A Guide to All Things Romantic on the Oregon Coast:
Lodging, Dining, Hand-Holding Walks, Cuddle-Inducing Sunsets and Fun for Beach Lovers and Lovers on the Beach

BREATHTAKING CLIFFTOP IN NEWPORT

STARFISH POINT is located on the Central Oregon Coast - in Newport - and offers only the finest in luxury condominium lodging. At Starfish Point, every unit is focused on the beauty of the sea and the beach.
All of the units boast two bedrooms, two bathrooms, designer kitchens, wireless broadband Internet, fireplaces, Jacuzzi’s and private decks - surrounding you in soothing relaxation. We have a friendly staff dedicated to high quality and superb customer service. 140 NW 48th Street, Newport. (541) 265-3751. (800) 870-7795. www.starfishpoint.com

FOR HONEYMOONERS & PET LOVERS

SAN DUNE INN, MANZANITA. Super friendly and perfect for families or lovers - including a "honeymoon suite." All sorts of amazing freebies, like bikes, games, videos, etc. Read the story here. 428 Dorcas Lane. www.sandune-inn-manzanita.com. 888-368-5163.

FALL IN LOVE W/ ITALIAN CUISINE AGAIN

FULTANO'S PIZZA CANNON BEACH. Stunning gourmet-style Italian food at a family pizza joint price. Lots of regular pizza and calzone selections, but also including some wild innovations. Their pasta sauce is simply amazing.Check out their Valentine's Day specials, including heart-shaped pizzas. 200 N. Hemlock and Second Street. (503) 436-9717. Read the story here.

OLD WORLD ROMANCE

OLD WHEELER HOTEL, Wheeler. Beauty resonates from this place, with a bay view from every room, hard wood floors and a classical décor. Each room has a vibrant charm - from the bedspreads to the delicate light fixtures. You may find a clawfoot bathtub as well. Read the story here. Hwy 101 and Gregory. www.oldwheelerhotel.com. 877-4theview.

WOOING WITH WINE – SEDUCTION BY SUPPER

Wining and Dining Secrets of the Oregon Coast

Valentine’s Day – indeed any day you’re looking to wow the one you dig – is perfect for the Oregon Coast. With a multitude of possibilities for romantic moments involving dinner or wine tasting, the region is full of pleasant surprises and little hidden nuggets of cuddle-inducing joy.

In this roundup, we’ll bounce around the upper half of Oregon’s coast – between Seaside and Yachats – to various wineries, restaurants, bistros and wine shops.

FLYING DUTCHMAN WINERY – Otter Rock

Overlooking the ruffian waters of the Devil's Punchbowl, near Newport, the Flying Dutchman is the only working winery on Oregon's coast. While grapes will not mature in the wet coastal environment, the Dutchman utilizes vineyards in the Willamette Valley, then hauls them over the coast range to be crushed and aged. All this is done by hand with old-style, hand-cranked machinery. On the average, they crush about 16 tons of grapes a year - which leaves them maxed out for room. Thus, their award-winning vino is only available at this outlet and on their website.

In their tasting room, you can see the barrels in the back. Their picnic area, behind the tasting room, overlooks the stunning seas and oceanic drama of the area. It's a unique place, in a very unique spot on the coast.

The Flying Dutchman Winery is open every day of the year. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Otter Crest – just north of Newport. (541) 765-2553.

VISTA SEA CAFÉ - Seaside

One romantic hotspot for years has been Seaside's Vista Sea Café. Experience fabulous pizzas, scintillating salads and some wondrous sandwiches in an atmosphere that's part Old World Europe and cozy coastal hangout - all with a lovely view of all the happenings along Broadway. Check out such house specialties as spanakopita and lasagna or a spinach quiche. Their Pesto Turkey and meatloaf sandwiches are legendary for good reason (about $6). Or indulge in a wide array of pizzas that includes such specialties as Bay Shrimp, Mediterranean, an intriguing and slightly exotic veggie combo, or gems that include pancetta ham, a three-tomato blend or a pesto sauce selection. Get slices to go at their little annex right next store. 105 Broadway, Seaside. (503) 738-8108.

