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PPappappooValentine’s Day 2013

Amuse Bouche (Ca’Vittoria, Brut Rosé Prosecco NV)Smoked Trout Mousse | Pickled Shallots | Chives | Crostini

1st Course (Thiel Family Cellars Chardonnay, North Coast ‘10)Dungeness Crab Bisque | Floating Heart Pastry

— or — Baby Arugula-Frisée Salad | Beet Chips | Goat Cheese | Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

2nd Course (Thiel Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Carneros ‘08)Grilled Salmon | Wild Mushroom Risotto | Arugula Pesto | Sherry Glaze

— or —Grilled New York Steak | Lovers Potatoes | Tuscan Kale | Black Truffle Butter

— or —Roasted Boneless Chicken Breast | Parmesan Polenta | Rainbow Chard | Applewood Smoked Bacon

3rd CourseSherry-Marscapone Cheesecake | Balsamic Reduction

— or —Bittersweet Chocolate Brownie | Homemade Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream | Jameson Carmel

Fifty Two Dollars Per Person (Wine Pairings: Twenty Six Dollars Additional)

2320 Central Ave. 337-9100

La Valentine’sSpecial Feb. 14Give the Gift of Lovea Heart-shaped Pizza

from La Val’spriced & sized the same as medium

President’s DayPresident’s DayMon, Feb. 18Mon, Feb. 18

2 for 12 for 1Two pizzas for the price of one.Two pizzas for the price of one.Good on medium large or party pizzas only.Good on medium large or party pizzas only.Not valid on delivery or any other offer.Not valid on delivery or any other offer.

Two Great Upcoming Events from La Val’s

521-7711521-7711 •• 891 Island Drive891 Island DriveHarbor Bay Landing Shopping CenterHarbor Bay Landing Shopping Center • • Visit us on the Web: www.lavalspizza.comVisit us on the Web: www.lavalspizza.com

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CCELEBRATE ELEBRATE VVALENTINE’S ALENTINE’S

WITH US!WITH US! Valentine’s Special Dinner for TwoFeb. 14 through 17 $5995 Includes:Shrimp Cocktail, Caesar Salad or Clam Chowder

Soup, Angus Prime Rib and Grilled Prawns and Fresh Strawberry Shortcake!

Plenty of Free Parking AvailableMAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW!MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW!SERVING DINNER PRICED FROM $1695 and up

All Dinners Include Soup or SaladFEATURING: Angus Prime Rib, Steak, Filet Mignon,

Lobster, Seafood, Fish, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Pasta and More!

Early Bird Dinner Available 3 to 4:30PM

Seafood/Prime Rib/Steak/Lobster/Cocktails

PIER 29Waterfront Restaurant

1148 Ballena Blvd. 865-5086 or 865-5088www.pier29restaurant.net

SWEETHEART SPECIAL!SWEETHEART SPECIAL!COLOR & CUT COLOR & CUT

- OR -- OR -

PARTIAL HIGHLIGHT & CUTPARTIAL HIGHLIGHT & CUT

JUST $55!JUST $55!

(LONG HAIR EXTRA)(LONG HAIR EXTRA)

ASK ABOUT IN-SALON SPECIALSASK ABOUT IN-SALON SPECIALS

Free Valentine Candy all Day!As always, play for free after paying admission

$15 Adults, $7.50 for kids.

Also: Preview the Art of Patrick CantFILLING A VOID

A tasty new assortment of screen prints in the gallery.

Pacifi c Pinball Museum1510 Webster St., Alameda

pacifi cpinball.org info@pacifi cpinball.org

VALENTINE’S VALENTINE’S PLAYPLAY

A Special DayAt the Pacific Pinball Museum

February 14 • 2pm to 9pmFebruary 14 • 2pm to 9pmABIGAIL CAFEABIGAIL CAFE

WATERFRONT RESTAURANTWATERFRONT RESTAURANTBelly Dancer on the Bay!

Join us on Valentine’s DayValentine’s Day for dinner6 to 10 PM6 to 10 PM

Bring your loved ones and celebrate Moroccan Style!

VALENTINE’S DINNER MENUVALENTINE’S DINNER MENUBuffet with

All-You-Can-Eat Moroccan-Style Baked FishPLUS: Salad Nicoise, Bastilla, Moroccan Style Poissons:

Baked fi sh fi let with vegetables and olives (all you can eat), Napoleone, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, Moroccan Mint

Tea, BYOB, Belly Dancer and Music included!

OPEN EVERY SATURDAY FOR DINNEROPEN EVERY SATURDAY FOR DINNER1132 Ballena Blvd. • 523-55001132 Ballena Blvd. • 523-5500

Tues-Fri & Sun: 9:30am-4pm • Sat. 9:30am-10:30pmTues-Fri & Sun: 9:30am-4pm • Sat. 9:30am-10:30pm

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SWEETHEART IN YOUR LIFECall NOW for your reservation

VALENTINE’S WEEKENDSPECIAL LINE UP

Special Menu February 14 & 15Early seating special both days 4:00 to 6:00 pmSpecial Musical PerformancesValentine’s Day and All Weekend!VALENTINE’S DAY: Classical & Bossa Nova Guitarists Jean Paul Buongiorno & Daniel Maya

VALENTINE’S FRIDAY: Vintage JazzTara Linda & the Rumor Mill Quintet

Don’t miss this performance by the Jazz Chart listed group!

