For some, Valentine’s Day is a rose-scented, chocolate-covered day of sweet bliss.
For others, Feb. 14 is a photo-ripping, tear-stained day of bitter regrets.
We feel your joy/pain. We’ve loved ’em and lost ’em here ourselves at TNT Entertainment Headquarters.
To celebrate/commiserate, we’ve come up with a Yin-Yang approach for the day. Pick your theme – Sweet or Bitter – and make the best of it. You just might finally get around to signing that wedding license/divorce decree.
MUSIC
Bitter
Kick back to the gritty, distorted guitar sound of Rafael Tranquilino and his band as they grind their way through bilingual blues. 9 p.m. Feb. 14. No cover. Stonegate Restaurant and Bar, 5421 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma. 253-473-2255, stonegaterocks.com
Sweet
Be elevated to a purer state with the sweet a cappella harmonization of vocal quartet Canonici, as they sing their way through a program of Renaissance love songs in English, French and Italian. Even sweeter: It’s a free concert, thanks to Classical Tuesdays in Old Town. 7 p.m. Feb. 14. Free. Slavonian Hall, 2306 N. 30th St., Old Town. 253-752-2135, classicaltuesdays.blogspot.com
– Rosemary Ponnekanti
ART
Bitter
Stare at the bleakly foggy waterfront photos in the Woolworth Windows, along with a video art study in living with dementia in the Tollbooth gallery right in front, to get in a truly bitter mood. If you’re lucky, it’ll also be raining or snowing, with a cold wind blowing as you stand on the deserted sidewalk. 24/7. Free. Corner of Broadway and South 11th Street, Tacoma. spaceworkstacoma.org
Sweet
Pretty landscapes, photographs and abstracts abound at the American Art Company gallery downtown, one of very few open on Tuesdays. Open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Feb. 14 (also 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays). Free. 1126 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma. 253-272-4327, americanartco.com
– Rosemary Ponnekanti
STAGE
Bitter
“California Suite” by Neil Simon takes a witty look at four hotel couples: the bickering divorcees fighting over their daughter; the unsuspecting wife who’s about to discover a prostitute in her husband’s bed; the Oscar nominee with an indiscreetly gay husband; and a tennis player who injures his best friend’s wife. 6 p.m. wine tasting and dessert, 7:30 p.m. show Feb. 14. $30. (Also 7:30 tonight and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.) Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 N. I St., Tacoma. 253-272-2281, tacomalittletheatre.com
Sweet
Lap up black lace and red frills at the Broadway Center’s “Sweet and Spicy: A Valentine’s Day Burlesque,” starring Tacoma’s own Gritty City Sirens and Olympia’s Tush burlesque troupes. Ticket includes decadent dessert, glass of wine, music and dancing, plus the chance to buy up other sweet stuff like roses, chocolate and bath bombs. Even sweeter: Ticket sales benefit the YWCA of Pierce County. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14. $40 (ages 21 and older). Theatre on the Square and Studio II, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-591-5894, broadwaycenter.org
– Rosemary Ponnekanti
DINING
Bitter
Wallow in the most bitter dish I’ve found on a Tacoma menu: the sadoa salad at Mietapeap, a Tacoma Cambodian restaurant (1314 72nd St. E., Tacoma, 253-531-8891). The salad is made with bitter sadao flowers that operate on such a high bitter frequency, just eating them may cancel out any lingering bitterness. If you’re in a drinking mood, then 1022 South is the best lounge for a bitter experience (1022 South J. St., Tacoma, 253-627-8588). At least five drinks come with unusually flavored bitters, which are the foundation for sour or bitter-leaning cocktails. My pick: Blackwell, a gin-and-grapefruit potion made with celery bitters. Bring on the bitter face.
Sweet
If the dusting of sparkly sugar on the pink champagne cupcake isn’t enough, then the raspberry buttercream frosting should be enough cloying to drive you to Sweetyville. Celebrity Cake Studio’s new location (314 E. 26th St., Tacoma, 253-627-4773) is the perfect place to find sweet treats of any kind. If you want to spend your night drinking sweet, head straight over to El Gaucho (2119 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; 253-882-0009) and order the French Kiss, a combination of Stoli vanilla vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice. Pucker up and say helllooooo to the sweetness.
– Sue Kidd
MOVIES
Bitter
There’s bitter, and then there’s BITTER. If you’re between partners this Valentine’s Day, or just feeling blah, “This Means War” might be the right fit. The movie opening today stars Chris Pine and Tom Hardy fighting – quite literally – over Reese Witherspoon. It’s a romantic comedy, so we’re guessing it will end happily, although we’re not sure how.
Are you a grownup and a little more jaded than a rom-com can help? Then check out “The Descendants,” the down-to-earth tale of George Clooney discovering that his now-comatose wife has been cheating on him. If you’ve had a cheating partner, it should help your ego to see the likes of Clooney getting his heart broken.
Finally, if you’re way beyond jaded and headed for vengeful, we recommend “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” No one leaves this film without some major scars, but the catharsis is grand.
Sweet
If you prefer your movies with a sugary aftertaste, “The Vow” is the new release for you. Rachel McAdams has amnesia and Channing Tatum has to remind her how much she loves him. There is no chance this won’t have a happy and romantic ending.
Looking for sweetness that is kid-friendly as well? Check out “Big Miracle,” the happy whale rescue tale based on a true story. It stars Drew Barrymore – what could be sweeter?
If you want your sweetness mixed with a little sophistication, we recommend Oscar front runner “The Artist.” Yes, it is a silent movie, but that’ll just make it easier to hear your partner whisper sweet nothings. And love is at the heart of this adorable tale.
Finally, you can’t go wrong with “Beauty and the Beast,” re-released in 3-D. In the first animated movie ever nominated for a Best Film Oscar, it takes the love of brainy non-princess Belle to turn a beast into a prince. That is the best Disney Valentine ever.
– Dusti Demarest
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