“Golden Couples” Valentine’s
Calling all “golden couples” who’ve been married 50 years or longer: what’s your secret to a lasting marriage? That “golden” rule will land one special couple a romantic Valentine’s evening complete with Chef Franey’s Valentine’s tasting menu in the Canlis Cache! This private treetop room consists of just one warmly lit table (and many spoils) that overlooks Lake Union and beyond. E-mail your golden rule of 150 words or less with couple name, contact information and the length of marriage to Rachel@Canlis.com by Tuesday, Feb. 10. Winners must be able to attend dinner on Valentine’s Day (Saturday, Feb. 14). Friends are welcome to nominate “couple candidates” as well. .

2576 Aurora Ave N., Seattle. 206-283-3313. www.canlis.com.

“Glowing” reviews, growing locations
Your best tan east of Maui is as simple as taking a 10-minute vacation! A flat $25-a-month fee brings Seattle Sun Tan guests’ unlimited tanning sessions, and $50 per month covers unlimited spray tans. Seattle Sun Tan is now easier to find with nine new locations (16 total in March)! Look for Seattle Sun Tan in Kent Station, Kent East, Kent West, Covington, Maple Valley Four Corners, Maple Valley Wilderness Plaza, Fife Tacoma and Enumclaw. You’ll also be able to get your bronze on in Ballard in February and North Bend in March. Seattle Sun Tan is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Visit www.seattlesuntan.com for locations and information.

Love gets “trivial” with Valentine’s food and fun
No matter which Ivar’s full serve restaurant you choose, there’s always a breathtaking waterfront view waiting and amazing seafood this Valentine’s Day, and we’ve got something special lined up! Start with complimentary Ivar’s clam nectar, an aphrodisiacal treat of which Ivar Haglund once said is so potent, “not over 3 cups of Clam Nectar to any married man without permission of his wife… no exceptions.” At Ivar’s Acres of Clams, Ivar’s Salmon House or Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing a special Valentine’s Day Fresh Sheet brings stimulating dinner offerings, and at each table are Valentine’s trivia contest cards. Those who can answer a majority of questions correctly will receive delicious dining prizes; and no trivia participant walks away empty-handed! Make a reservation at www.ivars.net.

Ivar’s Acres of Clams: Pier 54, 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle. (206) 624-6852.
Ivar’s Salmon House: 401 NE Northlake Way, Seattle. (206) 632-0767.
Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing: 710 Front St., Mukilteo. (425) 742-6180.
For a full list of locations and information visit www.ivars.net.

Live, love, laugh at Parlor Live
If you haven’t heard from friends already, Parlor Live recently opened and people on the Eastside and beyond are catching the hilarious acts of national headlining comedians. This state-of-the-art, 3,000 square foot space is hosting live stage acts with a focus on regional and national comedy every Thursday, Friday and Saturday (and ticket prices staying very down home at around $25). Parlor Live is also the place for private events, solo pianist performance on Mondays and Thursdays and dueling pianos every Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Upcoming National Headlining Comedians:

Jan. 29-31: Mark Curry (Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper)

Feb. 5-7: Royale Watkins (Till Death)

Feb. 19-21: Don Friesen (San Francisco International Comedy Competition)

Feb. 26-28: Jo Koy (Comedy Central)

Lincoln Square, 700 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue. 425-289-7000. www.ParlorCollection.com for additional information, tickets, and performance schedule.

French Bliss Valentine’s Weekend Dinner
Both Feb. 13 and 14, it’s a Menage a Francois in a fantastic paired dinner featuring all French wines, sparkling and otherwise. Chef de Cuisine Scott Lents welcomes guests to the intimate, lakefront love lair that is bin vivant, offering contemporary but approachable cuisine, always thoughtfully suited with quality wine. Those foregoing wine can enjoy a four-course dinner for $85 with options including Crispy Duck Confit Salad, American Kobe Tenderloin and Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. The paired dinner is $125 and features the following wines: Veuve Cliquot demi sec, Veuve Cliquot Gold label, Louis Jadot Mersault (chardonnay), Olivier LeFlaive Puligny Montrachet (chardonnay) Domaine Thomas, Sancerre (Sauv. Blanc), Jaboulet, Crozes - Hermitage (Rhone Red) Chateau LaFleur Gazin (Bordeaux), Perrin at Fils and Chateauneuf-du-pape (Southern Rhone Red). Salut!

1200 Carillon Point, Kirkland. 425-803-5595. www.thewoodmark.com/index-binvivant.php.

Linger Over a Lovers Lunch, all Valentine’s Week!
Long-beloved as the place where marriage proposals are uttered, anniversaries are celebrated and a romantic setting is a given, Palisade offers Valentine’s lunch all week long from Feb. 9 -13. Deviate from the dinner crowds and enjoy the value of a Lovers Lunch. In addition to a fresh sheet and regular menu, get in on a four-course prix fixe lunch for two for just $48 whose entrée is a ginger-and-five-spice, demi-glace-slathered Braised Beef Short Rib, paired with tempura battered spicy tiger prawns and chili Hollandaise. A special dinner Valentine’s fresh sheet is also available Feb. 13 – 15. At anytime of day, affairs in Palisade’s luxurious dining room are your opportunity to capture unbelievable Marina, Puget Sound and city views from a new perspective. Make an escape here.

