Last-Minute Inspirations for Late-Blooming Valentines

Granted, dyed-in-red-satin romantics have been plotting for months to turn today into a sentimental fantasy. But there’s hope for lovers-come-lately who woke up this morning actually not knowing what day it was. Our Valentine’s Day guide to last-minute romantic gestures and places is sure to win over the most sophisticated sweethearts, especially those on whom cliched, heart-shaped candy boxes are lost.

GRAND GESTURES

When only a grand gesture will do, consider calling Red Baron Air Ads (818-896-6667). Your tender message of love (tender but succinct, the limit is 40 characters) will be set in 5-foot-high red block letters and flown across the skies of Los Angeles, circling above your sweetheart’s home five times. It’s late notice, but the Red Baron can accommodate a big spender or two today. The average cost is $250.

Skytypers in Los Alamitos (213-598-8577) will puff out a 2-mile-high heart complete with your lover’s initials. This is no secret valentine: More than a million people should see your skywriting display, which can last up to 15 minutes, depending on sky conditions. Average cost, $250.

For blatant pronouncements of love, sometimes only a singing gorilla will do. Live Wires can send out one who, even on short notice, can sing a special Valentine ditty and present your love with a half-pound Hershey kiss ($78). (Unfortunately Harry Hamlin won’t be under the suit.) Or how about a singing, tap-dancing cupid or a personified heart ($63)? Call (213) 462-3111 or (818) 762-8599.

A romantic drive is so much more so in the right vehicle. You can turn back the clock with a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through the old section of South Pasadena, followed by a leisurely picnic in a secluded meadow in the Arroyo. Victorian Carriage Tours will arrange everything but the champagne: an hourlong ride, specially packed picnic basket and a driver who waits at a discreet distance. The outing is $150 and, although fully booked for today, gift certificates are available. The carriage ride sans picnic is $30; (213) 257-3590.

You were thinking more along the vehicular lines of a Ferrari? Budget Rent-A-Car (300 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 659-3473) will rent you one for the day ($350 plus 50 cents a mile) or put you in a Porsche ($200 plus 50 cents a mile). Or for an afternoon drive: a Mercedes or Corvette convertible ($150 plus 50 cents a mile). Melrose types might get away with a Mustang convertible at $70 (100 free miles included).

TENDER PLACES

Where to drive? Descanso Gardens (1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada/Flintridge, (818) 790-5571), one of Los Angeles’ most romantic parks, is at its absolute best on Valentine’s Day, which serendipitously coincides with the peak blooming season for the thousands of Descanso’s camellia bushes. The shady, oak-lined walkways are perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll. Picnicking is not permitted inside the gates but there is a charming Japanese tea house for a little snack.

An art stroll through the new galleries at LACMA can be a romantic outing, especially if it’s combined with a walk through Hancock Park, the tiny park in which the museum is located. Behind the museum and accessible from the 6th Street side is a surprisingly bucolic stream with grassy banks, a wooden bridge, even a few rabbits nibbling around at quiet moments. This little bit of country is an unexpected sight, surrounded as it is by urbanity, and makes a great change of pace for lovers who can’t manage a longer visit to a more secluded park. Bring a picnic basket and a blanket and find a quiet spot under the trees.

With its seemingly endless rolling meadows dotted with shady trees, Topanga State Park is perfect for lovers who want to get away from it all in the Santa Monica Mountains without getting all hot and sweaty on a hardcore hike. The park is large and never crowded, making it easy to find a private place even on the most spectacular early spring weekends. Bring a blanket, wine and cheese. The park is reached by following Entrada Drive (off Topanga Canyon Boulevard) to the end. It’s poorly signed.

Now is the best--i.e., coolest--time of year to visit Orcutt Ranch (23600 Roscoe Blvd., Canoga Park, (818) 883-6641), a county park that was once a private citrus grove. Romantics should head for the lush walkways along the stream. The thick, fern-filled vegetation limits sitting spots to the benches, but they are well placed to enjoy the shady setting. Picnicking is permitted.

You don’t have time to run around and gather all the essentials for a picnic a deux? Here are some places that will choose food to go with an eye for its sensual appeal, and pack it for you.

SENSUAL PICNIC FARE

Cheese and Pasta, 1415 Montana Av e ., Santa Monica. (213) 451-1753. Open 9 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Entrees from $6 to $42; desserts from 25 cents to $20 .

You can also get a valentine basket filled with takeout goodies at $14 per person or just buy a basket ($30 to $125) to fill as you want. Soup to nuts here if you’re looking for something gourmet to impress your valentine. Start with a tomato-fennel appetizer, then try game hens stuffed with rice, sausages and raisins, a vegetable salad and berry tart.

Some Crust Bakery, 119 Yale Ave., Claremont. (714) 621-9772. Open 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Decorated boxes filled with full meals to go from $20 for two; dessert boxes start at $10 for two.

