You Can't Buy Love (But You Better Buy Something)
by Caitlin Derose
Approximately one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent annually, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, right behind Christmas. Sometimes, however, cards just will not suffice. A Wikipedia search for Valentine’s Day yields several histories of the holiday and the ways in which different countries traditionally have chosen to celebrate it. It is safe to say that nobody does Valentine’s Day quite like Americans: the shopping frenzy, the search for the perfect and non-offensive gift, the nerves and expectations—we take it to a whole new level. On the other hand, it’s hardly a holiday in Norway. In Japan and Korea, they’ve come up with reciprocal holidays in March and April for all the men who didn’t make an effort back in February to redeem themselves and get out of the doghouse. And the Chinese have their own counterpart, called “Night of Sevens,” on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, when girls write their names and numbers on mandarin oranges and throw them into a river, hoping somewhere down the line there is a cute little boy searching for the right peel that will lead him to his future lover. That sounds pretty nice. However, here at home, we prefer spa packages, flowers, lingerie, basically anything that makes someone feel pampered and special. And why shouldn’t we? After all, valentine comes from the Latin word valor, meaning worthy. So browse the following list for some ideas about how you might celebrate your own worth or that of another on Valentine’s Day. And maybe, just in case, throw an orange peel or two in the river while you’re at it.
Flowers
Maureen’s Wholesale Flowers
441 Ellicott Street
852-4600
Mother Nature
712 Elmwood Avenue
881-1575
American Beauties Florist
300 Kenmore Avenue
836-1000
Floral Explorations
1448 Hertel Avenue
838-4916
Perry’s Nursery & Garden Center
5203 Seneca Street, West Seneca
674-7752
Graser’s Florist
399 Amherst Street
875-0185
Botanical Gardens
2655 South Park Avenue
827-1584
SWEETS
Bella Mia Chocolate Shop
1096 Hertel Avenue
447-0922
Carriage Trade Pastries
1654 Elmwood Avenue
881-2326
Cold Stone Creamery
2674 Delaware Avenue
332-3424
Watson’s Chocolates
738 Elmwood Avenue
884-3216
Muscoreil’s Fine Desserts
2949 Elmwood Avenue
692-9081
Anderson’s
2235 Sheridan Drive
875-5952
Butterwood
5409 Main Street, Williamsville
204-0939
Choco Logo
143 Broadway Avenue
855-3500
Delish!
804 Elmwood Avenue
440-7692
Di Camillo Bakery
1700 Pine Avenue
La Dolce Vida
1472 Hertel Avenue
446-5690
Sweet Tooth
94 Elmwood Avenue
884-2520
Parkside Candy Company
3208 Main Street
833-7540
Fowler’s Chocolates
754 Elmwood Avenue
885-2183
Lingerie, ETC.
Quill’s
799 Elmwood Avenue
882-0681
Pleasure Principale
179 Elmwood Avenue
884-0183
Kimberley’s Intimate Apparel
3015 Genesee Street
891-5518
Sydney’s
2468 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda
695-1880
Manache (adult toys)
www.manache.com
Lotions and Potions
5543 Main Street, Williamsville
565-0610
JEWELERS
Abraham’s
798 Elmwood Avenue
873-0734
Barbara Oliver
5820 Main Street, Williamsville
204-1297
arah’s Vintage & Estate Jewelry
5459 Main Street, Williamsville
633-3738
Michael’s Antique Jewelry
5419 Main Street, Williamsville
633-2310
Ben Garelick
5001 Transit Road, Williamsville
631-1584
Sid Birzon
1376 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda
462-4022
Andrew’s Jewelers
7088 Transit Road, Williamsville
630-7091
Erik Jewelers
505 Filmore Avenue, Tonawanda
743-8007
Amy’s Gems
4545 Transit Road, Williamsville
631-1621
Aurum
487 Elmwood Avenue
886-1300
Wild Things
224 Lexington Avenue
882-3324
Scanlon Jewelers
5735 Main Street, Williamsville
633-6362
Crinzi & Gullo
Ellicott Square Building, Suite 100
854-0500
These restaurants run the gamut, from casual bistro fare to Cajun cuisine to the finest in French and Italian dining. Some things they all have in common? There’s music, wine and candlelight…
Amaryllis
675 Delaware Ave., 878-2741
Allen St. Hardware
245 Allen St, 882-8843
The Coda
350 Pennsylvania St., 362-0435
Fiddleheads
62 Allen St., 883-4166
Hutch’s
1375 Delaware Ave., 885-0074
La Tee Da
206 Allen St., 881-4500
Left Bank
511 Rhode Island St., 882-3509
Mother’s
33 Virginia Pl., 882-2989
Oliver’s
2095 Delaware Ave., 877-9662
Rue Franklin
341 Franklin St., 852-4416
Salvatore’s Italian Gardens
6615 Transit Rd., 635-9000
Shango
3260 Main St., 837-2326
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