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2024 Valentine’s Day Date & Gift Ideas for Gay Men

  January 25, 2023  |    #Live Fabulously

Valentine’s Day gift ideas and dates for him

You’ve landed on the 14 best Valentine’s Day date ideas with your man. That’s 24 uninterrupted hours dedicated to your husband, partner, twink, bear, otter, or other.

What you’ll find here:

What do you want to say to your Valentine’s Day date?

St. Valentine’s Day has ties to both pagan celebrations and martyrdom of Christian lore. Today it’s payday for cards and candy makers.

Like most holidays, Valentine’s Day is commercialized and we often spend as a way of showing our affection. Although not all of us are blessed to have a giant wad. To eliminate your Valentine’s Day stress, we’ve created 14 Valentine’s Day dates customized for every homo, from those with no moola to those with huge wads and everyone in between.

These Valentine’s Day dates say, “I love you. You’re special.”

Or, “I strongly like you.”

And, “Can we please just have sex, then see what happens?”
1. Tap your emergency savings
a. If you have a sizable emergency savings account, it may be worthwhile to tap into it and pay yourself back as if you have a loan

One or more of these Valentine’s Day dates will help you cobble together something special for your something special. If one plan doesn’t fully suit you, try another personality or two, and mix and match.

Whatever you choose to say, our ideas below are better than, “I grabbed this Carlton card one aisle over from the condoms at Walgreens.” That’s why, no matter which ones you choose, you’ll be the Valentine’s Day date winner.

1. Valentine’s Day date for the Love Birds

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Love Birds

Now, here’s our Valentine’s Day date for all you love birds who can’t stop hugging, kissing, and touching each other.

First:

Nothing says I love you more than down dog. After you serve him breakfast in bed, hit up your local yoga center to align your chakras.

Then:

After showering off your Bikram, visit one of your parents or grandparents and ask them to tell the story of how they met and fell in love. This is quality time with the elders and inspiration for you.

Finally:

Finish your intimate day with a dinner you double-teamed to make and cuddle up to a romantic movie on Amazon Prime. See our list of movies further down the page.

2. Valentine’s Day date for the Leather Men

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Leather Men

Whether your BDSM or just like the look and feel, here’s our Valentine’s Day plan for all you leather lovers.

First:

Start your morning with a nutrient-dense smoothie to wash down your morning dose of Pure for Men before hitting the gym. One-hundred percent vegan-friendly, Pure for Men is our favorite way to be ready for play later in the day. At $29, 120 capsules will last you a month. We’ve been taking these for years, and they’ve eliminated all the stress.

After you get home, refuel with a power breakfast for your last meal of the day.

Then:

Make your way to the local leather shop and update your gear to add some excitement to your play. Buy one or two items you might not normally buy.

Finally:

After your afternoon of shopping and a beer or two, make your way home to put that new gear to work. It’s a special day with your special someone, so let your inhibitions go. Restraints are for wrists and ankles, not play.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Playdates are fun but there’s a little extra prep for at least one of you. Our #1 tip for making that easier and quicker is Pure for Men.

Pure for Men is a “specially formulated all-natural fiber blend to promote good health and good times.” It comes in an easy-to-swallow capsule and costs $29 for 120 capsules. That lasts one month if you take four per day or 2 each morning and 2 every night like us.

More about Pure for Men:

  • It promotes general digestive health
  • Is 100% vegan-friendly

3. Valentine’s Day date for Lazy Lovers

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Lazy Day Lovers

You and your gay guy love doing absolutely nothing. Here are our Valentine’s Day plans for lazy day lovers.

First:

Turn off your laptops, TVs, and phones early and get to bed early on Valentine’s Day Eve. Be sure all alarm clocks and phones are turned off, especially those pesky push notifications.

Your goal is to get a great night’s sleep!

Then:

After you wake up naturally and have your morning coffee, mosey hand-in-hand over to your favorite brunch spot for a food-induced coma.

Finally:

Return home after brunch and spend the rest of the day on the couch watching your favorite, romantic flick on Amazon Prime. Find the perfect movie below. Then, when the time’s right, order delivery for dinner.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Wanna sleep better night after night? Weighted blankets are the new rage in sleep science, and our #1 favorite weighted blank is the YnM Weighted Blanket.

