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Graphic by Samantha Griffen/City Times Media
Graphic by Samantha Griffen/City Times Media
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5 last-minute ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day – whether you love it or not

With a wide range of holiday palettes, there’s a fine line between love and hate

If you trust the Instagram ads, condom commercials and flower shops, Valentine’s is a day for couples.

“I really like it,” said Mikie Finley, a San Diego City College psychology major who said she is in a relationship. “(Valentine’s Day) is a lonely thing to talk about, I guess, if you are not in a relationship.” 

Whether you have a partner or not, there are fun things to do on Valentine’s Day in San Diego. 

Here are five last-minute options, no matter how you feel about the holiday.

Looking for something unique? Check out Parq’s Crushed Heartbreak Bar

The Crushed Heartbreak Bar pop-up provides a truly unique Valentine’s Day experience in downtown San Diego. The $23 reservation comes with a free cocktail or mocktail.

There will be plenty of activities that make your experience special, according to the online ticket site. You can take photos on Cloud 9 or add your crush’s name to the crush list.

There’s even an option for the broken-hearted.

“Cry it out,” the site said. “We have tissues.”

Crushed Heartbreak Bar has a full dinner and specialty cocktail menu and tarot card reading is also available for purchase.

Opened earlier this month, this pop-up is open through Feb. 24.

This pop-up is located at 615 Broadway.

Feeling fancy? Try the Valentine’s Day Dinner Experience at Sally’s Fish House and Bar 

Want to take your date to a fine dining experience on the San Diego Bay? At Sally’s, you can have a luxurious five-course meal with the option of a wine pairing for an extra cost.

Sally’s prides themselves on sustainable seafood and California wines, according to its website.

It is part of the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurants program. The program is designed to limit the use of single-use plastics and support sustainable fishing practices.

The menu includes grilled oysters, lobster carbonara and a fancy ribeye steak.

A reservation through the OpenTable app is required.

Sally’s Fish House and Bar is located at 1 Market Pl. inside the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego.

Wanna get lei’d? Valentine’s meets vacation at The Smoking Gun

Downtown’s Smoking Gun is hosting a Hawaiian-themed Valentine’s Day. There will be themed drinks and an island-inspired menu.

Among the delicious dishes will be fried coconut shrimp and a Dole Whip shake.

The venue also has an arcade in the restaurant that can be fun for a Valentine’s date. Try your hand at foosball, ping pong or pool. 

Smoking Gun is located in Gaslamp at 529 Market St.

Consider yourself a gin snob? Barleymash serves up love in a glass

Does your date like gin? Barleymash may be known for both beer and bourbon, but tonight the focus is gin.

The Gaslamp Quarter restaurant and bar is offering a Valentine’s menu that is gin-focused, starting with “love-inspired cocktails”  and ending with an Orange Blossom Crème Brûlée – perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

Barleymash supports local San Diego breweries and is a staple for residents and tourists.

Find Barleymash at 600 5th Ave.

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Up for a drive? The Strawberry Shack will sweeten your Valentine   

A staple for any good Valentine’s Day is a good chocolate-covered strawberry – or anything strawberry.

 The Strawberry Shack in Carlsbad is the perfect place for that Valentine’s treat for friends, couples, situationships and anything in between. 

A majority of the strawberries used are freshly grown California strawberries, according to its website. The chocolate used for their chocolate-covered strawberries is directly imported from Belgium.

The Strawberry Shack is located at 2906 Carlsbad Blvd.

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