Nutella crepe by philliefan99.

Dish of the Week: Crepes with Nutella
Where: Crepe Amour, Crepes at the Market, Crepes on the Walk, Point Chaud Café, Crepes on the Corner

Some might call Valentine’s Day a thinly veiled consumerist holiday drummed up by the greeting card and floral industry. I argue that the cards and flowers are just a distraction from the annual lovefest’s real mastermind: the candy industry. Whether you’re in a couple or single, it’s totally acceptable to stuff your face with enough chocolate to induce diabetic shock on February 14.

If you’re going to indulge next week, you might as well make it worth your while (plus, those conversation hearts taste like chalk). Nothing quite satisfies those feelings of love (or hate) for Valentine’s Day like a fresh crepe filled with that gooey, melty, unholy marriage of chocolate and ground up hazelnuts. Yes, Nutella, Italy’s answer to breakfast.

Crepe stands have been popping up all over the city recently and any creperie worth its salt will be packing a giant tub of Nutella. Bananas or strawberries are both classic accompaniments to a Nutella crepe; some establishments offer more exotic fruit options, from blueberries to kiwi to coconut. However, for the purist, it doesn’t get much better than straight-up Nutella as it melts into a chewy, sponge-y sweet crepe.

Small Bites

Bar Pilar is back
In case you missed it, Bar Pilar quietly reopened the downstairs last weekend. Renovations are still in progress (the ceiling was sporting a gaping hole on Friday), but the bar is serving drinks from a limited menu. No food yet, as the kitchen is still under construction. Bar Pilar closed in late November to accommodate a second floor expansion.

Caffeinated canines
If pop-up ramen noodles and art galleries weren’t enough, there’s now a “pop-up” coffee shop in Shaw. Darnell’s Bar will be transforming into the Blind Dog Café during the daytime hours (7 a.m. – 4 p.m.). The menu includes PT’s Coffee, Rishi teas, house made sodas and sandwiches, and baked goods from start-up Black Strap Bakery. The café officially opens on Sunday, but you can check it out now during their soft opening.

Pies and tacos coming to Chinatown
Look for lots of new but familiar restaurants opening in Chinatown this spring. Dangerously Delicious Pies is slated to unveil their second D.C. location at 9th and F Streets, and District Taco will be making the jump from food truck to a brick-and-mortar location at 13th and F.