At $34, it comes in a variety of colors, fits in any duvet, and comes in every size and weight imaginable. It’s the best sleep money can buy, and that’s an ROI you can’t match.

More about YnM Weighted Blankets

  • the 7-layer technology’s designed to comfort any body size or shape
  • it’s made of either breathable cotton or bamboo
  • optimized for temperature control

4. Valentine’s Day date for the Foodies Fanatics

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Foodie Fanatics

Below you’ll find a quick 3-step Valentine’s Day plan for all you foodies.

First:

Surprise him with a carb-loaded breakfast in bed before cleaning up and hitting Bed, Bath & Beyond with all your 20% off coupons to restock your kitchen with the newest and best cooking gadgets. Don’t forget, despite what your BBBY coupon says, it’s never expired.

Then:

After you fill the 20-gallon BBBY bag with all your new culinary toys, hit your local artisan shop for charcuterie and other Mediterranean fixings for an elegant lunch that would make your favorite cheese-eating surrender monkey jealous.

Finally:

Finish your day with grilled steaks, sautéed vegetables, and a bottle or two of reasonably priced wines. If you know us, you know we love wine – and there’s a good chance your favorite good, the gay guy does, too.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

As wine lovers, we love Bright Cellars. Bright Cellars curates reasonably priced wines from around the world based on subscribers’ unique preferences then delivers any number of wines with the frequency optimal for your gay guy.

A recurring box of 4 wines costs $60, and using this special link will get your guy $50 off his first box of 4 bottles.

Why Bright Cellar’s so special:

  • Users take an easy, almost fun-tasting quiz to start their customized curation
  • He can skip or cancel anytime

5. Valentine’s Day date for Da Bear’s

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Da Bears

Our Valentine’s Day plan below’s for da bears, all your burly boyz who love other burly and hairy boyz.

First:

Hibernate in bed until the sun warms the air before walking to your favorite brunch spot hand-in-hand in your favorite hoodies.

Then:

Hit a favorite hiking trail with enough snacks to keep you both “phat and happy.”

Finally:

On your way back to the den, take a local microbrewery tour, then take take-out home before mutual massages on your bearskin rug.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

If you’re the burly boyz who likes traveling to places like gay Sitges for International Bear Week.

6. Valentine’s Day date for the Family Gays

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Gay Dads

Below you’ll find a quick 3-step Valentine’s Day plan for all you gays with kids.

First:

Make a big breakfast with the whole family that includes flapjacks with smiley faces made of whipped cream, peanut butter, and chocolate.

Then:

After breakfast, have an arts and crafts special in which each person makes a Valentine’s Day card for someone else in the family. Then hit a local playground or museum the whole family can enjoy. Who doesn’t love dinosaurs?

Finally:

When everyone’s home and tired, unwind with a great family movie on Amazon Prime before the kids go to bed and the dads enjoy a romantic movie alone while falling asleep together on the couch.

7. Valentine’s Day date for Big Spender’s

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Big Spenders

Valentine’s Day plan for all the boyz with big bucks. All the boyz with the big bucks know they must budget like bada$$e$. They understand that one of the 3 vital keys to growing their wealth is to spend less than they make. So, of course, they budget smartly.

First:

Charge your shopping libido with a kale-based smoothie and morning cardio before priming yourselves with brunch at the local “it” spot.

Then:

After you’ve eaten enough but not too much to need +1 pant size, take your man for some lover’s day shopping at the best mall in town.

Finally:

Once you have the perfect ensembles, explore a new area of town for more shopping, drinking and nibbling before checking in for a nightcap and slumber at a favorite fancy AirBnB. Use this link to get $65 off your first Airbnb stay.

8. Valentine’s Day date for the Money Conscious Couple

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Money Conscious Couple

Below are our Valentine’s Day plans for all you gays saving your bucks.

First:

Wake up dark and early to catch the sunrise and mimosas with a frugal bubbly base.

Then:

Hit your local museum for free perusing followed by a self-packed lunch in the park.