Call early and they’ll make up a picnic basket of sweets for your sweetie--bar cookies, Danish pastries, mousses and cream puffs. Or, they’ll put together a full picnic meal of chicken salad made with couscous, tomato with hearts of palm, or calzones with ham and croissants with cheese. And for a purely sentimental touch: miniature wedding cakes. These three-tiered cakes in chocolate, white or pink are $15.

Pasta, Etc., 8650 W. Sunset Blvd. (in Sunset Plaza), Los Angeles. (213) 854-0094. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrees from $6.95 to $16 . 95; desserts from $1.50.

For the kind of picnic basket that accompanies you to your sweetie’s doorstep for a candlelight picnic, Pasta Etc. puts together a complete meal: fresh pasta and sauce (both need to be cooked), wine, biscuits, a wedge of Reggiano cheese and Italian chocolates. Packed in rustic, beribboned baskets, these dinners-for-two start at $60.

Le Cafe Market, 14637 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 990-6678. Open 7:30 to 9 p.m.; Sunday 8:30 a.m. 9 p.m. Entrees from $4 to $7; desserts are about $2.50.

A lunch of cold poached salmon with dill sauce, two salads and dessert ($12.95 per person) can be packed in a clear plastic box or a fancier picnic basket. Utensils are included. Other possibilities: roast chicken, vegetable platter, fruit and cheese or French fruit tart and a bottle of chilled Chardonnay.

L.A. EATS, 1009 W. Washington Blvd., Venice. (213) 396-5914. Open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Entrees $6 to $15.

Sandwiches to take out or eat in are made with fabulous homemade bread--rosemary garlic, basil, dill, anadama and walnuts--which are packed sky-high with meats and cheeses to order. Whole roasted or Cajun chicken, or buttermilk fried chicken, served with mashed potatoes and tossed wild green salad dressed with raspberry vinaigrette are available for takeout. For an entree with dessert you’ll pay about $15 per person. Or you can just pick up great desserts, including muffins (zucchini, corn, chocolate chip, banana), homemade tarts, pies and cakes.

ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS

You want the full-service treatment in a romantic setting? There is something mood-inspiring about the restaurants below--ambiance, or an especially alluring menu. Some may have spaces available or last-minute cancellations, if you’re lucky. Otherwise, keep them in mind for a romantic escape anytime in the future.

Il Cielo, 9018 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. (213) 276-9990. Open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Special Valentine’s Day dinner for two, $80, without beverage, tax or gratuity.

Whether you’re lucky enough to get a table on the super-romantic patio or charming indoor rooms, you’ll get flowers and strains from a classical guitar. A lover’s dinner begins with angel hair pasta with pecans and mushrooms in cream sauce, followed by lobster thermidor, rack of lamb in Spumante sauce and a dessert raspberry souffle. The regular a la carte menu is also available.

385 North, 385 N. La Cienega, Los Angeles. (213) 657-3850. 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. A fixed price, four-course dinner with a complimentry glass of champagne and live harp music , $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

This is a place for couples and singles on Valentine’s Day. Have a drink at the bar (who knows what could happen on a night like this), then try the great contemporary cuisine of chef Roy Yamaguchi.

1000 Wilshire, 1000 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. (213) 395-6003. 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.; bar open until 1 a.m. Fixed price menu includes a complimentary bottle of Piper Sonoma Blanc de Noir, $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

A personalized valentine dessert ends a lover’s menu. The all-red-and-pink menu starts with cream of artichoke soup topped with a floating red heart of red bell pepper and includes pink pasta, pink grapefruit sorbet, boneless rack of lamb en croute or seafood-stuffed Maine lobster with lobster sauce.

Scratch, 3105 Main St., Santa Monica. (213) 392-9698. Open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Valentine dinner for two, live music, red tulips, $70.

The all-hearts menu begins with a duck consomme with heart-shaped duck ravioli, then continues with all sorts of hearts-of: hearts of palm and smoked trout salad, rack of lamb for two with artichoke hearts; or if you prefer duck, it’s seared and served on a bed of pecan wild rice. Prefer meat? Chateaubriand for two served with spinach puree, onion hearts and Parmesan-parsley tomato. The dessert is a passion fruit souffle, and you get a Scratch cocktail (made with Armagnac, cranberry juice, vodka, raspberry eau de vie and a twist of lemon).

MELTING VIEWS

A restaurant with a beautiful view, whether it’s the ocean or cityscape, can inspire romance, so here are a few places with that potential, scattered around the city, in all price ranges.

The Blue Moon Saloon, 207 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach. (213) 374-3411. Open 11 a.m. to midnight. Average dinner, including wine, $20 per person.

This informal saloon with a spectacular breakwater and ocean view is serving its regular menu, including fresh seafood, steak and sandwiches. They’ll have live music and dancing on Valentine’s Day. Then you can return for a Valentine’s Day brunch for $9.95 the next day and have oysters, shrimp and eggs cooked to order.

El Paso Cantina, 750 Sampson Way, Berth 83, San Pedro. (213) 548-6800. Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The view of Los Angeles Harbor from the window and patio may be enough inspiration. If not, you can sip Margaritas before trying their build-your-own New York steak tacos and beef, chicken or shrimp fajitas. There is a Sunday brunch of steak and eggs for $9.25 per person.

