With Valentine’s Day approaching this Sunday, February 14, we’ve curated a guide of local businesses offering lovely items, treats and experiences that our community can support. Shopping local not only supports the community by stimulating a localist economy but also gives you a chance to find unique items for your loved ones. We’ve made sure to include a wide variety, so there will be something to fit everyone’s budget this holiday!
Hojas de Sabor
Nothing says love like homemade tamales! This North Long Beach mother-daughter duo are crafting their traditional Oaxacan tamales for an opportunity to give your loved ones this unforgettable gift for Valentine’s Day. All orders placed until February 20 will be packaged in their limited-edition theme. Options include their traditional mole, chile rojo and verde. Vegetarian choices are also available. To make your order even sweeter, try their pink strawberry tamales! Have your order ready for Sunday, February 14 by ordering at least three days in advance. View their full menu on their highlights on their Instagram, @hojasdesabor.
Cost: $2-$4 per tamale, pick-up and free delivery available in North Long Beach.
Fruitify
Want a refreshing way to say ‘I Love You’? Say it with a Fruitify acai bowl! Up until Sunday, February 14, all acai bowls will come with Valentine’s Day-themed packaging. Aside from their best-selling acai bowls they also sell pitaya bowls, smoothie bowls, customizable bowls and smoothies. View their full menu on their Instagram highlights, @fruitify_, all items can be ordered by sending them a direct message.
Cost: All bowls starting at $8, smoothies starting at $6, pick-up only
Romeo’s Chocolates
These unique Melting Hearts Hot Cocoa Bombs are perfect for a cozy Netflix binge night at home. Made with Belgian milk and Belgian dark chocolate filled with cocoa mix and marshmallows. Pre-orders can be made at romeochocolates.com
Cost: $11 each heart, pick-up only from February 12-14
Royal Gourmet Cookies
Royal Gourmet Cookies is back with their limited time Valentine’s Day-themed flavors including their Cupid cookie (sugar cookie base, red sprinkles, M & M’s & candy eyeballs) and Bea Boo cookie (chocolate, toasted marshmallows, red sprinkles and M & M’s). A Valentine’s Day Assortment box includes their red velvet, strawberries & cream, red & pink sprinkles, chocolate, toffee & pecan and Ssmores flavors. A cookie decorating kit for a fun project at home is also available with four cookies (two heart cookies and two lip cookies), frosting and sprinkles. To place an order, you can visit Royal Gourmet’s website here. Please allow 24 hours for your order to process.
Cost: Valentine’s Decorating Kit $15 Valentine’s Assortment Box $24, pick-up and local delivery available
Scentzu
This small Long Beach-based business is offering their limited edition Valentine’s Day kits which include one wax warmer, two packs of heart-shaped wax melts, a plate, tea lights, and 4oz candle. The scents are completely customizable but some of their customer favorite scents are fruit loops, eucalyptus, pineapple sage, and mango tangerine. The full scent menu is available by sending them a direct message on their Instagram @scentzu_. Deadline for orders is Thursday, February 11 to have them ready by Sunday, February 14.
Cost: $25. Local pick-up and delivery only.
Salud Juice Bar
Nothing is sweeter than pastries for you and your loved one! This Long Beach-based juice bar is offering their Better Than Flowers Cheesecake for 2 that you can pre-order online until February 12 for pick up on the 13th or 14th. The cheesecake is vegan, gluten-free and grain-free. If waiting until Valentine’s Day is your thing and you’d also like to help local organizations, there will be a Valentine’s Pop-Up at the Salud Juice Bar 4th Street location, where a portion of purchases will be donated towards LBC Resources to help fund the Youth Enrichment Spring Kickoff. In collaboration with local floral designer Inessa Nichols Design, this pop-up will take place from noon to 4:00 p.m. and feature fresh flower bouquets or dried flower arrangements for your Valentine’s gifting needs! Pre-orders from Inessa Nichols Design will also be available for pick-up at the pop-up. For more information, send a direct message to @inessanicholsdesign or @saludjuice on Instagram.
Cost: $25 for the cheesecake, pick-up only
Bixby’s Brooklyn Deli
Special 8” heart-shaped cakes can be made to order in seven different flavors: red velvet, carrot cake, strawberry, chocolate, ube cheesecake, pink almond and New York cheesecake. Orders must be made 24 hours in advance by calling 562-426-6146, for more information, follow @bixbysbrooklyndeli on Instagram.
Cost: $30, pick-up only
Worlds Apart Blends + ArrysTreats
These local entrepreneurs are back with another collaboration for Valentine’s Day. These customizable baskets comes with two 9oz bottles of their specialty cocktails of your choice (equivalent to 4 cocktails), two Valentine’s sugar cookies from @arrystreats, one fortune cookie chocolate box, one box of candies and two bonus items. Orders can be placed until they sell out, pick-up and local delivery is also available. To order, fill out the Google form on @worlds.apart.blends‘ Instagram bio.