Finally:

End the day with a friendly board game at home while listening to his favorite Pandora or Spotify station. Let him listen to Queen Bey for the day if you must.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Money-conscious gays know where their money’s coming from, know where it’s going, and know what their month-to-month expenses are. To gain crystal (Gayle) clarity about your money, get the dynamic budget designed to work to enhance your life and not suppress it.

This clarity will help you plan and forecast the things you and your man want in life. It’ll simultaneously get you on track for near and long-term goals. And better than the weighted blanket above, it’ll reduce your stress for better sleep at night.

More about the Budget Buster Guide

  • It’s the same budget we used to pay off $51,000 in debt and increase our net worth to $700,000+
  • It’ll identify one or two areas to help you make the most efficient progress
  • It, too, comes with lifetime access

9. Valentine’s Day date for the Subaru Outbackers

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Subaru Outbackers

Below you’ll find a quick 3-step Valentine’s Day schedule for all you gays who love to get to the hills in your Foresters, Outbacks, Crosstreks, or any other SUV.

First:

Cook him a hearty breakfast before loading up your Subaru, including water and snacks, for an energetic hike in the hills.

Then:

When you get home, clean yourselves up and hit a local couple’s yoga class.

Finally:

Afterward, explore a new area of town for an evening of window shopping, fooding, and drinking.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

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10 Valentine’s Day date for Mr. & Mr. LTR

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Long Term Relationship

Got staying power? Last longer than most? Here are our Valentine’s Day plans for all you gays who’ve been together longer than your straight friends who’ve been married, had kids, and divorced.

First:

Energize yourselves with morning yoga before brunching at your local fave and heading home to re-watch your wedding video and thumb/swipe your wedding photos.

Then:

After resting, take him on your pre-planned progressive dinner that hits one restaurant for cocktails, another for appetizers, another for the main course, and yet another for dessert.

Finally:

Wrap up your Valentine’s date by hitting local art galleries and shopping before finishing off the night with martinis at your local, gay piano bar (redundant, huh?).

11. Valentine’s Day date for the Pretty Boyz

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Pretty Boyz

Below you’ll find our Valentine’s Day plans for all you pretty boyz.

First:

After waking, get your morning cardio followed by breakfast smoothies.

Then:

Get dolled up to shop for new outfits and have lunch at the new “it” spot to see and be seen.

Finally:

Pamper yourselves with a spa treatment and a cat nap before hitting the town’s best art galleries and having an intimate dinner where everyone can see you.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

If you’re like most gay men who love their gay underwear but live where no gay-friendly shops exist, keep the unmentionables coming with Andrew Christian Monthly for just $15.50 a month.

You know you both wanna feel hot and will buy underwear anyway. So, buy the best without having to leave your home.

Why Andrew Christian?

  • All packages are hand-selected by Andrew himself
  • All underwear uses the softest fabric and highest quality elastic, including our Ultra Slimming Elastic

12. Valentine’s Day date for the Gym Gays

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Gym Bunnies

This is our 3-step Valentine’s Day plan for all you gays part of the hot bod squad.

First:

Prime your muscles with a protein-packed smoothie before hitting the gym for a hard workout and showers.

Then:

Go for a long bike ride before stopping at your local park for a prepared, protein and vegetable-packed lunch. An apple or banana will do you both good, too.

Finally:

Unwind with candlelit mutual massages and down-tempo music. Then, keep giving your bodies the love with first-class grooming products specifically for men.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Gay men love our products almost as much as we love our travel. For $13/month, Birchbox Grooming will give you and your stylish guy feel-good grooming and self-loving product designed for you, including skincare, makeup, tools, and more.

Use this link, so you two are both winners.

What you’ll both love

  • You can both create customs profiles to get the products you most like
  • After sharing your first 5 sample review, you’ll each get another $5 off coupon
  • You’ll both earn reward points for future purchases

13. Valentine’s Day date for the Dancing Queens

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - Dancing Queens

This Valentine’s Day plan is for all you disco gays who love dancing the night away.

First:

Sleep in late to pay Mr. Sandman forward. Then, prep your dancing feet with a morning smoothie and workout before your power breakfast.

