sugar Toad at Hotel Arista is now home to Zorba Naperville Lounge and Cocktail Bar and Che Figata. (For Valentine’s Day 2020, Che Figata will offer a 5-course prix fixe menu for $75 pp).

Again, be in the know that restaurant insiders often refer to Valentine’s Day as Deuce City because every reservation is a table for two.

Also, considering the recent announcement that NOAH’s Events has closed (Feb. 8. 2020), brides have been searching for alternative venues. Kindly contact Carlos Madinya at cmadinya@naper.org for assistance finding another local venue as featured in his monthly column, Visit Naperville.

For a complete menu of more than 250 eateries to whet any appetite, visit Dine Naperville.

For a link to an overnight stay or weekend getaway at one of Naperville’s 19 hotels, visit www.visitnaperville.com.

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PN Editor
PN Editor
An editor is someone who prepares content for publishing. It entered English, the American Language, via French. Its modern sense for newspapers has been around since about 1800.
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