Valentine’s Day is a time to honor the stories we’ve written with our romantic partners. A hand-drawn restaurant print can be an enchanting and enduring way to say: I remember.
Over the years, couples have reached out to share the restaurants that shaped their relationships — some still bustling with life, others long gone but deeply loved. I’ve gathered a few of those stories here to inspire your own gift-giving this season.
"My husband purchased Penelope for me for our anniversary, since we had our first (and many other) dates there. I became interested in completing our “collection” with a drawing of where we got married, The Park — both being very special places in our life story, and even more so now that we cannot go back to visit.”
One customer reached out to complete a collection of meaningful spots: Penelope (where she had many first dates with her husband), and The Park (where they were married). When a restaurant closes, it can feel like a chapter disappears — but art lets the story live on.
"I still haven’t found my missing WXOU. But my husband gave the exact same thing to me! WXOU was where we had our first date & we got it for the other!”
Sometimes love stories are so in sync, even the gifts match. This couple both chose the same hand-drawn print to celebrate where it all began. Romantic serendipity like that reminds us how much meaning one location can hold and how art captures it with care.
"My friend gifted us the L’Artusi print for our wedding, as that’s where my husband and I got married. It is the first thing you see when you enter our home, and everyone compliments us on it. I just knew I had to get the Stissing House one for my sister!”
For many couples, the restaurant where they celebrated their wedding holds just as much emotional weight as the venue itself. L’Artusi is one of the most frequently gifted prints for this reason. Its clean lines and warm energy match the joy of the day.
"My husband and I have lived in NYC for 25 years and our first date was 10 years ago at Blue Ribbon. We just moved out of the city, and it made me smile to see your ad come up on my Instagram.”
Restaurants anchor us to places, and cities, and chapters of our lives. This couple took a piece of their NYC history with them when they moved, using a print of their first date spot as a memory marker for all that came before (and all that’s still ahead).
"I've actually been searching for a store front drawing of B Bar for years but haven't had any luck. Every now and then I'll do a Google search, and finally it popped up on John's website! My husband and I met there 8 years ago and, sadly, it closed permanently for about 5 years now. I ordered this drawing as a gift for our wedding anniversary - super excited!”
When a favorite place vanishes, sometimes it becomes even more precious. B Bar in NYC has been closed for years, but for this couple, it’s where everything started. The print arrived just in time for their anniversary — a small, hand-signed reminder of their beginning.
If you don’t see your restaurant in the collection, you can always request a custom piece. While I may not be able to finish it in time to gift on February 14th, I do offer gift slips you can print and wrap in the meantime. That way, your Valentine will know something personal and meaningful is in the works drawn by hand, just for them.
Choosing a hand-drawn restaurant print from the collection isn’t just about gifting a beautiful piece of art. It’s about giving someone the gift of memory — of their favorite place, their favorite meal, their favorite moment with the person they love.
With each purchase, you’re participating in something personal and lasting. Each piece I draw is done with care, in ink, by hand. It’s a quiet and joyful process. And when someone chooses one of my prints to celebrate love, it truly means the world.
