i am a stanford daily whore

Feb 11, 2004 14:36

but hey, it's a good newspaper.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Life is like a box of chocolates

By Jennie Broder
Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Well, four more days until that time of year again, friends. Even though I still mistakenly write 2003 on all my lecture notes, everyone (and by everyone, I mean most girls and the guys in touch with their sensitive sides) knows that Feb. 14 is just around the corner.
Ah, St. Valentine - sometimes you want to hug the guy for creating a holiday that justifies a shopping spree at Victoria’s Secret. Other times, you just want to throw a cup of Natty Light in his face for reminding all of us single folk out there of our “table-for-one” status.

But the worst thing about Valentine’s Day applies to both romance and friendship. It’s the cookie-cutter-genericness that seems to lump all relationships into a Russell Stover’s heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates. And, if you think you’re going to make your girl swoon just because the back of your card says Hallmark, think again, Casanova. So before you head over to Walgreen’s to pick up a $2.99 love note and a box of conversation hearts for your honey, PLEASE read on. So the story typically goes like this: When a guy realizes that Valentines Day is coming up, he may feel overwhelmed, confused, unsure of what his ambiguously-defined relationship calls for in the gift department. (This tale applies to males and females, but for the sake of convenience let’s just pick one.) Should he get her an actual present? What is she expecting? In the face of these daunting questions, he should at least opt for the usual, albeit cliché, suspects - chocolates and flowers. No brainer - every girl likes chocolates, right?

Trust me, if you show up at her door with that box of cheesiness, she’ll be pretty unimpressed. When I posed this scenario to the anonymous girl typing at the computer next to me, she responded, “I would probably just poke each one to see if any were even worth eating.”

But don’t worry. I know of a place where a weary soul can overcome these V-Day doldrums - Kiki’s Candy Bar, an inviting chocolate shop with a lively personality all its own. More upscale than a Sweet Factory but more intimate than the FAO Schwartz’s candy section, Kiki’s has an endearingly kitschy quality to it. With a retro décor and a selection of obscure candy bars like “Big Cherry” and “Nestle’s Aero Bar,” this sweets boutique is literally a bar - Willy Wonka-style.

The selection of candy ranges from sumptuous raspberry truffles to fun mint-chocolate-malt balls. From classic chocolate-almond bark to the playful non-pareils (aka sno-caps) covered in multi-colored sprinkles, you can mix and match to find the combination most suited to your valentine. Is her favorite color lavender? Make a bag exclusively of pastel purple M&M’s. Does she like chocolate-covered strawberries? Buy her the real thing along with a bag of strawberry-and chocolate-flavored jellybeans. While you sample and crunch on the candy-coated Jordan almonds, letting them slowly dissolve in your mouth, you can even sip on one of Kiki’s Candy Bar Cocktail creations - flavored fizzy drinks garnished with your favorite fruit candy. Who said EANABs couldn’t be exciting?

What makes Kiki’s so special, though, isn’t its selection of chocolates, truffles or other sugary confections. It isn’t the Strip Chocolate Board Game or the chocolate body-fudge over by the adult corner. It isn’t even related to the food at all - it’s about your opportunity to individualize and personalize your relationship. You and your girlfriend, boyfriend or best friend cannot be summarized in that sappy Hallmark card printed across the world in 20 different languages. Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be about the cliché gifts you exchange with each other, but about an appreciation of what you share together.

So, when trying to think of a gift or a spot for a romantic dinner, don’t go immediately for the Zagat Guide, however tempting and simple it may seem. For any other night, I could name countless restaurants with romantic atmospheres and patios enshrined with candles. But what matters on Valentine’s Day is that you choose a restaurant that embodies the spirit of the two of you together.

Discover and internalize what is unique and special about your relationship. Don’t go for the blanket four-star rating, but choose particular foods that reflect what you share - whether that connection be spicy, classic or sweet. This is a holiday to spend time with the ones you love, so recognize what an important part they play in your life. Whenever your loved one makes you light up when he calls or makes you calm down when she smiles, St. Valentine reappears once a year to make sure you don’t forget it. So put a little effort and creativity into the gift this time. Why don’t you see if Kiki’s Candy Bar can help.

*Kiki’s Candy Bar is located at 540 Emerson St., just off of University Ave.

Any extra candy? Send it Jennie’s way. E-mail her at jbroder@stanford.edu so she can find out where to pick it up. But please, no carnations this year.
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