While it's common to celebrate by reaching for the sweets, Porkchop restaurant in Chicago has a savory option: the bacon bouquet.
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The strips of bacon are rolled into rosettes, deep fried and put on plastic stems. For a dozen, it costs $40. For six, it costs $20. There is already quite a bit of interest in the flowers you can eat.
"We received quite a few orders. People are actually impressed, they are loving them. And what's not to love? It's bacon," said Jovanis Bouargoub, owner of Porkchop.
Chocolate remains a Valentine's Day staple, and Windy City Sweets in Lakeview offers chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels and other goodies. It's the store's second-busiest time of year behind Christmas, and business only picks up closer to the big day.
"The day before and the day of, it's full of boyfriends and husbands and 'Let me hurry up and get whatever I can!" said Katheryn Gist, Windy City Sweets.
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With the mild weather, doing something outdoors could be a good choice. The skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is a good romantic option, and was the site of quite a few marriage proposals last year.
There were many couples among the skaters Monday, like Kris Kettner and Karen Goins who got an early start on celebrating because Kettner has to work Tuesday.
"I'm swept off my feet. It's great. It's a lot of fun. You get spend a lot of time together, try something new for some of us," Goins said.
And it seems that's what Valentine's Day is all about.