Cost: Baskets start at $35, pick-up and local delivery available
Chingona Bitters
This mini-gift kit comes with three 1-ounce bottle of bitters in the flavors Despierta Amor infused with tamarind & dates, Mi Media Naranja infused with blood orange, apple & her Ponche de alegria infused with guava, blood orange & hibiscus; heart drink stirrers; Lindt chocolate truffles; a mini cocktail guide (emailed); and printed suggestions guide (included in the kit). To place an order send a direct message to @chingonabitters on Instagram.
Cost: $35. Pick-up in Long Beach only, between February 10-13.
Rori’s Artisanal Creamery
These delicate heart-shaped Sweetheart Tarts are filled with raspberry jam and Nutella, making a perfect treat to give teachers, family, friends or even yourself! They are available for pre-order by emailing them at info@roriscreamery.com. Include your name, phone number, shop closest to you for pick-up, and how many you need. More info is available in their ‘Treats’ highlight on Instagram, @roriscreamery or by sending them a direct message as well. Customers must place their orders by Wednesday, February 10.
Cost: $6 each tart, minimum of six must be ordered, pick-up only
Kirsh Baking Company
The Long Beach-based pandemic start-up by acclaimed Pastry Chef Uyen Kirshbaum, will be offering a special delivery of the company’s Valentine’s Day “I ❤️ Pie Collection” and their “I ❤️ Love Cookies Collection” to Long Beach zip codes only. Orders must be placed by Wednesday, February 10th, and will be hand-delivered on either Saturday, February 13th, or Sunday morning, February 14th, based on the order they are received. Customers should look for the $5 delivery option at checkout, just for Long Beach zip codes. Orders can be placed at kirshbakingcompany.com. Direct link to Long Beach delivery menu HERE.
Cost: $36 for one dozen of their cookie collection and $41 for one dozen of their mini-pie collection, delivery available
Willmore Wine Bar + Charcatering
Willmore Wine Bar & Charcatering are collaborating to bring you a Valentine’s Day package for two that includes a bottle of J Vineyard Brut Rosé, a heart-shaped charcuterie platter for two, complete with crackers & pretzels on the side. Place your orders no later than Wednesday, February 10 via email to CharcateringSoCal@gmail.com or send a direct message through Instagram to @Charcatering and specify the date that you will be picking up your order. Pick-up will be available from Willmore Wine Bar at 3848 Atlantic Ave. on February 12 and 13 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and February 14 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $55, local pick-up only
Cinply Essentials + Xochiquetzal Arrangemets + Sweets by Sony
In collaboration with fellow local businesses Xochiquetzal Arrangements and Sweets by Sony, Long Beach-based handcrafted self-care business, Cinply Essentials, is providing a gift package for your Valentine’s Day gifting needs. The package includes Cinply Essential’s 24k Rose Gold toner and Milky Rose bath soak, 4 chocolate-covered strawberries from Sweets by Sony and a flower bouquet by Xochiquetzal Arrangements. This offer ends on February 13. To place an order send a direct message to @cinply.essentials on Instagram.
Cost: $65, local pick-up only
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine
This four-course meal for two includes the options of bacon-wrapped dates or guacamole and chips as appetizers; a watermelon or an avocado mango salad for the second course; lobster enchiladas or rib-eye steak tacos or vegan enchiladas all with rice and beans included for the main course; and for dessert the options include flan, churros or their tres leches cake. To perfectly complement everything you will also receive a 16-oz of the prickly pear margarita. Pre-orders can be made now by calling Lola’s at 562-349-0100, same-day orders can also be made but are likely to sell out. Pick-up will be at Lola’s at 4140 Atlantic Ave.
Cost: $85, pick-up only
Farm Lot 59
In collaboration with Baryo & Just a Bite, Farm Lot 59 is offering a meal package perfect for Valentine’s Day at home for two. The three-course meal includes fresh, locally-grown mixed greens, grapefruit, heart of palm and almond vinegrette from FL59. Entree options include: New York steak, herbed butter and jumbo prawns. Side options include: farro, tuscan kale, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, brown butter, scalloped potatoes, garlic cream, parmesan and braised swiss chard. For dessert options: crumble cake, vanilla cream, fresh berries, and chocolate-covered strawberries. This is a take-home meal with instructions on how to reheat. Pick-up will be on Saturday, Feb 13th from noon – 2 p.m. at Farmstand 59 located at 2714 California Ave. in Long Beach. To place an order click here.
Cost: $100, local pick-up only
Wood & Salt Tavern
This local restaurant is offering a Valentine’s Day meal package for two. Customers will receive lobster ravioli, braised beef short ribs, grilled Gusto bread, baby arugula salad, chocolate Nutella panna cotta and a 750-milliliter bottle of Italian prosecco. Three pick-up slots will be available: 5:30 p.m.,6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Pre-orders accepted until Friday, February 12th or until they sell out. Order online through their website woodsalt.com.
Cost: $149, local pick-up only
