A Better Way to Celebrate Valentine's Day

{Two of my favorite chocolate bars from Mast Brothers}

For my latest Mommy Poppins post, I wrote about NYC candy and chocolate shops where visitors can go behind the scenes. It made me think about Valentine's Day, a holiday I used to care about. For a while, Daniel and I even celebrated it twice a year since Brazil's Dia dos Namorados is on June 12. But between our two wedding anniversaries, Nico and Leo's birthdays, and other special dates, Valentine's Day has lost its luster.

In NYC, most restaurants serve overpriced prix-fixe menus and the whole thing can feel so hokey and forced. I'd rather just make a really nice dinner at home. Or go out the day before. This year, I'm thinking we'll use Valentine's Day as an excuse to finally tour Mast Brothers Chocolate in Williamsburg. Most dinners at our apartment end with Daniel and I splitting a few squares of the two bars above. He's able to stop after 2 or 3. I usually cut myself off after 8.

Mast has tours on Saturdays and Sundays, so it's a good way to acknowledge Valentine's Day without succumbing completely to a Hallmark holiday. For $9.99 per person, you can watch the entire process at New York City's only bean-to-bar shop and try five types of chocolate. They're already sold out for the weekend before Valentine's Day but the weekend after is available.

Oh and if you're looking for a restaurant in Brooklyn that isn't planning a pricey prix-fixe meal, try Seersucker. Eater included them in their Ultimate Non-Rip-Off Guide to Valentine's Day Dining. They'll be serving their regular menu, plus a few specials. They're also saving tables for walk-ins, just in case you should be taking someone out for Valentine's Day but don't have anything planned yet.

Mast Brothers Chocolate
105A North 3rd Street
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-388-2625