Calling Cupid spritely, unpredictable, and frankly fickle is like saying El Niño is damp or the redwoods are tall.
Everyone knows that the wing-sporting, quiver-rocking cherub can and does alight wherever he dang well pleases, spreading love here and there but certainly not everywhere all at once. (Such is his singular, oft-bemoaned, occasionally praised reputation.)
This makes heading into Valentine's Weekend a bit tricky, and even trickier if you don't need Cupid to visit you, as you're already with a honeybun you're rather sweet on. Our suggestion, though? Best change that tune if you're dining out that honeybun in Downtown Santa Monica on Saturday, Feb. 13.
Why? Because Cupid himself will be calling upon a number of restaurants, and couples within those restaurants, on Valentine's Eve, all to sprinkle joy and light and $50 gift cards towards the meal you're currently enjoying.
The hours? Look for a flash of wings, hither and yon, between 6 p.m. and 9 o'clock in the evening.
The eateries? Oh great candy hearts, there's a lot of them around the immediate area: Blue Plate Oysterette, Ivy at the Shore, Melisse, FIG Restaurant, Cassia, True Food Kitchen, Water Grill, Loteria Grill, Locanda del Lago, and Red O Restaurant are just a slice of the spots where Cupid may or may not cameo.
We know, we know: It's a dicey prospect, for everyone, to wait on a certain Grecian god to show up and do his beneficent thing, whether that's pairing lovebirds or handing out money-saving gift cards to Valentine's Eve diners.
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All we can say is this: If he doesn't pop by your table, be not glum. Be glad, rather, that you're out, in lovely Downtown Santa Monica, a block or two from the beach, with your #1 pumpkin on Valentine's Eve.
That rocks.
And, honestly, there hasn't been a person now, or throughout history, who has found a way to summon the mythical matchmaker on demand. That's not about to start, either, but should Cupid and his quiver full of $50 restaurant gift cards find his way to you and your partner, well... Your Valentine's Eve will be one for the storybooks.
