by BRENDA STEWART
The origins of Valentine’s Day are steeped in legend and lore. Ranging from a persecuted priest to a third century Roman fertility festival to Norse mythology, the celebration has somehow survived the ages. And worldwide Valentine’s Day customs are as varied as its history. With eyes to the skies, one legend has it that if a girl sees a robin on Valentine’s Day, she will marry a sailor. If she sees a goldfinch, a millionaire. If she catches a glimpse of a sparrow, she will marry a poor man but she will be a happy wife.
A little closer to home, folks looking for ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Tuesday have quite a few options:
To get your love in the Valentine’s Day mood, a bit of poetry just might be in order. On the campus of Texas State University, Master of Fine Arts students will be reading from their works of fiction and poetry at the Alkek Library on campus at 5 p.m.
A bit east of the campus you can enjoy some vino with your Valentine’s on the deck above the San Marcos River at Three Dudes Winery in Martindale. The nice dudes will even throw in a long-stemmed rose and some chocolate kisses for your sweetie.
From there, just keep heading east and you’ll find the Cottonseed Cafe hosting a traditional, romantic, French-inspired five-course meal which begins with baked raspberry brie en croute and ends with chocolate cake with caramel filling, toasted almonds and ganache.
And in deference to the custom of keeping an eye to the sky, you can enjoy a Saturday night Valentine’s Dinner Under the Stars in the garden area of Sue Ellen’s and Old Main Street in downtown Buda. The cool folks at Buda Grocery and Grill are hosting this romantic dinner with a couple of different menu options beginning with tomato and basil soup and concluding with strawberry topped cheesecake.
Historic downtown Buda’s Viuda New American Bistro will be hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner beginning with raw gulf oysters and ending with chocolate-strawberry truffle ravolio. And if you’re in the mood for a little Italiano, Nonna Gina’s will be cooking up delicious Valentine dishes.
And, just down the road in Kyle, Bordeaux’s is hosting its 8th annual Lover’s Celebration with a five course wine dinner beginning with a flute of champagne, a chocolate covered strawberry and a red rose for the lady and concluding with chocolate-kahlua-mascarpone mousse.
And to end your romantic evening, there’s nothing like the magic of dance. Tapestry Dance Company presents “The Souls of Our Feet”, a fast-paced collection of footwork that pays tribute to the rhythmic tap masterpieces from Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell to contemporary works of living tap masters at Evans Auditorium on the campus of Texas State University.
