White Castle to offer Valentine's Day dinners
It's not exactly what you picture when you think of a romantic Valentine's Day dinner.
But the folks at White Castle along Randall Road in Batavia and Lake in the Hills will be serving up a specially-themed dinner this hearts day and they're trying to make it as romantic as possible - at least for White Castle.
The two White Castles along the Randall Road corridor, as well as some others throughout Chicagoland, are taking reservations now for the Valentine's Dinner by candlelight.
From 5 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 14, the restaurant will look quite different from what you're used to when stopping in or driving through to satisfy those late-night cravings.
There will be hearts galore scattered throughout the restaurant, there will be flowers on the tables and you'll dine by candlelight.
"We'll even have tablecloths," said Andrew Schmidt, manager of the Batavia White Castle. "We try to make it as nice as we can."
As usual, servers will come to the table to take your order.
You'll get to order off the regular menu that day, but there will be a special appetizer platter, said Manny Thakkar, manager of the Lake in the Hills White Castle.
While some significant others might get the boot for suggesting such a spot for Valentine's Day, others have loved it the past few years the restaurant has hosted the dinner, Thakkar said.
"It's more of the novelty of it, something different," he said. "People hear about it and they want to do it and we get more reservations.
"We have some people that have made it into a tradition," Thakkar said.
For some with little kids, though, it is just what they ordered for a family-friendly Valentine's Day.
They get to dine by candlelight with their sweetheart in a somewhat romantic setting, and not have to pay for a baby sitter.
"We do see a lot of families," Thakkar said. "It's more families than couples. But we see everyone."
To commemorate your special night, the servers also will be taking your picture that night and posting on their Web site.
If you are interested celebrating Valentine's Day at White Castle with your sweeties, call (708) 458-4450.
A little more upscale: If you're looking for a little bit of a fancier place to take your sweetie, check out Biaggi's Restaurant along Randall Road in Algonquin.
On Feb. 10 and 16, the restaurant will have an aphrodisiac-themed Valentine's Day wine dinner.
The night begins at 6 p.m. and includes a six-course meal and featured wines for the evening.
The cost is $55 per person.
For information or reservations, call (847) 658-5040.
Private party: It's a popular time for proposals around Valentine's Day, and the Crate and Barrel along Randall Road in Geneva is hosting a party just for engaged couples.
On Sundays in February, the soon-to-be married couples can get the store to themselves beginning at 11 a.m.
Without the crowds later in the day, they can browse through the store creating their registry, meet with employees and other brides, and have some refreshments.
To reserve your spot, call (630) 208-7226.
Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from Batavia to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or (847) 894-5036.