THE WINE SHACK – Cannon Beach

This Cannon Beach stalwart is enjoying its 27th year of bringing the fine, fruited nectar to the North Coast. Every Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., it's wine tasting from bottles from around the world. There's a large selection of Oregon and Northwest wines as well as rare vintages from Bordeaux, Australia, California and Italy. Owners Dean and Pat Reiman like to brag that The Wine Shack was named one of the top 50 wine shops in the U.S. by GQ Magazine. You can purchase some wondrous wines online from them at www.beachwine.com. Next to the Coaster Theater, Cannon Beach. 800-787-1765.

LANDMARK RESTAURANT - Yachats

Down in Yachats, the unassuming but pleasant-surprise-in-waiting Landmark Restaurant & Lounge has one of the best views on the Oregon Coast - and some of the finest Italian cuisine in the state. Sauces are light, delicate and very subtle, yet with a tang that's potent but not overpowering. Seafood is also a specialty. Call ahead for Valentine's Day specials not available at press time. Hwy 101, Yachats. Call: (541) 547-5459.

SEA SHACK - Wheeler

In the Nehalem Bay area, Wheeler's Sea Shack stands out for dockside dining. Here, grab a bite to eat and watch the bay. Sunsets here are one of the big hidden secrets on the coast, with the still waters of Nehalem Bay reflecting the light in a way that's unforgettable. Sometimes, you may spot wildlife like elk cavorting on the land across the way.

The Sea Shack features an extensive menu that includes a large selection of famous seafood items, including interesting stuff like a Bucket of Chili Shrimp (in a spicy broth) or the enormous Sea Shack Platter (consisting of all of whatever seafood they have on hand, made to order, for $30.) There are cheese jalapeno fries, luscious soups, various sandwiches, steaks, chicken and pastas. And if that isn't enough, its bar is one of the coziest and friendliest on the North Coast. 380 Marine Drive. (503) 368-7897.

CHERRY HILL WINERY – Coast Range

Pinot Noir is the specialty at this winery, here in this idyllic area known as Eola Hills - just outside Salem and Monmouth. Cherry Hill produces 5,000 cases of the red stuff every year out of its 55 acres.

The tasting room is open by appointment only, however it is perfect for weddings or business functions.

There's something a little different going here. They offer the opportunity to stay at their vineyard’s "dude ranch" and really get your hands dirty (or probably red, that is). Guests stay in elegant but rustic little cabins. They get the opportunity to learn how to tend to these kinds of grapes, hoist them for first crush, or perhaps study the fine art of controlled fermentation and barrel aging. There's also get the chance to learn more about wine tasting and Oregon cuisine. It's like a western adventure in the style of that movie "City Slickers" - but in a Willamette Valley winery kind of way. 7867 Crowley Road Rickreall. www.cherryhillwinery.com. 503-623-7867.

GOWER STREET BISTRO – Cannon Beach

The Gower St. Bistro is a somewhat new arrival on the scene with gourmet cuisine in a European vein. It's sure to wow the lady in your life with its classy interior. Dinners run around $13 to $20 and include a slightly spiced meatloaf, a wild mushroom and leek quiche and a 40-clove garlic roasted chicken.

While only open until 10 p.m., they've become famous for their large and creative martinis. Gower also has a deli with exquisite imported cheeses for sale, and some serious gourmet meats and sausages. 1116 South Hemlock Street, Cannon Beach. (503) 436-2729.

