Tick Tock, and I don’t mean the app. (For the record, I started an account there, but so much of the content feels as though it’s created by celebrities with either a full production team or a really fabulous assistant helping out behind the scenes. Talk about pressure.)

Yes, it’s almost Valentine’s.

Sure, candy, flowers or Rolexes (just kidding, kind of) are great, but let’s address the elephant in the room for a second.

Instead of snuggling up with your I-Phone (the elephant I ‘m referring to, the third wheel in almost all our relationships these days) and your beloved again this year, why not stash your cell and take your significant other out to one of these cozy local spots for cocktails, sweets, din din, or a nice staycation?

1. Pastiche on Fed Hill - Close to perfection any time of the year, but especially charming on a chilly February night around these parts. Treat your beloved to coffee or hot chocolate and a sweet (Everything’s yummy, you simply cannot make a bad choice.) by the fire.

2. Camille’s, also on The Hill - There’s a famous quote credited to Sophia Loren about how she would rather indulge than not. So, tuck into some plates of pasta, order two glasses of Prosecco, and hopefully you and your sweetie are in seats adjacent to the gas fireplace.

3. The Bar at The White Horse Tavern in Newport - Go for a couple of Dark and Stormies, their signarture rum drinks, this weekend or for Sunday brunch. When we were there last, the fireplace was roaring and it was swell.

4. Main Street Coffee in EG - Treat your sweetheart to one of their signature expresso martinis and plant yourselves near the fireplace that’s tucked away in their back room at this popular coffeehouse and bar on Main Street. (True story, I only discovered just discovered that they had a back room with a fireplace “like” 3-4 years ago.)

5. The Lobby at Castle Hill in NPT - Hands down, it’s the quintessential Newport experience. Sit by the fire with your favorite person and enjoy a cab or pinot noir along with the quietly elegant atmosphere. It’s all very Town & Country circa 2020.

6. Guest Rooms at The Chanler in NPT  - The Chanler was voted America’s Most Romantic Hotel and once you go, you’ll know why. During our stay in the Martha Vineyard suite a few years back, in addition to an absolutely gorgeous fireplace, there was a private courtyard with a hot tub. Wowza, just wowza.

7. The Lobby (and every single guest room) at The Break in Narragansett - Not only does the main lobby at The Break Hotel in Gansett have a working fireplace, but every single guest room comes complete with a gas fireplace for warming up during your upcoming February staycation. There’s even a heated salt water pool out back that most defintely deserves a mention (not to mention a dip!).