Dinner for two: Local venues offer specials for Valentine's Day, working around delays

Valentine’s Day may have a highly debated origin, but for millions across the U.S., Feb. 14 is a day to show love and appreciation for those special people in their lives.

For some, this may take the form of flowers, chocolates or even a fancy date, but for others it is a day to appreciate the family and friends in their lives by sending them cards or special messages.

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No matter how people celebrate, several restaurants, wineries and hotels in Ashland, Holmes and Wayne counties are preparing for those who want to go out. Despite the challenges some have faced with getting shipments and working around COVID-related issues, many establishments say they are hoping to make the occasion a special night for many.

Food and wine

Next to the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce on West Liberty Street in downtown Wooster, sits the family-owned venue TJ’s Restaurant. After watching his dad and uncle open the place in 1964, Greg Tieche bought it in 1978 and has been the owner for the past 44 years.

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Tieche said their latest menu will offer prime rib and several lobster dishes, including a lobster quesadilla which Tieche said has been very popular over the past few summers. Besides the dinner menus, TJ’s also will offer an early dining menu, which includes two courses, from 4 until 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For those looking for a place with some local wine options, there is the Lincoln Way Vineyards on Old Lincoln Way.

Growing grapes since 2006, Lincoln Way converted into a winery and began selling its own wine in 2018, said founder Jim Borton. The winery now offers 11 wines, with several hard ciders and some sparkling wines as well.

Although it typically does not sell its own food, Borton said the winery is hosting a catered Valentine’s dinner on Saturday that will offer a five-course meal and a bottle of wine. The price of the dinner for two people is $100, and a reservation for one is $60.

Since the event is catered, Borton said those interested would have to RSVP on the winery’s website under the events page, prior to the event. For those who are not able to RSVP during the presale, they are still welcome to come for the wine and live music Borton said.

Dinner and a place to stay

Several venues, including one castle in Ashland County and a hotel in Holmes County, are offering deals on dinner and a stay in their hotel for couples looking to get some good food and a night away.

Landoll’s Mohican Castle is roughly 30 minutes south of Ashland near Loudonville and promises “unprecedented luxury in its lodging and seclusion,” according to the website.

Executive Assistant Joe Cummings wrote in an email that the hotel will have several unique meals and all rooms will be 50% off on Valentine’s Day.

In the hotel’s Copper Mug Bar & Grille, there will be four unique entrees including a rack of lamb, seabass, a ribeye for two and a filet mignon option as well. Each entrée comes with a various sides and a wine pairing.

Pricing and reservation information, for both the dinner and rooms, can be found on the castle’s website.

In the heart of Millersburg on the corner of West Jackson Street and Amish Country Byway, Hotel Millersburg has been open since 1847 and recently underwent several renovations to its restaurant.

With a seating lounge, re-upholstered booths and a new drink menu, head chef Justin Bee said the newly re-opened Spirits Speakeasy has a very “romantic atmosphere” with a “1920s vibe.” While the menu may have fewer options, with five appetizers and eight entrees, Bee said they hope to be more “focused more on quality than quantity.”

For Valentine’s specials, Bee said the restaurant is offering a special "dinner for two" which includes two entrees, a bottle of wine and one dessert, all for $75. If the dinner deal is paired with a stay in a queen-size room at the hotel, the total cost for dinner and the room is $149.

Reservations for the speakeasy and hotel can be made by calling 330-674-1457 or by visiting the venue in person.

Facing battles while maintaining service

While the focus of the holiday is mainly on couples visiting their venue, some owners and managers shared that preparation hasn’t been easy.

“We've never quite faced anything like this, both as a company or myself individually,” Whitney said. “It's definitely quite a time to be working in the tour(ist) industry as a whole.”

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Whitney said one struggle the castle has faced has come up when creating menus. With shipping delays or items sometimes being out of stock, Whitney said they have struggled to build menus with what they had available while keeping prices down for customers.

The castle in Loudonville isn’t alone as Borton said his winery also has had its fair share of difficulties.

Although wine production saw few changes, some wine bottles and glasses became difficult or impossible to find. This forced Borton to switch what they bought, in turn increasing the cost per bottle.

Despite the challenges many venues have faced, several business owners say they are grateful for the successes they have had and are hopeful for the future.

“We're working through it, we're getting by,” Whitney said. "In comparison to some of the other companies that we... have had talks with, we've done pretty well but we're definitely still facing our difficulties across the board. That's for sure.”

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Reach Rachel Karas at rkaras@gannett.com

On Twitter: @RachelKaras3

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Valentine's dinner, hotel specials in tri-county area ahead of holiday