Then:

Take him shopping for dancing attire before returning home for a disco nap and light dinner.

Finally:

Pre-cocktail with friends at your place after you’re polished and pretty.

Then, hit the town’s best clubs for a night of dancing and romancing. End the night with a slice of bread with honey and peanut butter to preempt the morning hangover.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Your gaggle likes their cocktails cold, not watered down. In this case, bigger’s better (we’re talking ice). Get these large Kitch ice cubes or these large Tovolo ice balls.

They melt more slowly than traditional ice cubes and let your highball drink more slowly. For as little as $9.25 and $11.99 respectively, your gaggle will be impressed, liquored, and happy.

Why get these:

  • They’re big and size matters
  • They can also be used for freezing juices, cooking wine, stock, soups, leftovers, and baby food

14. Valentine’s Day date for the New Adventures Couples

Gay Valentines Day Date Ideas - New Adventures Couple

Below is our 3-step Valentine’s Day plan for the gays discovering new adventures and experiences.

First:

Charge yourselves with homemade breakfast burritos. These can be prepared and refrigerated the day before without him even knowing.

Then:

With pre-packed bags that include lunches and wine, go for a long hike. When you’ve gone as far as you’re going, have an intimate picnic before heading back.

Finally:

On your way home, stop by a town or area of town you don’t normally visit and have drinks and appetizers. Take pictures of all your fun and surprise your best BF with a video montage the following week.

Make this Valentine’s day date extra

Get our favorite wine tote, this Opux Insulated 2 Bottle Wine Carrier for $20. Not only is this tote sleek and streamlined, but with 10 color choices there’s a color to match every couple’s style.

This rocks because:

  • Adds protection for transportation
  • Is temperature-controlled, even while hiking
  • The shoulder strap is detachable

14 perfect Valentine’s Day gift ideas for him

This is the no-greeting card, all-you-need, must-have Valentine’s Day list of gifts for your special gay guy. Valentine’s Day is a day you want to tell him you love him in a special way and greeting cards, candy, and flowers are so “traditional.”

Give him he’ll love, so he’ll love on you more today.

1. Mark Ryden Anti-theft Sling Chest Bag

Mocking murses and man bags is still a popular pastime, even in the queer community. But, with phones now the size of a small tablet, my keys, my wallet, my reusable straw, spork, tissues, moisturizer, lip balm, hand sanitizer, and more, I just can’t put it all in my pockets. That’s why this Mark Ryden Anti-theft Sling Chest Bag’s perfect.

Also great for the guy on the go, this bag’s also waterproof, has a USB-charging design for when you’re losing juice, and comes in both black and great to match everything your guy wears. The convenience alone is worth the nearly $35 charge.

2. Manly Breakfast Food Essentials Gift Crate

Wanna spend all of Valentine’s Day in bed? You’re gonna need some fuel. Let him know you put some thought into the Manly Breakfast Food Essentials Gift Crate.

After a morning of doing the deed, a breakfast or brunch with Krusteaz’s chocolate chip pancakes with blueberry bourbon jam, syrup, dry-cured bacon and artisan ground coffee will be on order. Complete with a wooden crate and all at $52, this will be great nourishment for the rest of your day of play.

3. Pro-Clean Basics White Recycled T-Shirt Cloth Rags

Speaking of a day of play, save your fancy t-shirts and expensive towels. Stop wasting those expensive tissues with moisturizer and aloe. Wipe up your man’s juices with these white, recycled cloth rags.

These rags store perfectly inside a nightstand, are a great way to recycle material, and are a good way to save your valuable clothes.  So when you’re done with your guy-guy fun, reach over to your nightstand and pull out one of these. At less than $19, have all the fun you want without feeling guilty.

4. Total Gym XLS Men’s Total Body Home Gym

Beach bodies are made in the winter, and you know you two have a fun summer already planned. Give him (and yourself) the gift of confidence on the beach this summer with the Total Gym XLS Total Body Home Gym.

Pushing $999, it’s one of the more expensive items on our list. But, it offers more than 60 cardio, strength training, and stretching exercises. Lose the fat and build the muscle in the comfort of your own home, then enjoy the confidence on the beach or at the pool next summer.

