Valentine’s Ideas: Traditional and Not-So-Much

: With its rich history and carefully prepared food, the inn is a great place for a romantic night out. The elegant-yet-comfortable décor will ensure the right mood for a traditional Valentine’s Day, and the downtown location means an evening stroll won’t be out of the question.

On Valentine’s Day, they’ll have live music and a menu with some mouthwatering choices: lobster tail stuffed with crab meat, $37; baby rack of lamb, $36; lemon-encrusted Chilean sea bass, $32; filet mignon, $34; prime rib, $32; seared salmon, $32; surf and turn (lobster tail and filet mignon), $38; special roasted breast of duck, $32.

Dinner will be served from 4:30-10 p.m. Reservations are a must, so call 609-655-5595.

: Whether or not you’ll be eating at the Inn, you have the option of a less traditional exploration of it this Saturday. The Ferrymen, a group of Pennsylvania ghost hunters, is offering a Valentine’s weekend ghost hunt that will start in the inn (which is on the National Register of Historic Places) and then move on to across the street, which has its own .

Veteran paranormal investigators Justin Dabrow and Robert Esposito said they’re hoping to help attendees experience something new, and maybe capture a disembodied voice. Esposito also said skeptics are welcome, and almost a matter of course since believers tend to drag them along.  “We want to present the evidence,” he said.  “Ninety percent of the stuff you see on TV is Hollywood. We let people make up their minds.”

The cost is $20 per person and gets couples will get Electromagnetic Field Meters and other equipment thought to detect ghostly activity. Make your reservations by 8 p.m. Friday by e-mailing ferrymenghosthunts@gmail.com with your name, phone number and number of people. And bring your camera—you must just catch something otherworldly.

: This Italian restaurant on Route 130 has two options for Valentine’s diners. There’s a $69, three-course meal (plus salad) for two with choices like shrimp bisque for an appetizer and a whole three-pound lobster cut into two and stuffed with crab meat for an entrée. To finish things out, there’s mom’s homemade mini dessert platter.  

If you'd rather order à la carte, you'll have options like lobster bisque ($7.99), deep-fried jalapeno peppers ($7.99), strawberry spinach salad ($11.99) and crab-stuffed flounder ($29.99).

For the full listing of options, see the image gallery on this article.

: Normally closed on Mondays, Hightstown’s Italian eatery will open its doors for Valentine’s Day from 5 to 9 p.m. and will offer a special menu as well as musical entertainment group Double Standard (guitar, accordion and violin).

Dinner for two is $34 per person and includes three courses per person, with options including polenta fries or wild Mushroom and ricotta cheese-stuffed giant ravioli as appetizers; tomato braised pork ossobucco and slow-roasted Sicilian salt-crusted ribeye steak as main courses; and dark chocolate and ricotta tart with vanilla gelato and tiramisu among the desserts.

Reservations are required, but you can also order a take-out package for a romantic dinner at home. For the full list of their specials, see the PDF attached to this article.

: If you're like me, you know candy is the most important part of Valentine's Day (along with most other holidays). Jack's is stepping up to the plate with pre-made Valentine's Day gift baskets and classy confections like chocolate long-stemmed roses.

You can choose from either pre-made gift baskets, which run from $5 to $20 and include themes like candy from your childhood and "chocolate fantasy," or, if you've got more time, you can browse around and make one yourself. Give the shop just 15 minutes and they'll gussy up a personalized basket for your sweetheart. See an example in the image gallery.

Over the weekend, every purchase will also come with a free Valentine's Day balloon.