Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with unique dining experiences.
Several Silver Spring and Takoma Park restaurants will offer special menus featuring exclusive dishes on February 14. Some menus will extend throughout the week.
Here are a few local restaurants with Valentine’s Day specials. Reservations are recommended due to limited seating.
All Set Restaurant & Bar: 8630 Fenton St., Silver Spring
The New England-inspired restaurant in downtown Silver Spring will celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 with a stoplight party. Guests can wear colors representing their relationship status: green for single, red for in a relationship, and yellow for “it’s complicated.” Enjoy music from DJ Hef Beats, oysters, and aphrodisiac food and drink specials.
The restaurant will also offer a three-course prix fixe menu for $75, with an optional bottle of Belle Jardin Sparkling Rosé for $25. First-course options include Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus or Sexy Oysters. For the main course, choose between the eight-ounce Filet Oscar or Seafood Pasta, and desserts feature Flourless Chocolate Cake or a Lemon Scone with pistachio gelato. allsetrestaurant.com.
Java Nation: 1010 Wayne Ave., Silver Spring
Java Nation will offer a special four-course Valentine’s Day tasting menu on Friday and Saturday. java-nation.com.
Matchbox: 919 Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring
Matchbox will offer a $45 three-course Valentine’s Dinner Friday through Sunday. matchboxrestaurants.com.
J. Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse: 8606 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring
Chef-owner Jerry Hollinger offers a specially curated multi-course Valentine’s Day dinner, starting with an amuse-bouche and exquisite appetizers.
Main course highlights include Crab-Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with grilled broccolini and a caper lemon butter sauce, Lion’s Mane Mushroom Croquettes with fried green tomatoes and remoulade, and a flavorful Grouper Filet with caraway brown butter foam and sunchoke purée. Try the Duck Confit Leg with cranberry beans and blood orange gastrique for a hearty option. Finally, the 6 oz Black Angus filet mignon is served with potato fondant and garlic spinach.
Guests can enhance their dining experience with premium options like Lobster and Crab Ravioli (+$5), featuring housemade ravioli filled with lobster, crab, leeks, and ricotta in sambuca cream sauce.
The Grilled Rack of Lamb (+$6) features root vegetable gratin, white asparagus, and balsamic port reduction. The 12 oz. Prime Angus New York Strip (+$15) is served with red onion, green beans, and chimichurri sauce.
The Surf and Turf (+$25) indulges with a six-ounce Black Angus Filet Mignon, half a Maine lobster, potato fondant, and tarragon butter. Seared foie gras is available for an extra $20.
Guests can enhance their dining by sharing Whole Branzino & Gulf Shrimp for Two, with Mediterranean herb salad, Yukon Gold potato purée, and salsa verde for $20 per person. For a more indulgent option, the 32-ounce Angus Tomahawk with béarnaise sauce, peppercorn red wine sauce, and house-cut French fries is available for $30 per person.
To end the evening on a sweet note, guests may choose from indulgent desserts, including Blood Orange Crème Brûlée, Chocolate Pot de Crème drizzled with caramel sauce and sprinkled with smoked sea salt, or Tiramisu featuring housemade coffee ice cream, Kahlúa sauce, and whipped cream.
During Valentine’s Week, J. Hollinger’s will offer an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet on Saturday and Sunday. Guests can enjoy housemade dishes like slow-roasted ribeye, hot honey-fried chicken, a Belgian waffle station, and made-to-order Chef’s Omelets at an additional cost. The raw bar menu will also be available à la carte.
Enjoy brunch cocktails like oyster shooters, Mimosas, and bottomless “Tipsy Cupid Sangria” for $29 per person. Buffet and Sangria have a two-hour seating limit. jhollingers.com.
Motorkat: 6939 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park
Reservations are open for a four-course Valentine’s Day dinner at Motorkat. Guests will enjoy selections from the raw bar, including oysters, jumbo shrimp, marinated mussels, blue crab salad, smoked trout roe, and scallop ceviche. Next is a French Onion Risotto, followed by a shareable Crispy Whole Black Bass. Finally, guests will savor a heart-shaped brownie for two.
The prix fixe four-course menu is $65 per person, with individual courses available a la carte. A wine-by-the-glass list will be for purchase. motorkat.com.
Solaire Social: 8200 Dixon Ave., Silver Spring
The Solaire Social food hall has added a special cocktail menu with five new drinks for February. solairesocial.com.
The Daily Dish: 8301 Grubb Rd., Silver Spring
The Daily Dish will offer an intimate multi-course prix-fix dinner infused with flavors of love. thedailydishrestaurant.com.
Zinnia: 9201 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring
Zinnia’s special four-course Valentine’s dinner is now open for reservations. Enjoy homemade soup and a winter salad, and choose from Citrus Risotto, Seared Rare Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, or Seared Hudson Valley Duck Breast, plus shareable desserts.
Zinnia offers two dining experiences: the upstairs dining area, which includes the main dining room, indoor Terrace room, and historic parlor, or dinner in the Tavern with live jazz music in a romantic atmosphere.
The four-course meal costs $79 per person, with an optional wine pairing for $50. eatzinnia.com.
Photo: Farrah Sheiky for Motorkat