5. Fintie Passport Holder Travel Wallet

From our travel, we’ve learned the #1 way to make travel easier is organization. Knowing where your headphones are, being able to reach that book when you’re sitting three-wide like cattle in the plane, and having your driver’s license or passport at the ready when asked, make an otherwise stressful situation better. That’s just one reason why we love the Fintie Passport Holder Travel Wallet.

With its variety of colors and styles, practical slots made especially for credit cards, passport and plane tickets and the built-in RFID blocking that helps prevent personal account information disclosure, are all why this is a brilliant gift for both of you at $9.99.

6. DudeRobe Men’s Hooded Bathrobe, Pants, and Shorts Set

If it has a hood on it, I’m buying it. That’s why for the guys who wear nothing or next to nothing to bed the DudeRobe Men’s Hooded Bathrobe, Pants and Shorts Set is perfect.

DudeRobe Men's Hooded Bathrobe Pants and Shorts Set

All three pieces are towel-lined for comfort, come in gray and blue, and are perfect nearly all year round. Plus, they look good first thing in the morning, which makes the $210 price worth it.

7. Moleskine Classic Notebook

Got a guy who can’t stop thinking? Who loves lists? Loves to doodle? Let him do it with a lot of styles and a very low price of under $10 with the popular Moleskine Classic Notebook.

Moleskine Classic Notebooks are known for their quality, durability, and style. He can take it everywhere, and he probably will.

8. Mymap 300 Films Scratch Off Movie Poster

Here’s a gift idea that could turn into 300 dates, Mymap’s 300 Films Scratch Off Movie Poster.

Has either of you seen all 300 of the best movies of all time? Have you seen all 300 together? There! Now you have 300 dates with each other to be cultured and see if you agree with the list and each other. For $26.80, it’s a perfect guide for a year’s worth of fun.

9. Whiskey Chilling Stones

He wants just the right amount of water in his whiskey if he wants any water at all. For $15, let him enjoy his whole drink the way he wants with these whiskey-chilling stones.

They come in a beautiful wooden book in a velvet bag and with stainless steel tongs. He’ll uplevel his drink and savor every last drop . . . and you.

10. The Original MASHTAPE Retro Mixtape

Way back in the 80s and 90s, a popular thing to make someone you loved was a mixtape.

You’d either wait by the radio for the perfect song to come on or, if you had a fancy boombox, you’d record a song from one tape to another. Then, CDs came and this perfect gift for many couples at many stages of life died – until now!

With the Original MASHTAPE, back is the day of the mixtape (kinda). Inside the “cassette tape” is a flash drive that can hold 8GB of music, videos, photos, and more. Create a theme to spark a particular response or a collage of all your favorites, now all from your computer onto this drive and into his heart.

11. Large Carry-on Garment Duffle Bag

Between trips together and trips for work, you both travel a lot together and alone. Sometimes you don’t need a large suitcase. Sometimes you want a carry-on to go with your check-in to make sure you have something to wear the next day. That’s why we love this large carry-on garment duffle bag.

Large Carry-on Garment Duffel Bag

It’s sporty. It’s durable. It comes in a variety of colors, and it can hold a suit with a laptop, shoes, and other necessities he’ll want on the plane or train with him. At $60, it’s the perfect all-in-one.

12. ZenZoi Bamboo Fountain and Ballpoint Pen Set

We’re not perfect, but we’re on a quest to reduce our waste. We use a lot of pens and pens use a lot of plastic. The ZenZoi Bamboo Fountain and Ballpoint Pen Set is a small fix to a huge problem, but everything counts.

These pens look hyper-stylish, write well, and can be used over and over and over, even with their little bit of plastic. For $33, he’ll look good and you’ll do your small part to help reduce waste.

Oh, with this Parker Quink Ink (how much better would Twink Ink be?!) that comes in a glass bottle, he’ll get all the mileage out of his fountain pen.

Want more gift ideas for him for Valentine’s day? You must see our large list of stylish gift ideas for gay men.