WINE AND ROMANCE – Gleneden Beach

A tiny little shop in the midst of The Shops at Salishan (just south of Lincoln City) belies its size with the plethora of treasures for the romancer to be found. At Wine & Romance, old B&W movies play on a TV in the background, setting a classic yet fun atmosphere that's conducive to making the right find for that relevant other. Wine in a large array of brands and varieties, lovely gifts, Moonstruck Chocolates and gift baskets occupy this nifty little spot that will charm you. Some wines are occasionally featured, providing the opportunity for wine tasting these brands. Gleneden Beach. (541) 764-0238.

LA SERRE - Yachats

The name is French for "The Greenhouse," and it means you're dining in a beautiful garden of ferns and plants hanging over you. There's a wide variety of steak and seafood entrees including New York cut, filet mignon, jumbo prawns, Pacific oysters, Dungeness crab and wild salmon - all around $18 to $22. The Seafood Extravaganza comes with a portion of all the seafood offerings for $24. Several sauces, including orange-tarragon béarnaise, accompany the fresh fish selections. Mixed grills offer incarnations of steak and seafood combos from $15 - $27. There are also burgers, sandwiches, potpie and some incredible crepes, and surprises like baby back pork ribs and a kids menu. In the final analysis, however, it is legendary for extraordinary food. 2nd and Beach. (541) 547-3420.

THE BAY HOUSE – Lincoln City

The Bay House Restaurant in Lincoln City is a legendary place where you can dine on some of the Central Coast's most highest rated gourmet fare, all in front of dramatic Siletz Bay. With famous dinner specials that change nightly, it's legendary for a reason. While art from nearby Freed Gallery graces the elegant walls, artfully done specials grace the tables. You may find entrees like a Hot Pot of Pacific Halibut and Rockfish and Asian-style veggies, or a Braised Beef stuffed with braised greens and arriving with purple rice and a variety of beautiful vegetables (around $25). Regular entrees happen between $20 - $28, and include Fresh Halibut Parmesan in a lemon-arugula sauce, Scallops and Clams in a Chardonnay Pan Sauce, a marinated steak with Brazilian Chimichurri sauce, or a rack of lamb with a Provencal garlic sauce. Desserts, soups and appetizers are celebrated as well. 5911 SW Hwy. 101, Lincoln City. (541) 996-3222.

TERRA COTTA CAFÉ - Manzanita

Pretty, cozy and more than a little romantic, the Terra Cotta continues to make culinary waves with hearty, classy comfort foods. A load of appetizers - like a hot artichoke dip with tomato basil tortilla chips, shrimp cocktail, roasted mushrooms on a foccacia, a chicken sauté in a Thai peanut sauce or a spicy cheese quesadilla - start things off around $6. Various soups and salads vary in size and cost, between $3 and $12.

They serve up delicacies like a baked chicken breast that's stuffed with spinach, caramelized onions and blue cheese; marinated and barbecued porkchop; shrimp scampi on a bed of pasta, or a simple but extravagant spaghetti with one enormous meatball. There are incredibly well done seafoods too. (503) 368-3700.

BLACKFISH CAFÉ – Lincoln City

There's a little bit of Portland's Pearl District at the north end of Lincoln City, with the culinary fireworks and an arty, soothing atmosphere that smacks of that upscale Portland neighborhood.

Meats and seafood get the superb, swanky treatment here, usually around $18. Skillet roasted King Salmon that's locally caught is basted with fennel butter and comes with a blue cheese potato gratin. A pork porterhouse from the valley is grilled, sitting by sweet potato chili fries, with a smoked paprika butter and other delicious surprises. A parmesan-smothered black bass - caught by Pacific City dorymen - is shallow fried with a buttery caper sauce, with braised greens and pasta. Duck is basted in citrus, local blueberries and white cheddar, with sage and walnut risotto hanging out nearby.

Other inventive delights include jumbo scallops with risotto, a Pacific halibut in chili spices as well as a torchio pasta with smoked salmon that's so creamy and light you may begin to defy gravity. Other intriguing takes on seafood are available for around $10 as well. 2733 NW Highway 101. (541) 994-1007.