Guest post from Ian White, 7×7
Call Valentine’s Day a Hallmark Holiday if you will, but why not use the excuse to get romantic with someone you love or go out on the prowl with your lonely-hearts club? Either way there are dozens of options in Downtown Napa for couples or singles, and we’re here to help you make the best of it.
Couples
If you live here in town, feel free to stay at home, but remember that it’s always fun to do something out of the ordinary and romantic like being a tourist in your own town. If you’re looking to impress, surprise your Valentine with a February 13 stay at the historic and luxurious Napa River Inn and start your Valentine’s Day with breakfast in bed, courtesy of Sweetie Pie’s. The bonus here is that you don’t have to worry about getting crumbs in your own bed…
It’s always fun to keep it local by strolling around downtown Napa and making spontaneous stops at all of the spots with Valentine’s Day specials, but it’ll get busy, so a reservation here and there is a good idea, especially if you’re in the mood for a spa treatment (highly recommended). If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, I’d recommend a call to a specialist like Kent at Squire Livery, who knows all the most romantic spots and will be happy to surprise you with his choices or simply squire you over the hill to beautiful and rural wineries or about town.
Wine tasting is abundant for those who choose to stroll the streets of the exciting and quickly growing Downtown Napa. I recommend following the signs on most downtown corners to fun spots like Toolbox. Be sure to stop at Vintners Collective, a modern collective with a youthful feel and a well selected list of rare wines from wineries that lack tasting rooms of their own. I’d also highly recommend a stop at 20 Rows, the only actual winery in Downtown Napa. Here you’ll likely meet the owners and have the option to hang out in style in the tasting room or head through the back door and check out the functioning winery.
Leave time for a nap before dinner or keep it going, but make reservations in advance and head to dinner at Celadon, Angele, Cole’s Chop House or La Toque and then perhaps a show at Silo’s Jazz Club or a drink at one of the posh lounges in the SINGLES section below…
Singles
It’s Valentine’s Day and you’re single. You’ve really only got two choices: 1) Stay home and ignore all the possibilities and potential this day offers OR 2) get out there and embrace the romance and excitement around you. There are all kinds of singles events like the Speed Dating Fund Raiser at the Napa Library February 13 at 7 p.m. (walk-ins welcome) with Peju Wines, where you might even meet a date for Valentine’s Day; but the February 14 holds plenty of possibilities for you as well.
A little advice about the scene:
1) Go out in a group of two or four if possible, as even numbers always attract extras (learned that in business school of all places)
2) Always leave room for one or two more wherever you are (so don’t take all four barstools; two sit and two stand, etc.)
3) Never stand or sit in a closed circle (make sure it’s easy for others to approach and feel part of the group)
4) Make sure to glance across the room often while with your own group (like you aren’t quite happy with the conversation you are in)
5) Do not be afraid to make eye contact with a good looking stranger or walk up and start a conversation
6) Do not feel the need to be the one talking of filling in conversation – studies indicate that we find the people who say the least to be the most interesting as long as they are interested.
Ok, enough advice, now to where to go:
Here are the spots in Downtown Napa that will be ROCKING with singles if everyone who reads this actually takes and chance and gets out there!
Start at Bounty Hunter and sit at a community table or hang by the bar. Eat lightly so that you can sample at each of the spots you stop. Cross the street to Carpe Diem and hang out in the lively bar area (making sure to say hello to Steve and Stephanie).
Hopefully by now you’ve had a couple of small bites and enough to drink to feel loose but not boozey. Now it’s time to take it up a notch and head to the lively bar at Morimoto for another small bite and cocktail in this noisy yet very fun and vivacious atmosphere.
Now you’ve hit the hottest spots and it’s time to reflect: Where did you feel most comfortable? Where were the cutest boys and girls? No reason you can’t return to one of these spots or take a stroll around downtown to see what else is going on. You never know who’s going to be out and where or what spots have just the right specials to attract the crowd. I definitely recommend checking out 1313 Main and the John Anthony Lounge. They are open late and are easy places to meet people or bring the hotties that you picked up along the way.
