Washington, D.C. - February 02, 2006

Love Smarts

Valentine’s Day Guide

Love has been known to turn even formidable brains to mush. This Valentine’s Day, give proof not only of your affection but of your intelligence, too.

Conventional Wisdom
Even traditional gifts can demonstrate a thoughtful nature. Jin Patisserie chocolates come in mind-bending flavors like mango-basil, black roasted sesame, and Earl Grey feuilletine.  Or opt for jewelry by Jeanine Payer, whose designs feature tiny quotations from Whitman, Proust, Emerson, and Gandhi. (“What barrier is there that love cannot break?”) (Red Orchard, 10253 Old Georgetown, N. Bethesda; 301-571-7333).

Read It and Weep
Gift a bookish sweetheart with More Than Words: Illustrated Letters from the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, new from local author Liza Kirwin; or a Secret Book Box by local artist Moira McCauley, whose treasures are made from old, gilded-edge novels with hidden trinkets, jewelry, and keys inside (Junction, 1510 U Street NW; 202-483-0260).

Eat Your Heart Out
If food be the food of love, eat this: Primi Piatti is offering a prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu; owner Savino Recine will perform magic show throughout the evening (2013 I Street NW; 202-223-3600). Feeling less subtle? Head to Hank’s Oyster Bar for the Natural Aphrodisiacs Dinner (1624 Q Street NW; 202-462-4265). Or, for fancy fare, hit the Four Seasons for terrine of foie gras and smoked duck breast, main lobster and truffle soup, and braised European turbot in Sauternes (2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; 202-342-0444). You’ll leave with your heart and your tummy full.

And what could be smarter than that?