ROMANTIC OPTIONS

Show your sweetie some love by taking them out to dinner this Valentine's Day. There are plenty of options.

Hot Metal Grille, South Side, will start spreading the love -- or the wine, at least -- early, and cheaply. On Wednesday the restaurant is hosting a $25 wine tasting event in conjunction with Joe Elchik of Southern Wine and Spirits. Call 412-431-2300.

Banish the thought that the legend of St. Valentine involves beheading and martyrdom and relish the four-course Valentine's feast at Cafe at the Frick, Point Breeze, on Thursday, with seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. The dinner includes an amuse of smoked salmon and an appetizer of artichoke hearts and Brin d'Amour ravioli with Nino Franco Prosecco. Seafood Napoleon or venison tenderloin are entree choices, served with Chateau Roudier St. Emilion 1998. A salad of endive, frisee and wilted radicchio, piled with grapefruit, blood orange and gouda, is served with Domaine de Haubert Vin de Pay de Landes 1998. For sweets, there are individual tartlets of raspberry , chocolate and creme brulee, paired with a Rutherglen muscat Tokay.

Cost is $100, all-inclusive. Call 412-371-0600.

Valentine's Day at Penn Brewery? Sounds like a pleaser for the reluctant gourmet hubby who likes his meat rare and his beer cold. The six-course gourmet beer dinner next Friday features seafood en croute, filet of beef and salmon filet with crab meat beurre blanc. Each course is paired with one of the North Side brewery's excellent beers.

Cost is $50, all-inclusive. Call 412-237-9402.

Opus, Downtown, is promising the most romantic date night of the year, Feb. 14, with four courses of loverly food including Sweetheart Risotto, salad of red leaf romaine, rib eye of Piedmontese beef and, for the sugary ending, brownie hearts with chocolate mousse and passion fruit coulis or heart profiteroles with Chambord cream, fresh berries and Champagne sauce.

Cost is $55, non-inclusive. Call 412-992-2005.

TASTE OF MEXICO

From 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday Taco Loco, South Side, hosts Taste of Mexico, a celebration of food and artwork, in honor of the debut of Mi Mexico Artesanias' Web site. Call 412-487-3868.