1. Chocolates and Truffles and Ice Cream
Legacy Chocolates in St. Paul has truffles with up to 99% cocoa, and their infamous Potion Number 9 chocolate sauce.B. T. McElrath in Minneapolis makes some of the prettiest chocolates with some of the most unusual flavor combinations.
Just Truffles on Grand Avenue in St. Paul is perfect for the purist, making totally chocolate handmade truffles,
What better to compliment chocolates that a pint or two of handmade ice cream? If you are planning to visit Legacy Chocolates, they are next door to Izzy's Ice Cream. I can't imagine a better Valentine's day desert than Izzy's Hot Brown Sugar ice cream drizzled with Legacy's Potion number 9 chocolate sauce. Or take home a pint from one of the Twin Cities' other gourmet ice cream parlors.
2. Jewelery
Knox Jewelers in Minneapolis and Charlemagne on Grand Avenue in St. Paul sell some of the area's best fine jewelery.
Art stores and galleries carry everything from fine jewelery, artisan jewelry made from precious and semi-precious materials to craft jewelry, much made by local jewelers and artists. The Grand Hand Gallery in St. Paul has a great selection, as does Gallery 360 in Minneapolis, and the Walker Shop at the Walker Art Center.
3. Flowers
Florists Indulge and Bloom have a location in Wayzata and another in downtown Minneapolis' Gaviidae Common mall.In St. Paul, Stems and Vines are always reliable for elegant flowers, and arrangements can be ordered online for delivery anywhere in the metro area.
For bargain flowers, grocery store Trader Joe's has good value bouquets, and are a convenient place to pick up a bottle of wine as well. Aldi stores have probably the cheapest roses around with Valentine's day specials on long stemmed roses.
4. Cooking Classes
Instead of taking your date out to dinner, why not learn how to cook a romantic meal for your beloved at home? Or, take a class together with your partner.Cooks of Crocus Hill's packed class schedule includes Valentine's day classes at both the St. Paul and the Edina locations.
Mothersauces Cooking School in Richfield has several classes involving Valentine's day foods, including chocolate tasting, and a couples class teaching the art of cooking a whole menu of aphrodisiac food.
The Minneapolis Whole Foods store has a class for couples to learn how to make a Valentine's day meal.
Byerly's in St. Louis Park has the best bargain cooking classes at $10 each, but they have more expert demonstrations and less hands-on cooking.
5. Romantic Experiences and Activities
A horse drawn carriage ride is the ultimate romantic experience for some people. The Hitching Company will take you and your date for a 30 or 60 minute ride around downtown Minneapolis or Nicollet Island.An equally nostalgic but more budget friendly romantic date is ice skating. Landmark Plaza in downtown St. Paul and Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis have free ice rinks to skate surrounded by twinkling city lights. The Depot, in downtown Minneapolis, has an entry charge but it's inside a Victoria train depot and it's warm inside.
Or try one of the Twin Cities many other ice skating lakes and ice rinks.
Wherever you choose, skate holding hands, then warm up together with hot chocolate.
6. Adult Gifts
Sex World on Second Avenue in downtown Minneapolis distinguishes itself from other adult stores by being so utterly seedy and downmarket that it's more of a palace of kitsch than a sex shop. Three floors of books, DVDs, clothes and toys will almost certainly have what you want, and since it's open 24 hours a day, any time you want it. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a experience to visit to see the neon lights, mechanical rides, carnival of creepy customers and giggling college kids.
Upmarket and sophisticated, Smitten Kitten in Uptown Minneapolis is everything Sex World is not. Contrary to the stereotype image of adult stores, Smitten Kitten is very female friendly, male friendly, and welcoming for couples to visit together.