Gay Valentine’s day date movies

A Moment in the Reeds

Want a foreign love story that’s spoken mostly in English and crosses cultures and borders? You won’t be disappointed with A Moment in the Reeds. This low-budget film that’s also partially funded by Indiegogo offers two shocking features too many full features lack these days.

The first is that this film relies heavily on dialogue, letting you learn about and understand each character – you know, character development that makes you care about them and want them to fall and stay in love. The second is that it uses, get this, two gay men to play the gay characters.

What a concept!

The plot, though, is about a privileged boy with a conservative father who meets the less-privileged boy his father hired to work on their lake house. The boys fall in love near an idyllic Finnish lake.

It’s pretty. They’re pretty. You’ll fall in love with them and each other.

The 10-Year Plan

Did you make that pact with a BFF in high school or college, girl or boy, that if you were both still single by 30 you’d marry each other – even if that meant letting each other play on the side? Come on! We all have, and that’s what makes The 10-Year Plan so fun.

Myles and Brody, who couldn’t be more different, are best friends who make that same pact and set the date 10 years out to be committed to each other. The 10-Year Plan humorously follows them as time quickly approaches. You and your guy will be giggling like school girls.

God’s Own Country 

We saw God’s Own Country at the CinemaQ Film Festival in Denver in 2017 and loved it.

Johnny Saxby lives in Yorkshire England. During the day, he works hard on his family’s sheep farm. At night, he entertains himself with binge drinking and casual sex with men (the movie starts with Johnny fucking some rando in open privacy at a sheep auction).

Eventually, the family hires a beautiful Romanian migrant worker to help around the farm. After a lot of sexual tension, Johnny and Gheorghe throw punches that leads to throwing kisses and slapping ass. The rest of the movie deals with Johnny’s father’s ailing health and Johnny and Gheorghe gaining the conservative family’s approval.

God’s Own Country will have you in tears.

Love, Simon

We’ll be honest, we initially didn’t want to see Love, Simon because it looked like a typical high school sweetheart movie – and that’s exactly why this movie’s awesome. If you ever wished there was a gay John Hughes movie, this is as close as you’ll get.

Simon’s a closeted gay boy in high school who’s outed on, of all things, social media. The movie follows Simon’s ups and downs of dealing with his sexual orientation and his friends, family, and schoolmates, and discovering who the other high school boy is who loves him.

Love, Simon will have you both in tears – the good kind.

A Very Natural Thing

A Very Natural Thing is groundbreaking because it was one of the first films (1973) to depict same-sex relationships as “no more problematic but no easier than any other human relationships,” said Director Christopher Larkin.

The movie’s protagonist, David, leaves a monastery to become a school teacher (and find the love he knew he wasn’t allowed to have). Being one of those apparent unicorns who wants a long-term, romantic and monogamous relationship, David finds his first gay relationship challenging and wonders if he truly wants is out there.

Set in 1973 with actual footage of New York City’s 1973 Pride March, A Very Natural Thing is a historical account of gay life nearly 50 years ago and a hopeful story for all of us who want a long-term, romantic and monogamous relationship with another man.

Kinda healthy gay Valentine’s day date recipes

Shrimp & pasta primavera with sauvignon blanc

Ingredients:

    • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
    • 1 pint/8-ounces of cheery tomatoes

Instructions:

We start by prepping all our ingredients. First, lightly boil – just till they turn pink – then peel and devein shrimp. Wash and slice cheery tomatoes width-wise. Wash and slice the yellow pepper length-wise. Wash and cut each asparagus stalk into three pieces, after trimming the bottom, then lightly boil with salt – until you can almost easily poke them with a fork. Mince garlic. Slice the red onion.

While boiling the pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes, in salted water, start the primavera.

Heat on medium heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the stove in a large saute pan. Add onions and saute. Continue stirring. When onions begin to sweat, add garlic. Continue stirring. When the garlic browns, add the yellow pepper, asparagus, and Italian seasoning. Continue stirring. When peppers and asparagus are soft, add shrimp, half a cup of sauvignon blanc, and a final tablespoon of olive oil. Continue stirring and cooking until the shrimp are fully cooked. Turn off the stove and add the final half cup of sauvignon blanc. Stir, then let sit.

