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First of all, we think every Valentine menu should be scattered with suggestive, ruby-colored ingredients; so we'll be making a beeline to the Lebanese Taverna, where there's promise of a drink called "dimple" (splashed with pomegranate syrup) and a martini flavored with rose petals. Quince, rumored to be the "apple" that lured Eve, shows up on this menu, as do other foods reputed in Mediterranean cultures to have lusty effects. The four-course menu for $29 per person will be served at the Connecticut Avenue (202-265-8681) and Pentagon Row (703-415-8681) restaurants. The Taverna will also host a couple of singles cooking classes Feb. 11 and 25. Make dinner and eat it with a new companion. The classes begin with ice-breaking wine and appetizers at 6:45 and end by 9:30. The cost is $55 per person. Call 703-841-1502 and leave a message, or register online at www.lebanesetaverna.com. Belly dancing seems to have a place on this special day, and if that is your particular inclination, you might head to Zaytinya (202-638-0800). Order a Venus martini (vodka with cherries) for $9, feast on "Mount Olympus" mezze, settle back and enjoy the show. More bellies can be seen at Shalimar, Marrakesh, Taste of Morocco and Casablanca. Zaytinya's sister restaurant, Café Atlantico (202-393-0812), will be up to its usual Valentine tricks with a menu chock-full of aphrodisiacs. Begin with an Aphrodite daiquiri ($9); go on to fois gras soup with corn kisses, etc. The five-course menu is $65 per person. The Greek Goddess of love shows up again at the Morrison-Clark Inn (202-898-1200). The Goodnighty Aphrodite package ($295 for one night) includes an aphrodisiac dinner for two, his-and-hers silk robes, chocolate body paints, lotions and bubble baths. Did someone say chocolate? Oh, there'll be plenty of that about on Feb. 14. Chocolate fondue for two completes the Willard Room's five-course Valentine menu ($85 per person); 202-637-7440. Within a few more budgets (at $14) is the chocolate fondue for two at Dupont Circle's Melting Pot (202-857-0777). Promising a box of handmade chocs for each table, 1789 (202-965-1789) sets a twinkly, rosy stage for the a la carte "Cupid's dinner." John Wabeck, chef at the relatively new and perfectly cozy Firefly (202-861-1310), invites couples to feed each other and has fashioned a menu specifically with that in mind. A house-cured salmon gravlax "kit" is fit for the purpose. And one would assume that the silky mushroom risotto comes with two spoons. The price for this four-course meal is $99 per couple, or $198 with wine pairings at each course. Tapas make perfect sense on a day meant for sharing. For the occasion, Jaleo adds a "sensual" ajo blanco (tender almond and garlic soup with grapes and crabmeat) to its list of more than 60. Each small plate is priced between $3.75 and $8. A pitcher of sparkling wine sangria with fresh rose petals (who could resist?) is $29. Meanwhile, Gabriel's Valentine tapas menu, not including drinks, tax and tip, is $30 per person; 202-956-6690. On the subject of Spain, Taberna del Alabardero's Valentine menu is all about love. Described as "intoxicating," the six-course feast begins with frozen lemon champagne and ends with something called a passion fruit passion, with berries and a dark chocolate sauce. The cost is $65 per person; 202-429-2200.
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On many Valentine menus, the scent of rose petals flavors drinks and desserts. (Photo by Craig Herndon/The Washington Post)