2601 W. Marina Place, Seattle. 206-285-1000. www.palisaderestaurant.com.

Feb. 11 Chocolati Truffle and Port Tasting
Whether heading out to dinner or just in the mood for pure decadence, Morton’s pre-Valentine’s Day Chocolate and Port tasting heeds the call for a sinful evening warm-up. Local chocolatier Chocolati Handmade Chocolates and Morton’s Seattle present a tasting of ruby, tawny and LBV (late bottled vintage) ports with melt-in-your-mouth Chocolati chocolate truffles. Experience the chocolates just in time to discover that perfect Valentine’s gift for your special someone; call it market research! Morton’s signature hors d’ oeuvres included. Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6-7:30 p.m.; $25 per person. Call for reservations.

1511 Sixth Avenue, Seattle. 206-223-0550. www.mortons.com.

Moonlight Cream with Passion and Elderflower BioActives
Get luminous skin with the power of nature and expertise of Shenui skincare. Shenui’s Moonlight Cream (starting at $44) is an ultra rich replenishing night treatment that deeply nourishes, moisturizes and softens the skin and helps accelerate the natural nightly renewal process with ingredients of precious raspberry seed and jojoba oil, vitamin E, and olive oil-derived squalane. Further effects depend on your choice of BioActives, such as regenerating Passion and Elderflower BioActives. BioActive ingredients (from herbal extracts to fruit acids to natural oils) are hand-selected to treat your specific skin conditions. Get glowing, naturally, with Moonlight Cream.

Visit www.shenui.com for more information.

Love Beautifully with Gene Juarez
Gene Juarez gift cards are a loving gesture – perfect for Valentines Day! A stylish couture cut, a deep rich color, a relaxing facial or massage are at her fingertips with a gift card. She’ll leave feeling pampered, beautiful and special. A gift card can be applied toward any of the beauty services Gene Juarez offers. Go to genejuarez.com and purchase a printable gift card or buy directly at any of the nine salons to purchase. In-salon, if you spend $150 or more on a gift card, receive a luxurious gift with purchase including special travel-size products from the Kerastase and Arcona collections, presented in a glamorous make-up bag. Gene Juarez is also currently providing special offers on its most popular services. Go to www.GeneJuarez.com and click on “Special Offers.”.

Visit a Gene Juarez Salons & Spas location or visit www.GeneJuarez.com.

Valentine’s Tryst on the Pacific Coast
Picture a quaint café filled with Northwest food and wine, just moments to a moonlit stroll amid a symphony of endless lapping waves, and beautifully appointed beach cottages, ready to comfort upon your return. Seabrook, a new beach town on Washington’s Pacific Coast, provides your backdrop for a romantic seaside getaway at amazing cottage rental rates. The Front Street Café at Seabrook is taking reservations: Friday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m. brings a four-course-paired Northwest wine dinner (Pekin duck and Columbia River Sturgeon, anyone?) for $45 plus tax and gratuity, followed Feb. 14 (Saturday night) by a Sweetheart’s Menu featuring a choice of Rack of Lamb with port wine demi-glace; saffron-kissed, seafood Pot of Fire; and succulent Prime Rib. Cheers!

4275 State Route 109, Pacific Beach, WA. 877-779-9990. www.seabrookwa.com.

A festive Fat Tuesday tradition with some decadent, doughy darlings: Paczki
This internationally cherished Fat Tuesday treat, reaching cult-like status in the Midwest, is being brought to the Northwest for a limited time. Pronounced Poonch-Key, it requires no passport, just a hankering for sinful, soft spheres of doughy goodness! Deep-fried, some sugar-dusted, all are decadently filled in the center with raspberry, Bavarian crème or lemon. Get Paczki while it lasts from Feb. 16 – 28 for $1.99 each or $6.99 per 4-pack.

Looking to enjoy one last sinful shindig before Lent? On Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. (Fat Tuesday), don’t miss the Paczki Eat & Race Contest, a Paczki tradition! At the Metropolitan Market Admiral location, watch as store team members burn—and then earn—those calories! Contestants will run around the building, and the first one to cross the finish line and devour the most Paczki gets the glory in this friendly competition. Music and a Paczki mascot are part of the fun. (Metropolitan Market Admiral location, 2320 42nd Ave SW, Seattle. (206) 937-0551.)

Paczki will be available at all Metropolitan Market locations in Seattle, Federal Way and Tacoma. www.metropolitan-market.com.

Feb. 7 Pillowfight Against Homelessness
The Seattle Hotel Association’s annual blockbuster gala illustrates what happens when the city’s best hotel professionals get together to put on their own party and invite Seattle’s most generous souls to raise money for a great cause: Plymouth Housing Group. Saturday, Feb. 7 dinner and gala auction at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel honors H.S. Wright III and his partner Kate Janeway. Expect a feather-filled evening of fun, with attendees foregoing their usual gala finery to instead don elegant pajamas and smoking jackets. The Seattle Hotel Association has 59 members and it has already raised more than $4.2 million in its charitable efforts.

For tickets and details visit www.seattlehotelassociation.org/eoh.html.

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