If you’re desperately seeking an affordable, romantic getaway with your sweetheart, consider an overnight at the Antrim 1844 Country House Hotel in nearby Taneytown, Md. General manager John Vonnes describes Antrim’s winter special ($119 per person, per night) as “the best pricing of the year.” Available through March 31 (except for Valentine’s Day weekend, sorry lovers), the package includes dinner at the inn’s elegant and Smokehouse restaurant. Chef Spencer Wolff, who took over the kitchen last August, has lightened up the menu—both literally and figuratively—with such whimsical and colorful presentations as deconstructed Niçoise salad (a tower of ahi tuna, haricots verts and Yukon gold potato, topped by a farm egg) or a vibrant sea bass on a bed of black forbidden rice with a swirl of bright yellow curry sauce. A romantic meal, says Wolff, who comes most recently from The Hamilton in D.C., “can be about eating with your eyes.” Many of the Antrim’s rooms have wood-burning fireplaces, and the winter package also includes afternoon tea and hors d’oeuvres and a full country breakfast. Good morning, sunshine. 30 Trevanion Road, Taneytown, 410-756-6812. http://www.antrim1844.com
—Martha Thomas
