Around this time last year we were blissfully unaware of what was about to happen in the coming months. We were checking Resy every few minutes, hoping to score an elusive reservation for our Valentine’s Day dates. We were rummaging through our closets looking for the best fit for the day. Little did we know, that was the last holiday we would experience pre-pandemic. Whether you think Valentine’s Day is just a holiday created by Hallmark or not, that is a bit of a depressing thought.

This year, however, is much different. Even though some places are open, seating is limited, meaning more people fighting for fewer date night reservations. Plus, you have to reckon with the idea of whether we should even be going out to eat at all — the pandemic is still very much part of our lives. With this in mind, we started thinking about how to keep Valentine’s Day date night special despite having to move it into our homes.

We rounded up our favorite ideas for ordering drinks, dinner and dessert straight to your house. Now is a great time to try a new wine subscription, take a meal kit service for a trial run or order that Milk Bar cake you see all over Instagram. Oh, and don’t forget to order flowers.

DRINKS

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Saucey

As you can tell by its very on-brand name, Saucey exists to get alcohol brought straight to your door. It offers a wide range of beer, wine, spirits and even tobacco products. The biggest upside to ordering through Saucey is that there is no delivery fee, no minimum purchase and they promise to deliver in 30 minutes or less (perhaps you could set up a race between them and Domino’s Pizza?). Plus, you can get $10 off your first order.

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Drizly

Drizly is the more widespread of the alcohol delivery services, edging Saucey out in terms of locations it serves. If you’re looking for something rare or just want a wider range of options, Drizly may be the best option for you. It does charge a delivery fee and may not be quite as quick as Saucey, but odds are you will find something that you can’t find anywhere else. Drizly is also just coming off a $1.1 billion acquisition by Uber, so it is sure to have some incredible resources at its disposal.

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Winc

Winc is a wine subscription that has huge upside if you love a carefully curated selection, personal picks and decent prices. When you get started at Winc, you answer a six-question quiz that hits the relevant flavor profiles in its wines, giving you the chance to decide how much you like or don’t like each one. Then it offers up selections. If you’re not sure about wine subscriptions or just want to get some wine for the big night, you can still get 50 percent off your first order, which means getting four bottles for around $30.

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Parcelle Wine

The big upside at Parcelle is its selection. Whether you want tried-and-true reds or whites or want to explore natural wine, you can find a multitude of options here. Just pick it out and they ship it to you, similar to shopping for anything else online. The merchant also offers a monthly wine box, which is significantly more expensive than competitors but offers up some of the best wine around. If you prefer finer wines, this is probably the place for you.

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Blue Apron Wine

Blue Apron’s wine subscription is focused on pairing wines with its weekly meal kits, but you can also get wine à la carte. If the meals Blue Apron provides don’t stick out, you can use the pairing recommendations on the site to pair with your own dinner ideas, no sommelier necessary.

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DINNER

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Omaha Steaks Classic Meal For 2

Omaha Steaks is one of the most well-known meat delivery companies around — you’ve probably been hearing about them for years. With that in mind, you can take comfort in its expertise when you order a Valentine’s Day meal. Choose between ribeye or filet mignon, plus potatoes, veggies, and dessert.

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Lobster Steamer Meal For 2

Goldbelly is a go-to for ordering chef-prepared meals and restaurant favorites from all over the country. You can opt for seafood, steak, pasta and more — we recommend the Lobster Steamer meal from T0psail Steamer, a Surf City, NC-based restaurant.

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Blue Apron and Hello Fresh

If you haven’t tried a meal kit delivery service, now could be a great time. Not only can you pick out one of the brands’ favorites for your Valentine’s Day meal, but you can get meals for an entire week! If you love it, you can keep going. If you don’t, no harm done.

LEARN MORE: BLUE APRON LEARN MORE: HELLO FRESH

Local Restaurants

In addition to all these options, we’d be remiss not to mention checking out your favorite local restaurants to see what they have on the menu for Valentine’s Day. In many cases, restaurants benefit the most when you order straight from the source. Of course, you can always check out DoorDash, GrubHub or Seamless for more options if you wait a little too long to get specialty meals.

DESSERT

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Milk Bar

You are probably familiar with Milk Bar from its Instagrammable storefronts and cakes, but if you haven’t been acquainted, you should make it a priority. They have a smattering of Valentine’s Day options or you can always go for the classic confetti birthday cake.

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Dylan’s Candy Bar

If you and your sweetheart aren’t cake fans but still have a sweet tooth, Dylan’s has an incredible selection of candy that would make Willy Wonka’s molars hurt.

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Baked By Melissa

For cupcake lovers, Baked By Melissa is the move. The Valentine’s selections are many, ensuring that everyone can find their favorite flavor. The cupcakes’ bite-size makes it easy to taste the full flight as well.

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