BUCKHANNON – Shop local for your sweetheart.
… Or for your family member, friend, Galentine, or, hey, even for yourself.
Valentine’s Day is swiftly approaching this Sunday, but there’s still plenty of time to scoop up sweet treats, floral arrangements and more to celebrate the myriad forms of love in our lives – all while supporting local businesses right here in Buckhannon and Upshur County.
One might start with chocolate-covered strawberries, which are available in downtown Buckhannon at both Fish Hawk Acres and Sweet-A-Licious.
Sara Bednarski, catering manager for Fish Hawk Acres, said Fish Hawk is no longer taking entrée or appetizer orders from their Valentine’s Day menu, but they will still offer classic treats such as chocolate-covered strawberries and iced sugar cookies, while also adding truffles to their repertoire for the first time.
“We always cook more than the number of orders we get, so there will be things available, but you’ll have to come quick because it’ll sell out fast,” she said. “Saturday is probably going to be a madhouse.”
Bednarski said they always sell out of chocolate-covered strawberries, but the truffles will probably sell well too.
“We usually have the chocolate-covered strawberries, but those do go pretty fast, so if you want those you should order them soon,” Bednarski said. “I think the truffles are going to be a big hit. This is our first year doing them, but I think they’re going to go over pretty well, and the chocolate strawberries are just a tradition – they’ve been making them for years, and [our bakers] do such a good job.”
An order of truffles features one of each flavor including white chocolate, Nutella, chocolate peanut butter, Oreo, birthday cake, bacon caramel and a matcha white chocolate.
Customers may also order a bouquet of flowers at Fish Hawk from Blooms by Juliette, including Dutch handtied bouquets that will group roses and other flowers together or potted tea roses.
Looking for another more personalized option? Customers may assemble a gift basket with flowers and various items from the market. Patrons who have not preordered a bouquet can still find a number of bouquets available starting Thursday afternoon.
Just across Main Street and to the east, you’ll find Anita’s Flowers & Boutique, where employee Chantelle Kerr advises anyone looking for roses to order them soon.
“For red roses, we have a couple of different options,” Kerr said. “We have the True Love Bouquet, which is our dozen long-stemmed red roses that comes with a mix of greenery and a red vase and a small bag of Lindor chocolate truffles. The other one we have is more traditional with long-stemmed red roses and then baby’s breath, and the other specials we’re doing are hat boxes with flowers and we have mixed ones in those as well as dozen roses, so it gives you a completely different look then the vase arrangements.”
“We also have plushies and the balloons, and we can also do gift boxes, if you call in and say we want a spa type gift box, we can do that,” Kerr added.
She said anyone looking for roses should order before the end of the week, or they may run out of roses.
“I also have candy bouquets and beef jerky bouquets for people who may not like flowers, but they’re into food, so that’s an option, too,” Kerr said.
Sweet-A-Licious is offering way more than just Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream for this Valentine’s Day.
Owner Michelle Jack said they are bringing back a customer favorite, chocolate-covered strawberries, and several other homemade favorites – but also adding some new delicacies into the mix.
“Our biggest things are chocolate-covered strawberries; they are definitely out most popular item,” Jack said. “We will also be making hot chocolate bombs, which will be pretty neat because we’ll have the regular hot chocolate bombs, and we’ll also have ones lightly flavored with Kahlua or Fireball and you get a cute Valentine mug with it.”
All the house-made items by Sweet-A-Licious include chocolate-covered strawberries; homemade chocolates (plain chocolate hearts, chocolate hearts filled with peanut butter, chocolate hearts filled with cherries); chocolate-covered pretzel rods; heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies; and hot chocolate bombs (regular or lightly flavored with Kahlua or Fireball Whiskey).
“Something new we started is teaming up with Candies by Linda,” Jack said. “She used to have a bunch of products in the Hallmark store and she does beautiful work, and we have several items from her this year.”
Jack said they will also continue their partnership with Bonnie Belle’s Pastries and feature chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes.
“Last weekend, we started featuring a cheesecake for the weekend, so we’re going to start featuring a cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory every weekend,” Jack said. “Last week was a white chocolate raspberry, and this week we’re going to do a Cheesecake Factory Godiva chocolate and we’re going to team it up with a chocolate-covered strawberry, so that’s going to be a big hit. I’ve got several of those reserved already.”
Jack said customers may reserve items via their Facebook page.
“Right now, in January and February, we’re only open on Fridays and Saturday, so we’re going to have everything fully stocked on Friday and Saturday, but it runs out really quickly,” Jack said. “I encourage people to order soon. Right now, I’ve got about 20 dozen strawberries sold, so the strawberries go quickly.”
Other Valentine’s Day offerings from local businesses include but are not limited to:
Red Roof Bakery, located on the Hall Road, is offering sweetheart cakes, and if you order by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, you’ll receive a 10 percent discount. Call 304-472-2626.
French Creek Cakery is selling Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating Kits for $20 each that includes one dozen cookies, four frostings, and four tubes of sugars/sprinkles. Patrons may also place orders for the Cakery’s special peanut butter chocolate mini-cakes that are shaped like hearts. Call 681-495-7322 or peruse their Valentine’s Day menu on Facebook.
Licensed massage therapist Chrissy Sandy, who owns Wellness Haven WV, says massages make outstanding Valentine’s Day gifts. Gift certificates may be booked online through Wellness Haven’s website, www.MassageBook.com/biz/wellnesshavenwv.
Stone Tower Brews has debuted a special Lava Cake Latte for you and your lover (or just you). It’s a mix of milk chocolate, white chocolate, fudge and Swiss chocolate. Then, on Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14, STB is selling Red Velvet Waffles with plenty of chocolate and cream cheese.
Brake’s Dairy King is selling delectable sweetheart, heart-shaped ice cream cakes for $11.
Oinks BBQ on North Kanawha Street is offering a Saturday-only Valentine’s Day special dinner for two for just $35 that includes a full rack of ribs, two sides, a choice of bread, two drinks and a root beer float.
If you’re looking for someone to serenade you on Sunday, check out the Facebook live event, A Formal Valentine’s Evening with Key to Adam from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (The event is searchable on Facebook.) Key to Adam invites you to “light a candle, get dressed up, make a meal or grab some takeout, and have a special Valentine’s Day Evening with us, without even leaving your house.” The duo plans on playing some of their favorite romantic songs plus new material.
Happy Valentine’s Day from My Buckhannon! Let us know if we missed any local, special Valentine’s Day offerings!
(Pssst … did you know, we’re offering a Valentine’s Day ‘Taste the Love’ subscription? If you subscribe for a year, you’ll automatically score a $20 gift card from Fish Hawk Acres. Click here.)
