Need fun Valentine’s Day ideas? The Harbus is here to help.
It’s that time of year again. The temperature rises ever so slightly day-by-day, and the sun starts to set at a more reasonable hour. More importantly, love is in the air. Whether you’ve been married for a decade or still looking for that special someone, Valentine’s Day is a storied American tradition that we can all get behind. The Love Doctors at The Harbus have curated a list of unique Valentine’s Day activities guaranteed to get you hit by Cupid’s arrow.
Romantic Dinners
Restaurants across Boston and Cambridge are introducing Valentine’s Day special menus. Some fan-favorites in Harvard Square include Grafton Street Pub & Grill, Harvest, and Waypoint. Grafton has some special menu items, such as bacon-wrapped sea scallops, grilled pork tenderloin, and a passion fruit pie. Harvest is taking a more traditional approach, with a three-course fixed-price menu along with optional wine pairings. More importantly, they’re offering handmade bon-bons to-go in case dinner wasn’t delicious enough! Waypoint’s menu features more luxurious items, ranging from wood-grilled A5 wagyu to their traditional high-end seafood plates. They are also serving limited-edition cocktails, such as the Dram of Endearment (you’ll have to try it to find out what’s in it!).
After dinner in Harvard Square, head over to Central Square and visit New City Microcreamery. This ice cream store is serving a delectable red velvet ice cream cake, which can include a custom note. “Will you read all my cases for me?” will go over well with your date. Those willing to head downtown will be impressed by Sonsie’s, a Back Bay institution offering a three-course meal including courses such as 100-Layer Butternut Squash Lasagna, roasted duck, and chocolate lava cake. Whatever you’re in the mood for, Boston’s sure to provide a romantic dinner.
Romantic Activities
Do you and your special someone want to shake it up? Then try some unique Valentine’s Day-themed activities and make 2024 the year you ditch convention.
Want to jazz it up? Then consider Classic Harbor Cruise Line’s Valentine’s Day Jazz and Champagne Tasting Cruise in Boston Harbor. This cruise, which is offered three nights in February, provides a champagne tasting along with sweets and a live jazz band. Another cruise company, The Odyssey, is providing a romantic dinner aboard their boat, with live music and champagne.
For those more land-inclined, try a romantic orchestra concert. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has an in-house orchestra, who will be performing Tschaikovsky’s “Serenade on Strings” on February 15. What’s special about this performance is that the stringed instruments will all have historical significance – the orchestra plans to use ~300-year old instruments crafted by Europe’s finest (such as a Stradivarius). Similarly, the Berklee College of Music is featuring concerts across a wide variety of genres, ranging from jazz to soul and guitar performances. Do you have two left feet? Then head to Faneuil Hall, where instructors from Boston Swing Central will teach attendees how to dance the night away and impress their loved ones.
If you’re looking for a unique Valentine’s Day gift, consider signing up for a glass-blowing workshop. Diablo Glass Studio is offering lessons in February on how to create a glass heart using different types of glass. Finally, for the romantic masochists (you know who you are), take in a performance of “Break Up! The Musical” at Laugh Boston, an improv theater. Beware – the actors in the show will pick on audience members to share their breakup stories, so make sure you don’t have any skeletons in your closet!
For the Truly Committed
If you’re in the stage of your relationship where you’re ready to seal the deal this Valentine’s Day, the Harbus has three suggestions. First, history buffs should absolutely stage their big proposal at Parker’s, a restaurant downtown where the Boston Creme pie was invented and where JFK proposed to Jackie Kennedy. Second, after the proposal make sure to call your favorite Harbus writer, give him the play-by-play proposal details, and be the first to invite him to your destination wedding. And finally, make your way back to Faneuil Hall in time for the annual “Longest Kiss” competition, held on February 15, and let the world know the strength of your love. Pucker up!
Prior to joining HBS, Abhiram worked in Houston, TX at Ara Partners, a private equity fund focused on energy transition and decarbonization technologies. A New Jersey native, he graduated with a B.S.E. in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Princeton University in 2019. Outside of class, you can find him biking around Boston’s many trails, dominating (sometimes) at pub trivia, or trying out the local food scene.