Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but not everyone has plans yet.

Matt Dodds (junior-engineering) has been dating his girlfriend for three months and said he will make his final Valentine's Day plans Friday night.

"I've never made plans before so that's why I'm confused about what to do," Dodds said.

For people like Dodds, who may not yet have plans, who lack cars to travel and who are still looking to celebrate, there is a wide variety of places to dine downtown.

Still Taking Reservations and Close to Campus (as of Tuesday)

Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave. 231-4745

The restaurant will have some additional dinner features as well as wine and martini features, manager Mary Ellis said.

A quartet of singers will be coming through both Allen Street Grill and The Corner Room between 6 and 7 p.m., she said

Reservations are still available before 4 or after 10, Ellis said.

India Pavilion, 222 E. Calder Way 237-3400

Enjoy the spices and exotic flavor combinations of India at this local eatery. The restaurant will be decorated with heart-shaped balloons and use heart-shaped bowls, "We'll make it a nice romantic atmosphere for the couples," assistant manager Baljinder Dadra said.

No Reservations Required

Cozy Thai, 454 E. College Ave. 237-0521

This Thai bistro offers a plethora of delicious menu items, and it's expected to be packed on Valentine's Day, shift manager Bamira Umarova said. Guests can call ahead to put their name down, but they aren't guaranteed a table immediately. If their name is on the list, they will be given priority over customers not on the list, Umarova said.

"We do not promise a table," she said, saying it's "more like a waiting list."

Viet Thai, 146 N. Atherton St. 238- 5004

If Cozy Thai is too packed, students can head on over to the opposite side of town to another Thai restaurant. Viet Thai doesn't require reservations, and the red pad thai or red curry would be obvious Valentine's-themed choices.

The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave. 237-3051

The Corner Room will feature a special Valentine's menu for the big day. Some of the specials include a calamari appetizer, shrimp bisque, seafood risotto, a seafood mixed grill and beef napoleon, said Pete Herncane, executive chef for Hotel State College.

Casual Dining

Baby's Burgers and Shakes, 131 S. Garner St. 234-4776

A cute place for a date and a plate of baby burgers, Baby's isn't fine dining -- but it's fun dining. Enjoy food and juke boxes just like your parents did back in the '50s.

Sarina's II, 220 W. College Ave. 237-4111

For a casual and delicious dining experience, head to Sarina's II. You can even order a spaghetti dish and eat it Lady and the Tramp style if you wish. You can also ask for a romantic twist on the typical pizza, manager John Ferrara said.

"We can do a heart-shaped pizza," he said.

Gifts: Last Minute Madness

Chocolate Madness, 134 W. College Ave. 235-4055

Owner Paul Jensen said the store sees a lot of last-minute shoppers for Valentine's Day. He said six people came to ask about chocolate strawberries Monday and said they'd come back to order them. The deadline to order them is 7 p.m. today, Jensen said.

"After that you roll the dice," he said.

Boxes can be filled with milk chocolate-covered strawberries with white drizzle, dark chocolate with white drizzle, or white chocolate with milk chocolate drizzle.

Jensen also offers heart-shaped boxes that can be filled with any variety of the store's chocolates.

Off Campus Dining

Faccia Luna, 1229 S. Atherton St. 234-9000

A large selection of brick-oven pizza and entrees highlight this off-campus eatery.

For Valentine's Day, the restaurant's dinner special will be surf and turf, and its drink feature will be a chocolate raspberry cake drink, a mixture of Rogue Chocolate Stout and Frambrois, manager Bryan Glasgow said. A special dessert will also be offered.

Because Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, Glasgow expects the usual large Saturday crowd as well as couples, but the restaurant's not taking reservations.

"It's on a Saturday, so Saturdays are busy, too -- so I have a feeling it'll overflow into that business as well," he said.

Down Under Steakhouse, 1 Country Club Lane (inside Toftrees) 234-3053

The restaurant still has a lot of reservations available, said Scott Donnelly, food and beverage director of Toftrees.

From 4 p.m. on, the restaurant will have surf and turf, with Maine lobster and filet mignon, Alaskan seabass and bay sea scallops florentine, as well as some special appetizers like honey tropical fruit salad and shrimp cocktail. The dessert specials include chocolate-covered strawberries and the chef's strawberry cheesecake.

"It's a chef specialty, his own recipe, and it's topped off with a creamy chocolate sauce," Donnelly said.

The restaurant will feature "elegant jazz" by Rick Hirsch and Arthur Goldstein from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Donnelly said.

RECIPES

Create a sultry night at home with these recipes for love.

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, foodnetwork.com

Cook Time: 25 min.

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound linguini

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 shallots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions: Boil pasta. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Drain pasta. In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons butter in two tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent. Season the shrimp, add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about two to three minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine, lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add two tablespoons butter and two tablespoons oil. When butter has melted, return the shrimp to pan along withparsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Fluffy Meringue Icing

Recipe courtesy Wes Martin foodnetwork.com:

Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons red gel paste food coloring (see Cook's note)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Red, pink and white miniature nonpareils, for sprinkling

Meringue Icing:

5 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar

Pinch fine salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 to 3 drops pure almond extract

Equipment: Standard 12 (1/2 cup) muffin tin

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with pink or white cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. In the bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low, add eggs one at a time. Add the food coloring and vanilla and mix well. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in three additions. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and soda, and once fizzing has stopped, add to the batter and mix well.

Divide batter evenly in tin, filling each liner about 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For meringue icing: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold a standing mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt together in the bowl until combined. Set bowl over the simmering water and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth and hot, two to three minutes. Transfer to the standing mixer and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, four to five minutes. With the speed on low, add vanilla and almond extracts; increase speed to medium and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and holds a stiff peak, one to two minutes more. To decorate, use spoon or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup meringue and sprinkle with nonpareils.