Here's how to celebrate Valentine's Day despite covid restrictions - TribLIVE

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Valentine’s Day is just a few short days away and even covid-19 can’t stop the celebration of love.

Despite the pandemic and its restrictions, there are ways to adhere to Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders and celebrate the day safely.

The Feb. 14 holiday falls on a Sunday this year. Make it a full weekend of sharing sweet experiences with your better half.

From finding an outdoor activity to social distancing inside a museum to attending a reptile show, time spent 6 feet apart can still be romantic. Just make sure you wear your mask.

Here are a few ideas:

Courtesy of Senator John Heinz History Center

Valentine’s Day gift boxes are available at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District.

Visit a museum

Most Western Pennsylvania museums are open for guests. Admission often is on a time-ticketing basis and facilities are large enough to keep everyone spaced, said Brady Smith, director of marketing and communications at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District. History Center attractions include the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum’s “A Great Day for Hockey” exhibition.

Take a couples’ selfie in front of the 11-foot Heinz ketchup bottle made of 400 smaller ketchup bottles. The gift shop will be open.

“The history center is the perfect place to enjoy a safe, indoor experience with your loved ones on Valentine’s Day,” Brady said. “After all, nothing says 1-4-3 (I love you) like a stroll through ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’ or indulging in some Heinz ketchup history with your main squeeze.”

Animal magnetism

For animal lovers, the Pittsburgh Reptile Show & Sale will take place at the Harmar House in Harmar. Show producer Amanda South said they’ve taken all the necessary precautions, and then some, to provide a safe environment.

Just like before covid-19, everyone must use hand sanitizer before touching any of the cold-blooded animals — lizards, snakes, turtles and more.

South makes sure that fewer than the limited number of guests allowed are admitted at a time to keep the event safe. Only the vendor will be allowed at each booth. No extra help is permitted.

South said this will be the fourth time the event will be held on Valentine’s Day in its 32-year history.

“We had a couple who met at the show and found love and have since gotten married,” South said. “I figured with not a lot of things happening because of the pandemic that Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to have the show.”

Courtesy of John Huemme

Dining out

If you decide to dine out for Valentine’s Day, choose a restaurant that is large enough to comfortably space tables for guests. Or you can opt for outdoor dining. Some establishments have outdoor dining structures that resemble mini-greenhouses, while others look like plastic domes.

At Bridges & Bourbon restaurant in Downtown Pittsburgh, diners can eat in enclosed spaces made from a type of vinyl with heating, cushioned chairs and tables. Bluetooth-connected speakers allows guests to play their favorite music from their smartphones.

The structures are 11-feet-9-inches wide and 7-feet-2-inches tall. They have a base area of 107 feet. Some seat six people and others eight. They are available by reservation only with a $200 minimum for food and beverage for 2½ hours maximum. Reservations are staggered so the domes can be cleaned and sanitized.

Nearby, Bakersfield Pittsburgh has tents, heaters and picnic-bench seating on Penn Avenue. In Market Square, Las Velas and Primanti Bros. offer outdoor dining.

The North Park Lounge in McCandless has 14 mini-greenhouses set up for outdoor dining. Seating up to four, they are heated and equipped with vents.They also have a string of lights for evening dining. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Workers disinfect each greenhouse after each use.

House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington also offers heated, covered outdoor dining to keep your Valentine toasty.

Sharky’s Café in Unity offers outdoor dining on a covered patio with heaters, owner John Huemme said. If guests want to sit outside they definitely can, he added. They also have plenty of indoor dining space in the 15,000-square-foot restaurant.

Make home your restaurant

Leslie Bonci of Point Breeze, a registered dietitian and owner of Active Eating Advice, said it can be romantic to be in the kitchen together.

“You don’t have to worry because you are enclosed and not exposed,” Bonci said. “You can get a little frisky, and you can make the meal together. One person can be chopping onions while another cuts up some celery. And you can have each other taste the food as you are making it.”

She suggests serving dinner on fine china and lighting a few candles to create a restaurant-like atmosphere.

Start the evening with a wine or beer tasting. Make the meal from ingredients you have at home. She calls that “wealth on your shelf.”

“We all know that Valentine’s Day is about chocolate,” Bonci said. “Maybe buy one piece of cake and split it, or (have) those individual 4-ounce servings of ice cream. Serve dessert in a heart-shaped dish.”

Go gambling

Area casinos are open and they are large enough to safely try your luck while staying 6 feet apart from everyone else.. The Rivers Casino Pittsburgh on Pittsburgh North Side, Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Hempfield and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in North Strabane offer slot machines and table games.

Each has a sportsbook where you can bet on games.

Guests can also dine at one of the restaurants, and celebrity chefs have restaurants at each location.

Guy Fieri is bringing Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar at Live! Casino Pittsburgh. Steve Martorano of Martorano’s Prime, an Italian Steakhouse, was in Pittsburgh at Rivers Casino for the restaurant’s debut on Jan. 7. The Eatery by Fabio Viviani is located at The Meadows.

Hit the slopes

February is the perfect month for winter sports. From Boyce Park in the Monroeville/Plum area to Hidden Valley, Seven Springs and Laurel Mountain in mountains of the Laurel Highlands, there are plenty of slopes for skiing, snowboarding and tubing.

“We have a ridiculous amount of signage to remind skiers and snowboarders to stay 6 feet apart and wear a mask when in a lift line, on the lifts and when they cannot social distance on the slopes,” said Alex Moser, director of marketing and communications for Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Hidden Valley Resort and Laurel Mountain.

Participants are encouraged to reserve a time online, because the resorts are selling a limited number of lift tickets per day. There are all-day and night ticketing choices available at Seven Springs. Hidden Valley has night skiing on Fridays and Saturdays. Laurel Mountain does not have night skiing.

The restaurants at the three facilities are open for indoor dining.

Glide along

Rather skate than ski? There are several outdoor ice skating rinks open. They also are making sure everyone is safely distanced. The Rink at PPG Place, Downtown is offering timed ticketing online. The Schenley Park Skating Rink in Schenley Park is selling tickets on site, limiting each session to 100 people.

The Schenley rink, which celebrated 45 years in 2020, underwent an overhaul last year. The $1.4 million project was funded by the Allegheny Regional Asset District sales tax, the Schenley Ice Rink Trust Fund and the city of Pittsburgh.

The entire concrete rink was rebuilt. A sound system was also installed, along with dasher boards and Plexiglas. The rink is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide, which is the original footprint.

The Rink at PPG Place is celebrating its 20th season. Owned by Magic Ice USA, the rink is larger than the one in Rockefeller Center in New York City, according to its website, and two-thirds the size of a National Hockey League rink.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062, jharrop@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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