Plate, and add salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste.

Wine pairing:

The rest of your bottle of sauvignon blanc – duh – but start with a nice rose (the perfect color for your gay Valentine’s Day date). We like Bertrand Cote Des Roses Rose and Fleurs de Prairie Rose Cotes de Provence. Both are reasonably priced and have a light, minerally flavor that will complement this dish.

Grilled filet mignon and blue cheese salad

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Place fillets on a plate, salt, and pepper to taste both sides and all edges. Let filets sit on your counter until they reach room temperature (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, slice and separate red onions. Wash and cut cherry tomatoes width-wise. Wash and cube avocado. Then, in a large bowl, toss the arugula, red onion slices, cut cherry tomatoes, cubed avocado, 2 heaping spoonfuls of blue cheese, salt, and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Once your salad’s tossed, wash the lemon and cut in 2 widthwise. Squeeze over your tossed salad being sure to remove any seeds that fall into the salad. Toss your salad one last time.

Turn your grill on high, at least 550 degrees.

Once your filets reach room temperature and your grill’s reached 550 degrees, place your filets on your grill. Sear both filets for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce your grill’s heat to 400 degrees and cook each side of each filet for another 2- to 3 minutes depending on the filet’s thickness and how well you like your steaks. Remember that undercooking’s always better than overcooking.

Remove both fillets from the grill and let sit for 3- to 5 minutes.

Plate salads into a heap, then place one fillet on top of each heaping salad. Place a few crumbles of blue cheese on top of each steak for garnish.

Wine pairing:

Grilled steaks have lots of flavors, so you want a bold red wine. We prefer zinfandels, and our go-to zinfandel is Seghesio Red Vine. It’s a great red wine for special occasions and ages nicely. Other, less pricey zins that we like are Josh Zinfandel and Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel (4 bottles in one, $17 box).

Lemon Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Place chicken breasts on a plate, with salt, and pepper to taste on both sides and all edges. Let chicken breasts sit on your counter until they reach room temperature (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, chop the shallot, garlic cloves, and parsley. Drain capers.

Then, cover with wax paper or plastic, and pound to about a ½ inch thickness. Set aside 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of almond or brown rice flour. Finally, cover both sides of both chicken breasts with almond or brown rice flour. Shake off excess.

Next, over medium heat, melt butter. Once melted, stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add both chicken breasts and saute each side for 4 minutes. Remove and let sit.

Stir into the saute pan with the existing ingredients the rest of the olive oil and shallots until shallots are brown (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and brown for 1 minute. Add sauvignon blanc, bring to a boil and scrape the pan to stir in all the brown bits and coating.

The brown bits and coating are called “fond” and that’s some major flavor, baby! Reduce liquid, stirring occasionally.

Add 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth to the remaining almond or brown rice flour; stir until smooth. Add the remaining broth to the pan, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour mixture and continue stirring, for 1 minute or until the sauce is slightly thick. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter, juice, and capers.

Place one chicken breast on each plate and split the sauce evenly over both breasts. Evenly garnish with coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Complement with your favorite vegetable side dish.

Wine pairing:

The best wine pairing for this dish is a light, crispy sauvignon blanc. Some of our faves are the Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, the Starborough Sauvignon Blanc and Honig Sauvignon Blanc. You almost can’t go wrong with an Aussie or New Zealand sauv, though Honig is Californian.

If red’s your preference, don’t go bolder than a pinot noir, such as Mirassou or Erath.

Stupid simple apple crisp à la mode 

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Wash and slice each into thin slices for each apple. Place one apple’s worth of apple slices each into its own compote-sized bowl.  Scoop one heaping spoonful of granola mix on top of each bowl. Slice and place 1/2 a tablespoon of butter on top of each apple slice/granola heap. Drizzle half a tablespoon of honey onto each apple, granola, and butter heap, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Pull out of the oven, give each compote a dash of cinnamon and let sit for 2- to 4-minutes. Place one scoop of vanilla ice cream onto each compote and serve.

Pairing:

A good rye whiskey, such as Bullet or Knob Creek, goes nicely with this relatively healthy dessert. If your man prefers something a little less heart-warming, a dry Processo, such as Ruffino or Lamarca goes great.

