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Create a sure-to-woo Valentine’s Day with help from these Clark County eateries and businesses

Dining out or creating ambiance at home, it’s romance season - explore these Clark County options

By Rachel Pinsky, Columbian freelance food writer
Published: January 31, 2025, 6:07am
8 Photos
Cafe de olla at Carino Coffeehouse in Vancouver.
Cafe de olla at Carino Coffeehouse in Vancouver. (Photos by Rachel Pinsky) Photo Gallery

You may think Valentine’s Day is a crass cash grab or a silly pink holiday that celebrates antiquated notions of romantic relationships. I wouldn’t disagree, but a day that celebrates love is always a good thing.

Creating a romantic experience that woos someone new or renews a longtime love is a beautiful gesture. What better way to show your affection than planning a great meal?

Here are options for people celebrating years together or someone trying to attract a potential lover this Feb. 14. I’ve included places to dine out that still have reservations available, spots to grab a few things to easily heat up and assemble at home, inspiration for someone interested in doing the least and a coffee date option for a more low-key encounter.

Go out

The Sedgwick (801 Washington St., Vancouver; 360-433-9776) typically only takes reservations for parties of eight or more, but for Valentine’s Day, the restaurant is accepting reservations for all party sizes by phone. Shareable plates such as duck fat fries in a fennel peppercorn gravy ($15), baked brie with lavender peppercorn honey, tamarind chutney, ginger pear chutney and housemade focaccia ($20), as well as larger dishes including ribeye in a coffee coriander crust with pistachio chimichurri and calabrese romesco ($58) make for a lovely dinner for two. The Sedgwick is also offering a special menu of aphrodisiacs.

So is its sister restaurant Feast 316 (316 N.E. Dallas St., Camas; 360-210-7498), which is also accepting reservations. Couples can also share dishes from their regular menu including a miso barbecue shrimp and hush puppies starter served with chive honey butter ($33), a ribeye ($76) or tomahawk steak ($107) followed by butter croissant bread pudding ($16) or the brûlée of the night ($13).

Two Clark County spots provide unique experiences for the adventurous eater. Black Forest Dark Dining at Wyld Pines (2005 S.E. 192nd Ave., Suite 100, Camas; 360-210-7735) has a seven-course menu served in complete darkness that leaves guests guessing the dishes they’re eating ($70 per person). Guests are led in blind-folded. After dining, they are led out and given a menu of the courses they ate. It’s fun to fumble in the dark. In addition, no one can be looking at their phone so diners are forced to engage.

For those looking for a food getaway without having to book a travel agent, Emanar Cellars (1113 S.E. Rasmussen Blvd., Battle Ground; 360-513-2448) offers traditional Spanish food and wine in a space that makes visitors feel as if they just stepped off the plane in Madrid, owner Mar Meyerhoffer’s hometown. Dine on olive and manchego marinated in sherry vinegar, olive oil and herbs ($9), montaditos (small open-faced sandwiches with toppings such as cheese and quince paste, $14-$15), and pan tumaca (rustic bread with garlic, tomato, olive oil and serrano ham, $13, vegan option $10).

For the month of February, Emanar Cellars (along with other members of the Southwest Washington Winery Association) is offering wine and chocolate pairings. At Emanar, a flight of three wines from Spain are paired with Whimsy Chocolates ($16 for wine club members, $20 otherwise).

If a trip to Italy is more your style, La Bottega (1905 Main St., Vancouver; 360-571-5010) is offering a special Italian Valentine’s Day menu that includes an antipasto of meats, cheese, olives and marinated vegetables ($18), wild boar ravioli ($26), chicken saltimbocca ($24), crab risotto with leeks and asparagus ($36). Seating is by reservation only. Reservations can be made by calling or stopping by the restaurant.

To woo a potential romantic partner, it’s best to start casually with a coffee date. Cariño Coffee (1002 Main St., Vancouver) is a lovely, low-key setting to sip café de olla ($5.75), habanero Mexican mochas ($6.25-$7) and dirty horchatas ($5.75-$6.75) along with a variety of pan dulces ($4.25) and tortillas filled with melted cheese and ham called sincronizada served with house-made hot sauce ($10.25).

Stay in

Going out to a restaurant on Valentine’s Day isn’t everybody’s idea of romance. It’s busy like Mother’s Day brunch or New Year’s Eve and typically a crowded, noisy night out. Creating a special experience far from the madding crowd is the perfect way to woo a romantic partner that prefers a quiet, cozy and intimate environment. This doesn’t require elaborate tablescapes and porcelain dinnerware (unless that’s your thing). It can simply be a matter of gathering the right premade meals, heating them up, and maybe adding a bit of candlelight and flowers. Nothing says I love you like the smell of lasagna baking in the oven.

I haven’t traveled enough to have personally experienced a wide variety of cities that evoke romance, but there are two places I’ve visited that make it easy to fall in love: Paris and Rome.

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Paris is known for extraordinary open air food markets and stunning gardens. February in Vancouver isn’t the best time to plan an outdoor evening activity, but by placing a lovely tablecloth on the floor and filling the room with dim lights and maybe candles, the feel of a Parisian picnic can be created at home.

Assemble a selection of cheeses and accompaniments at Camas Cheese Company (231 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas; 360-833-2982). The shop has a well-curated selection of fine cheeses and cuts them to order. The owners are excellent at helping customers find the right cheeses and accompaniments such as crackers, olives and guava paste. They also print information about the cheese on the receipt along with suggested accompaniments and wine pairings.

In addition, Bleu Door Bakery (2411 Main St., Vancouver; 360-693-2538) has a walk-up window that’s well stocked with simple baguette sandwiches ($8.25) and pastries such as lemon meringue tarts ($7) and macarons ($3.25) that evoke a Parisian market.

If Rome is more your style and you can’t get a reservation at La Bottega or don’t feel like dining out, stop by the restaurant to pick up sauce ($10-$15) and fresh pasta ($5-$6), ravioli ($11-$16), lasagna ($15), a loaf of bread from Grand Central bakery ($4.50-$4.75), and salad dressing ($7.50-$8). Simply heat everything up, toss the dressing on some lettuce and serve.

For dessert (Valentine’s Day requires something sweet), La Bottega’s freezer case is filled with an array of gelato (dairy and dairy free, $8). Cannoli ($5), butterscotch pot de creme ($10, gluten free), and espresso almond fudge cheesecake ($10, gluten free) along with an array of other pastries fill the glass case nearby.

If you’re not a planner, you don’t want to cook and you don’t want to make reservations, I recommend stopping by the Thai 4 U food truck (1919 Main St., Vancouver; 360-952-2667). Order some stir fried noodles like pad kee mao or pad see ew ($12.50 for tofu, veggie, chicken, $14 for shrimp) then wander down to Trap Door Brewing (2315 Main St., Vancouver; 360-314-6966). There, you can pick up cans of crispy yet slightly hoppy Day Beer or their signature hazy IPA, Glowed Up, with hints of citrus to go with your noodles.

Maybe I was brainwashed by “Lady and the Tramp” at an early age, but I find sharing any type of pasta to be the height of romance.

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Columbian freelance food writer