Edmonton Valentine’s Day Food Options for 2021

If you’re in a quandary about Edmonton (and area) food options to share with your significant other this Valentine’s Day, I’ve got some ideas for you.

Most restaurants are offering Valentine’s day specials, so if you have a favourite restaurant, please support them by picking up dinner. The businesses I talked about this morning with Mark Connolly on CBC Edmonton A.M. offer something other than typical take-home meals. You can listen to that segment here, but what’s important to know is that there is no time to waste. Get your orders in quick because, just like the Christmas dinner options we spoke about in December, these specials will go fast.

Biera is offering build-your-own Valentine’s Day boxes. You can go basic and customize it by adding on items, or you can go whole-hog and order the Ultimate Biera Box, a substantial package that includes a gorgeous flower arrangement by Lovella, and a locally made candle by Misiyo. If you don’t know already, partial proceeds from Misiyo candles goes towards providing health insurance to someone in need in Rwanda, but with this Ultimate Box, Biera is also donating $20 of each purchase to Operation Friendship, an organization serving Edmonton’s inner-city seniors. So, it’s a two-for-one win-win situation here. Click here to order Biera’s Valentine’s boxes.

The ultimate box is for two people and it contains a lot of great stuff: cava, Blind Enthusiasm beer, three cheeses, two meats, sourdough focaccia and sides, condiments, and a decadent Black Forest Cake. $185

Bloom Cookies is also giving back. Five dollars from each purchase of their Valentine special (a dozen cookies in a very cute tote bag designed by Studio Hazel) goes to SACE (Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton). Ordering opens on Feb 7 for pick up only, between February 9 and 13. Prices start at $30.

Decadent Drizzle is offering chocolate bombs, the 2020 food sensations that took the world by storm. What are they? Balls of chocolate filled with hot chocolate powder and marshmallows that dissolve into a mug of loveliness once you add the hot milk. Delicious. Package start at four for $15. You might want to add some of their pretty chocolate-dipped strawberries, too. Order through their Facebook page or Instagram.

Another unique option is a cake from Smashing Hearts. For $35, you get a smashable cake, half-dozen strawberries and a secret surprise. Ordering is through a link to the google-doc order form found in their Instagram profile. Anything small can fit in that cake, so if you want a special gift to be revealed, talk to them about options.

Art of Cake is providing three options at three different price points: the grandest of all is the Luxury High tea – a box that includes assorted savouries, sweets, and scones along with spectacular flowers by Fabloomosity. There’s also Luxury Netflix and Chill – charcuterie board and fresh flowers, and “Love at First Bite” (featured at the top of this post) which contains hand-painted macarons in a heart-shaped box with decorative floral accents from Fabloomosity. Go to their website and look under the “Shop” tab. $25 and up.

The ridiculously talented Diana Harrison of Art of Charcuterie is offering a decadent package for two called The Hidden Rose. It contains (amongst other delicious things) four types of luscious cheese, Armagnac paté, meats and preserves from Meuwly’s, a sourdough baguette, a variety of condiments, pickled and fresh veg and fruits, and local honey. This package comes beautifully wrapped and you have the option of including a personal message. The last day to order is February 6, 2021, but don’t wait. Diana’s kits always sell out quickly. The Hidden Rose special starts at $105.

Chartier offers meals to take home for V-Day, but they also have ready-to-go charcuterie and sweets boxes, too. Their charcuterie box runs around $75, and it’s wonderful, but the whopping  “Grazing Box” is over the top! The GB is a jam-packed box of house-made herb and cheese crackers and crostini as well as items from some of their favourite local producers, such as spiced chicken liver mousse from Four Whistle Farms, pork terrine with pistachios and cranberries from Irvings Farm Fresh, Lazy T Farm’s chicken ballotine stuffed with lamb, mint, and sage, Redtail Farms’ Chinese BBQ sausage, Effing Seafoods prawns with cocktail sauce and their smoked steelhead trout with creme fraiche and caviar on a potato latke…the list goes on and on and on. Sweets include brownie bites, macarons, AND: bacon fat caramel popcorn with bacon shards and toasted pecans! ($125)

If you’re jonesing for some fantastic seafood, then look to Effing Seafoods out of St. Albert. They’re offering a “build your own” box which allows you to be very specific in what you want: oysters? Lobster? Crab? Go for it. They also have caviar (very popular for Valentine’s Day) and pre-made foods like lobster mac & cheese, and crab cakes. They also have a non-seafood package too which includes Meuwly’s meats and cheese from Lakeside Farmstead.

And about those guys (Lakeside Farmstead): their Valentine’s meal kit includes their own hard and soft cheeses (which are lovely, btw) plus your choice of either two tenderloin steaks, or two striploins, as well as potatoes (which come from their farm, too), and two Jacek chocolate bars. You have the option to add wine pairings (2 bottles for $45). They do have a website, but best to find their info on Instagram or Facebook.

The most important thing is to get your order in now. These options won’t be available for long so good luck and happy Valentine-ing!

*The feature image for this page is of hand-painted macarons from The Art of Cake.