Peanut butter cookies with Hershey’s chocolate hearts

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Stir together the 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Then, fold in the 1 lightly beaten egg until the batter is smooth and even.

Scoop the size of your choice and place it on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle with sugar or sea salt – this is amazing with sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove. While hot in the oven, immediately press a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each one. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet.

Pairing:

Peanut butter pairings are a little tricky. If these cookies turn into a middle-of-the-day snack, they’d pair nicely with beer, preferably a double or a triple quad. If this is a late-night snack and not actually dessert, they’d pair with a nice whiskey, such as Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. As a true dessert, go with a 15 – 30-year Tawny port.

Stylish restaurants for gay Valentine’s day dates

Il Posto in Denver CO

When we lived in Denver, one of our favorite restaurants for a special occasions was Il Posto. Il Posto makes its own pasta in-house, and it’s A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Il Post describes itself as “the complicated simplicity of Italian food and wine,” and you know how much we love wine. When you go, try the Pappardelle Pasta with Berkshire Pork-Marjoram Bolognese, Oyster Mushrooms, and Grana Padano or the Gnocchi Fennel Cream, Lobster, Apple, and Pecorino. The gnocchi is like soft pillows.

Whether you’re in Denver for Valentine’s Day or for any other reason, give Il Posto a try. You won’t be sorry.

Fat Radish in New York City NY

A client took us to Fat Radish in New York City, between Lower Manhattan and Lower East Side, for David’s birthday, and wow!

Just wow!

Every dish was delicious and the ambiance was cozy, which doesn’t seem too NYC.

Fat Radish is a farm-to-table British restaurant served perfectly tapas-style. It’s also a nice change from the standard American farm-to-table we’re used to eating. If you get a chance, try the Scotch Egg, Seeded Mustard, and Cornichons dish and the Seared Scallops, Sweet Potato & Squash Puree with Pumpkin Seed Salsa Verde.

Le Thai in Las Vegas NV

We did Le Thai twice the last time we were in Las Vegas. Le Thai’s is located on the far east side of East Fremont, a growing hipsterish neighborhood. It’s a casual restaurant with a cozy feel, and you won’t blow your Valentine’s Day budget.

Le Thai is a traditional Thai restaurant that features homemade Thai noodle soup. We particularly enjoyed the Green Chicken Curry and Pad Kee Mow 13, or their version of Drunken Noodles.

If you’re in Vegas for V-Day, you’ll enjoy the break from all the noise and lights when you visit Le Thai.

NeM in Sitges Spain

We visited NeM on our second trip together to Sitges Spain upon the recommendation of another restaurant owner in Sitges. NeM is a tapas bar that features the most eclectic and colorful variety of tapas we’ve found in Sitges.

All the tapas are traditionally small, so you and your guy will likely order five or more tapas, but save room for dessert because it never disappoints. Also, you make get lucky with your main man if you score a table at the front window. It’s the best seat because you can watch the people walking by while you eat.

Fat Salmon in Philadelphia PA

You know we had to include a sushi restaurant on this list, and one of our favorite sushi restaurants in the country is Fat Salmon in Philly.

Fat Salmon’s your traditional Asian fusion restaurant, but the main reason for going is getting their out-of-this-work fresh sushi. Depending on how hungry we are, we’ll get either the Sashimi for 1 or Sashimi for 2, then split a couple of rolls. We particularly enjoy the Miss, Sake Bomb, and Lost Rainbow.

For a sleek, modern restaurant with good lighting – with amazing food – you and your date will love Fat Salmon if you’re in Philly.

Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning we’ll receive payment at no cost to you if you buy through these links. We only recommend products we use or thoroughly vet and would recommend to our moms.  Buying too many of these is how you live fabulously broke. To live fabulously with financial security, start here.

2 responses to “2024 Valentine’s Day Date & Gift Ideas for Gay Men

  1. Absolutely. We had a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun with this post. We know the stereotypes exist and thought it would be fun to play it up a bit. You are of course right that none of these are exclusively gay, but just about having fun with your special someone on Valentine’s Day this year.

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