Beyond Chocolates: Unique Foodie Gifts for Your Valentine

Instead of defaulting to chocolates this year, why not give your loved one a truly original (but no less delicious) gift?  Think outside of the heart-shaped box with these decadent Valentine’s Day treats — from a cheese tasting event to a romantic, food-focused getaway and an artisan ice cream of the month club!

“Brie My Valentine” Tasting Event: Sponsored by The Cheeses of Europe and held at the French Cheese Board (a sleek events space and studio near Bryant Park), you can stock up for the big day at this February 13th event.  Enjoy complimentary tastings of fabulous French products, like the heart-shaped brie; a Neufchatel-style cheese from Normandy, and then take advantage of deep discounts, in order to construct an especially celebratory, Valentine’s Day cheese platter at home.
thecheesesofeurope.com

GrowNYC Valentine’s Day Cards: Why shop at Hallmark when you can express your sentiments to your sweetie, all the while supporting the environment?  GrowNYC has launched its own line of Valentine’s Day cards this year, sporting sustainable sayings such as “Peas Be Mine,” “I Love Ewe,” “Get Your Freekah On,” and “You’re Hotter Than My Compost Pile,” all printed on recycled paper, of course, and available for only $3 each.
www.grownyc.org

Milkmade’s Artisan Ice Cream Delivery: If you ask us, chocolate can’t hold a candle to ice cream (especially if that ice cream has chocolate in it).  And the NYC-based company, Milkmade, delivers handcrafted pints right to your door, made with products sourced from local farms and purveyors.  For $30 a month, you can get your loved one the gift that keeps on giving; two creamy, dreamy, seasonal flavors, such as February’s “The Black Hearts Party;” flavored with the Mast Brothers’ darkest chocolate and spiked with a hint of anise, and “Brooklyn Ambrosia;” chantilly ice cream with chocolate chips, and ladyfingers soaked in Anarchy in a Jar’s raspberry-rye jam.
www.milkmadeicecream.com

Hops and Hocks’ Beer of the Month Club: Is your significant other more into beer and meat than chocolate and champagne?  Brooklyn’s own Hops and Hocks specializes in both (they’re home to the grab-and-go “meat cone”) after all!  So if you’re looking for a club that’s less about sugar than spice, for only $35 a month, you can treat your honey to 5-6 craft beers revolving around a unique theme, plus 10% off all taps, 15% off of all cases, and half-off admission to any in-store classes or events.
www.hopsandhocks.com

Foodie Getaway at the White Hart Inn: Probably the best gift you could give to any New Yorker is a trip outside of the city.  And the elegant White Hart Inn (located in a historic, centuries-old house in bucolic Connecticut) is entirely accessible by either car or public transport, but removed enough to assure a relaxing weekend escape.  And for the entire month of February, you can take advantage of special packages, both for the “foodie couple” ($550 for two nights, plus a sausage making class with tastings and recipe cards), and “the romantic couple;” $650 for a two night stay, chocolate and champagne upon arrival, and a dinner for two with wine pairings, courtesy of respected British chef, Annie Wayte.
www.whitehartinn.com