With Valentine's Day falling midweek, the question has to be asked. Should you go all out on a Thursday night and have to head to work the next day, or do you wait until the weekend?

While I understand why people do the often pricey prix fixe menus on Valentine's Day, it's not really my deal. Some restaurants know this is a day that you're going to go out and you end up spending much more than if you went tonight or on Friday. Here are some deals that I found that I think are affordable while being delicious.

Pork Belly Grub Shack: $25 per couple, featuring a four course meal and two soft drinks. (More info.)

Cafe Bernardo: $25 per couple, including an entree, side salad and a carafe of wine. (More info.)

Broderick: $50 per couple, including a Surf & Turf, dessert and champagne. (More info.)

More News:

Sacramento area restaurants go all-out for Valentine's Day - Many of the guests that night are not regular diners. The demographic skews young. Love is in the air. There's excitement and anticipation. But there's also occasional over-exuberance . Someone will ask the restaurant to hide an engagement ring in a glass of champagne (they won't) or inside a piece of cake (they can't) or under some rose petals (they will, and gladly). The best restaurants have a strategy to cater to all of the needs on this night. But they also see an opportunity to win over this largely young clientele and develop a lasting relationship. Featuring the Valentine's Day offerings of Biba Restaurant, Hawks Restaurant, Enotria, Firehouse Restaurant and Bistro La Petite France. Blair Anthony Robertson in the Sac Bee.

Just say "no" to red wine with chocolate this Valentine's Day - Here's a public service announcement just in time for Valentine's Day: Red wine with chocolate - don't do it! Sure, you'll find lots of chocolate and wine festivals this time of year, and the image of a fancy box of chocolates next to a bottle of red wine remains an enduring romantic theme, but don't believe the hype. Pairing a dry red wine with chocolate is a rookie move with food and wine pairings, mainly because the sweetness in chocolate clashes significantly with the dryness of wine. But hey, if you like your palate turning bitter and sour from chocolate with red wine, go ahead playboys and playgirls. Sparkling wines paired with chocolate are also considered a culinary no-no. Don't believe me? Here's what the venerable Mike Dunne, the Bee's former food and wine editor, had to say about this issue in 2005. Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.