Gladstone’s on the Beach, 17300 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. (213) 454-3474. Open 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday. Dinner for two about $30 with wine.

You can sit on the patio or in the restaurant at sunset and sip a complimentary Valentine’s Day glass of champagne. You’ll find such specials as cioppino, live Maine lobster, oysters and scallops as well as fresh daily fish specials which can be mesquite-grilled, broiled or fried.

Yamashiro, 1999 N. Sycamore Ave., Hollywood. (213) 466-5125. Open noon to 11 p.m. Reservations necessary for dinner only. Dinner for two averages $45 , with beverage.

One of the best views of the city anywhere in Los Angeles is the appropriate setting for romance, whether you go for drinks only, sushi or a gourmet feast on a tatami mat . American and Continental menus are available--and if you like steaks, they’re steakhouse quality.

HOTEL RESTAURANTS

You’ve already checked your favorite restaurants for reservations. Nothing. There’s no guarantee you’ll get into these hotel restaurants at this late date either, but they’re worth a try because of the broader range of facilities than most restaurants can offer. They’re also worth keeping in mind for a romantic outing anytime. Most hotels also offer good deals for brunch, should you stay overnight--and room service, too.

Bel - Age restaurant, Bel - Age Hotel, 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd. , West Hollywood. 6:30 to 11 p.m. (213) 854-1111. Full meal for two, $140, plus tax and gratuities.

There is romantic Russian music and a seven-course nouvelle-Russe feast with complimentary champagne to put lovers in the mood. Ossertra caviar for two, oyster soup, coulibiaka (salmon pastry), grilled rack of lamb and heart-shaped strawberry shortcake are highlights of the seven-course dinner.

In the Brasserie overlooking city lights, dinner for two, with choice of two entrees, soup, salad, dessert, coffee or tea, is $80.

El Padrino Room, Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd. (213) 275-4282. Open 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Five - course meal $50 per person, including tax and gratuity.

Soft piano music plays background as you dine. The Valentine’s Day dinner comes with a complimentary bottle of champagne and a long-stemmed rose. Start with quenelles of lobster with crayfish sauce and end with a dessert called “the tulip,” a white chocolate mousse in a cookie “tulip” with berries.

If you want to check in the hotel for a “romantic interlude” in a luxurious suite (three days and two nights, with either Friday or Saturday check-in), you enjoy breakfast in bed, chilled champagne with berries, fresh flowers, sweets and complimentary valet service for $450 per couple, including tax.

Colette, Beverly Pavilion Hotel, 9360 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (213) 273-1151. Open 6 p.m. with seatings on the hour or half-hour until 11 p.m. Fixed-price menu gastronomique, $65 per person; fixed-price menu gourmande, $45 per person, without tax or gratuity.

Executive chef E. Patrick brings a California touch to French cuisine in his menu gastronomique designed for Valentine’s Day lovers. Dinner begins with sauteed fresh foie gras over a salad of golden beets and ends with an individual heart-shaped raspberry tart with a pina colada sauce.

The menu gourmande includes Maine lobster terrine with orange-tarragon sauce, Dover sole on a bed of braised cabbage with shiitake mushrooms and Madeira chive sauce, and poached breast of chicken filled with herb mousse. The dessert, by pastry chef Susan Inahara, is called “lover’s dream”--a dark-chocolate, white-chocolate and raspberry mosaic with raspberry coulis.

Should you decide to stay overnight, try Sunday brunch, which includes champagne, a choice of six appetizers, entree, coffee, croissants and rolls from $16 to $20 per person, depending on the entree.

Gauguin’s, Hotel San Maarten, 696 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (714) 494-9436).

This may be as close to a Caribbean getaway as one can get by car. The romantic inn, with its lush, over-ripe courtyard, is a Valentine’s-night destination favored by those practical romantics who booked ahead and thus are making your life miserable right now. But the management expects 5 to 10 cancellations, making last-minute bookings possible. Rooms are $99 per night. The hotel’s restaurant, Gauguin’s, is planning a special candlelight dinner for this evening.

VARIOUS VALENTINES

If re-creating those old Andy Hardy movie scenes where Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney moon at each other over a hot fudge sundae sounds like just the thing, C. C. Brown’s (which was around way back then and still looks the same) is the spot to go. The soda shoppe, with its big, wooden booths, is open until midnight tonight, closed Sunday (7007 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 462-9262).

The Sweet Arts Ball, sponsored by the Art Museum’s ArtPartners at Cal State Long Beach, promises to be an elegant soiree at an affordable price, with tickets available at the door. The door is at the International City Club (1900 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (213) 498-5761) and it opens at 9 p.m. There’ll be music by Art Deco and His Society Orchestra, a swell local group that shows up for engagements in High Deco attire. The cost is $40 per couple (which includes hors d’oeuvres; drinks extra); dress is semiformal. A silent auction will feature valentines created by local artists.