Seasons 52 is unveiling a great new mini-dessert for V-Day, the Chocolate Raspberry Valentine. This is an indulgent chocolate cake layered with chocolate syrup, raspberry mousse and raspberry puree, topped with whipped cream and a chocolate “kiss” – all tucked into a square shot glass. The petite treat is offered until Feb. 15.
Seasons 52: 11611 Ellison Wilson Road in Palm Beach Gardens (561-625-5852), and 2300 N.W. Executive Center Drive (on Glades Road) in Boca Raton (561-998-9952) | Find a Seasons 52 near you

Philippe Chow Boca has given its homemade red velvet cake a heart shape for sweet noshing on Valentine’s Day.
Philippe Chow: 200 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; (561) 393-4666 | Directions, invite a friend

The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach offers oceanfront cabana dining for Valentines, a sumptuous four-course dinner that’s capped with a decadent chocolate trio (chocolate souffle, chocolate crème brulee and chocolate molten cake). There’s a fire pit for after-dinner sipping as well.  The cabana dinner, served from 6 to 10 p.m., is $600 per couple, plus tax and tip. Reservations are required.
Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach: 100 South Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; (561) 540-4924 | Directions, invite a friend

A tiny cupcake shop on Center Street is the extremely popular choice for favorite local dessert spot — non-ice cream/frozen yogurt division.

Jupiter-based dd’s Cupcake Shoppe picked up a superb 35.3 percent of the vote, outdistancing the more familiar Cheesecake Factory, which had 11.8 percent.

In a tie for third place was the Sugar Shack in West Palm Beach and, by virtue of a write-in campaign, the Royal Palm Beach-based cupcake delivery, the Chunky Cupcake. Both had 4.9 percent.

Rounding out the top five was the Upper Crust. The Lake Worth pie shop had 3.9 percent of the vote.

Besides the Chunky Cupcake, the big write-in candidate was Boynton Beach’s Sweet Surrender.

Click here to see the full results.

Perhaps after seeing 'The Thing' -- which stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead -- you can stop off for a cool treat at Sloan's.

The film: Aliens invade Antarctica (again) in the latest take on The Thing, opening Friday. Cue the scary sound effects and CGI snow flurries. | Theaters, showtimes

The food: Chill out with a visit to Sloan’s, the area’s most colorful chain of ice-cream shops — stocked not only with dozens of flavors but also with small toys, confections and a miniature train. When you need a shot of happiness, a visit to Sloan’s is just the thing!

Sloan’s scoops ice cream at CityPlace, Downtown at the Gardens, Mizner Park and at 112 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach. | Find a location near you

Mike and Ruth Berman of Beer Bon Voyage find the combinations of beer and chocolate well worth exploring. (Photo by Susan Mann)

I’ve probably said it a hundred times to folks with skeptical (and sometimes grossed out) looks on their faces: "Beer and chocolate? Sure, they go together really well."

While I still believe it to be true, my eyes and palate were opened a bit wider recently when I took part in a "research" project with Ruth and Mike Berman of Beer Bon Voyage.

The Delray Beach chiropractors have developed a second career of sorts, a travel company based on the search for and enjoyment of the world’s greatest beers. Ruth became a certified travel guide back in 2005. Read the full story

Courtesy of Nestle.

When my friend’s birthday arrived, I simply couldn’t face turning on the oven (especially since mine takes 30 minutes to reach 350 degrees) so I found a tasty recipe for frozen lemonade cupcakes that uses store-bought pound cake and three other simple ingredients to whip up a tart topping.

Of course I broke the cardinal rule – don’t make anything for company that you haven’t tried out on your family first – but this recipe looked pretty risk-free. It was easy, too: It took me longer to cut the pound cake into the right size rounds than it did to make the topping. (Be sure you use a big bowl!)

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Boynton Beach's Go Yo! tops our poll for favorite frozen yogurt spot. (Bruce R. Bennett / Palm Beach Post)

More: Find a frozen yogurt place near you

Self-serve frozen-yogurt places are popping up faster than anyone can count, but clearly they’ve made an impression, as voters came out in droves to pick their favorite.

According to Taking Your Pulse voters, Go Yo! of Boynton Beach is the favorite frozen yogurt spot in the area, taking 31.8 percent of the vote.

There was a tight bunch for second place: Freshberry of Wellington just edged out Fro-Yotopia of Palm Beach Gardens, 12.8 percent to 12.4 percent, while Swirls, also of Gardens, was right behind them at 12 percent.

Jupiter’s Red Mango rounded out the top five at 9.6 percent.
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