Should you choose to eschew celebrating Valentine’s Day this year as a conscientious objector due to the holiday’s non-optimal midweek placement, there are 365 other days this year that are just as good, if not better, for honoring your special someone (or special someone to be) with a nice meal in a dimly lit, romantic setting. Orange County has an abundance of such restaurants, many of them ideal for either a first-date bite or a silver-anniversary feast.
Some spots will offer Valentine’s Day menu specials (like tacos with red tortillas made with beet juice or truffle-laced lobster rolls), while others will keep their menus as-is. Wherever your palate, there’s something here for everyone, even the lonelyhearts (see: 24-hour doughnut shop). Here are a handful of the most romantic date-night spots in Orange County.
4th Street Market (Santa Ana): For a casual date night, head to one of OC’s greatest food arenas. With so much to see and so much to do, you won’t feel nearly as much pressure for conversation as you might at typical sit-down restaurants. And you’ll have so much from which to choose: Mexican-Californian specialty grocery store Alta Baja Market, which also serves breakfast and lunch from its cafe; Zacatecas taqueria Burrito La Palma; sandwiches from Deli Station; contemporary Hawaiian comfort food by Faka’s Island Grill, Gina’s Crepes and Waffles; plant-based, vegan and gluten-free taqueria La Vegana Mexicana, which specializes in tamales; Loose Leaf Boba Co.; build-your-own burrito or bowl Mix N’ Bowl Co., Recess by Playground for cocktails, sodas, beers and wines; sushi care of ShariNori; smashburgers and Nashville-style hot chicken at Golden Eatery; Thai-style chicken comfort food from the Chicken Rice; and chef-founder Toto Limsombat’s sublime Tuk Tuk Thai Street Food. 201 E. Fourth St. (at North Bush Street), Santa Ana.
B&B Donuts (Fullerton): No, stay with me: A doughnut shop is, and will always be, at least for me, a romantic…
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