VALENTINE’S SATURDAY: RETURN PERFORMANCE by Classical & Bossa Nova Guitarists Jean Paul Buongiorno & Daniel Maya

VALENTINE’S SUNDAY: Contemporary Jazz Guitarists Barry Solomon & Marc Babin

Note from Prisoner Began Today’s Valentine Tradition

Dennis EvanoskyFew Americans can recall any-

thing about the Roman Emperor Claudius II, aka “The Cruel,” but most celebrate the day he had Valentine beheaded.

Claudius found it difficult to recruit soldiers for his army, and believed that single men would join the ranks more readily than those with wives and children. The emperor banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine was a priest who realized the injustice of the decree and defied Claudius, continuing to perform marriages in secret.

For defying the emperor, Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and beheaded.

Some question the story about Valentine and point out that the

Catholic Church recognizes three saints Valentine: the first, the afore-mentioned priest in Rome; a sec-ond, who served as the bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy) and the third, a martyr in Africa.

Legends vary on how the name Valentine became associated with romance. The story about the Roman priest carries the most weight.

The legend says that while in prison Valentine attracted young visitors, among them the daughter of one of his guards. She visited Valentine’s cell, where she listened to the priest talk of the importance of love.

On the day he was led off to be beheaded, which tradition says was Feb. 14, 269, he wrote the young girl note that thanked her for her friendship. He signed it, "Love from your Valentine."

Courtesy photos

The pair of early-20th century valentines at right and below could be part of a tradition that stretches back to the third century.

Valentine’s Day TriviaCourtesy funtrivia.com

Some 36 million boxes of chocolate were sold for St. Valentine’s Day in 2003. This figure comes from the Chocolate Manufacturer’s Association.

The oldest known valentine that is still in exis-tence today was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife from the Tower of London. The greeting is now located in the British Library in London.

Approximately 85 percent of Valentine’s Day cards are purchased by women, according to the Greeting Card Association.

Some 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. Christmas is first with approximately 2.6 billion cards sent.

Valentine’s Day is mentioned in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia sings, “Good morrow! ‘Tis St. Valentine’s Day; All in the morning betime; And I a maid at your window,; To be your valentine!”

The most notorious Valentine’s Day was in 1929 when seven people were gunned down in an assassination attempt in Chicago. Al Capone’s gang planned to kill Bugs Moran. Moran was on his way to the garage where the killing took place, but turned away when he saw someone dressed as a policeman (the disguise of the killers) and escaped. One of the seven killed was an innocent man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A Roman myth says roses first grew in the spot that Cupid spilled nectar (the drink of the gods) while making a delivery to Mt. Olympus. Cupid is the Roman god of love and son of Venus, goddess of beauty and love.

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JNZJNZ++EJKEJK

Happy Valentine’s, Jeannie!

PMPM++CBCB

Happy Valentine’s, Peter!

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Happy Valentine’s, Pauline!

Gilbert Abbott A Beckett

This picture from The Comic History of Rome shows a shepherd discovering Romulus and Remus under the care of a she-wolf. The feast of Lupercalia that was dedicated to Rome’s twin founders may have been a predecessor to Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Rooted in Roman RitualDennis Evanosky

The story of St. Valentine jailed for marrying couples contrary to an imperial decree is not the only tale of the origins of Valentine’s Day. Modern-day couples exchange cards, flowers and chocolates in mid-February. Centuries ago, men and women celebrated the “Ides of February” in quite a different way. They took part in Lupercalia, a fer-tility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and to the twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. The festival ran for three days, from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15.

Lupercalia — named for Lupercus, the god of shepherds the Romans identified with Faunus — began with a gathering of priests — called luperci, brothers of the wolf — at a sacred cave where they believed a she-wolf (lupa in Latin) once cared for Romulus and Remus.

The priests sacrificed a goat for fertility, and a dog for purification. They ripped the goat's hide into strips, dipped those strips into the sacrificial blood and took to the streets.

The priests gently slapped women with the strips of goat hide before proceeding to the crop fields

to do the same. Roman women welcomed the touch of the hide because they believed it would make them more fertile in the com-ing year.

Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in Rome placed their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his cho-

sen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Over time, the Catholic Church outlawed all pagan practices, including the feast of Lupercalia but many still clung to this ancient celebration. In the end the Catholic Church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day on Feb. 14, smack in the middle of the pagan Lupercalia.

Though Lupercalia began as a religious rite devoted to agriculture, over time it evolved into a festival of merri-ment and kinky sexual horseplay.