Valentine’s Day is Sunday, and a number of local restaurants are offering dinner specials.

A.J. McMurphy’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, 1914 Turnbury Drive, will offer a Valentine’s Day dinner on Saturday and Sunday featuring prime rib for two with salad, baked potato and dessert for $29.99. Reservations are encouraged; call 355-7956.

Brook Valley Country Club, 311 Oxford Road, will feature a special valentine’s dinner with live musical accompaniment from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. The four-course dinner features a choice of filet mignon, baby rack of lamb, Chilean sea bass or Chicken Morel. Cost per couple is $90. Call the Lakeview Room at 756-2076 for reservations.

Chico’s Mexican Restaurant, 4054 S. Memorial Drive in Winterville, will offer Fiesta Fajitas for two for $24.22 on Sunday. The special features shrimp, chicken and beef cooked with onions and bell peppers on a hot skillet, served with warm tortillas, homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, beans and a homemade fried ice cream to share. Lime margaritas also will be offered at a special price. Call 439-0003.

China 10, 2516 E. 10th St., will celebrate Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year with a special East-meets-West buffet from 5-8 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $14.95 per person. Dinner specials also will be offered, including Dragon and Phoenix Soup, Asparagus Delight, Sweetheart Shrimp, Lover’s Basket, Chinatown Duck and Sizzling Firecracker Beef. A Chinese wine called Wan-Fu, which means “A Million Happiness,” will be offered for $4 a glass or $15 per bottle. Call 830-2238.

The Daily Grind, 1909 E. Fire Tower Road, will offer a special Valentine’s Day dinner menu Friday-Sunday nights. The special appetizer is warm cranberry brie ($8). House salads are $3.50. Special entrees are filet mignon ($20) and cashew-encrusted salmon ($16). For dessert, the restaurant is offering strawberry shortcake with heart-shaped sponge cake covered in Grand Marnier-marinated strawberries and fresh whipped cream for $5. Call 830-2233 for reservations.

Hilton Greenville, 207 S.W. Greenville Blvd., will feature a “Romantic Valentine’s Day” special including a night’s stay; dinner for two from Christinne’s Seafood Grilled & Chophouse (either in the restaurant or room service) from 5-10 p.m.; an in-room bottle of champagne and strawberries; a rose; a box of chocolates; and a buffet breakfast before checkout. Cost is $239, including taxes and service charges. The valentine special will be available Friday-Sunday. Call 355-5000 or visit www.greenvillenchilton.com.

O’Charley’s, 610 S.E. Greenville Blvd., is offering a Sweetheart Valentine’s Dinner Friday-Sunday, with three courses for two (two entrees with an appetizer and a dessert to share) for $29.99. The restaurant also will hold a special Valentine’s Day brunch until 3 p.m. Sunday, featuring build-your-own waffles and prime rib. Call 756-8570.

Outback Steakhouse, 606 S.W. Greenville Blvd., is offering a special Sweetheart Meal dinner for two Friday-Sunday: a Bloomin’ Onion to share, two 9-ounce Outback Special sirloins, a choice of side dish and signature salad per person, and a slice of classic cheesecake to share. Cost is $34.95, plus tax and gratuity. The Sweetheart Meal with two 7-ounce filets is $45.95. Outback will open at noon Saturday and Sunday. Call 321-8444.

Rucker John’s Winterville location, 4001 S. Memorial Drive, will feature several special Valentine’s Day dinners, available Friday-Sunday. The specials include: Surf and Turf (6-ounce filet and grilled bacon-wrapped scallops with a choice of two side items) for $23.99; Southwest Mahi Mahi (grilled Mahi Mahi with southwest seasoning topped with parmesan butter and served with a choice of two side items) for $18.99; Italian Chicken (chicken breast topped with melted mozzarella cheese and marinara, sauteed mushrooms, pepperoni and parmesan cheese, served with a choice of two side items) for $14.99; Santa Fe Pork Chops (two pork chops with sauteed mushrooms, red onions and roasted red peppers served with mashed potatoes and homemade stuffing with a side of gravy) for $14.99; RJ’s Almost Famous Pasta (a marinated chicken breast on linguini topped with beurre blanc sauce with artichokes, mushrooms and red onions, served with a choice of one side item) for $14.99. Call 215-0011.

Winslow’s Tavern and Deli, 120 W. Fifth St., will feature a special dinner Sunday that will help show love for earthquake victims in Haiti. The dinner special features two dinner entrees, two desserts and a bottle of Chocolate Box Shiraz wine for $44.50.

For each Valentine’s special purchased, Winslow’s will donate $2 for Haitian relief. Call 364-8921.

Village Point Market

Village Point Market, 620 Red Banks Road, is offering a three special take-home Valentine’s dinners for two, each named for a romantic couple from history.

“Cleo and Caesar” includes bacon-wrapped sea scallops, VPM Caesar salad, fresh salmon with dill butter, wild and white rice pilaf and fresh green beans with roasted red pepper hearts and crispy leeks.

“Romeo and Juliet” features shrimp cocktail; mixed greens salad with raspberries, sliced apples and gorgonzola topped with honey-dijon dressing; brie-stuffed chicken breasts; baby carrots and roasted new red potatoes.

“Lady and the Tramp” includes artichoke hearts stuffed with crab and topped with remoulade; baby spinach salad with sugared cranberries, apple, gorgonzola, toasted pecans with champagne vinaigrette; wild mushroom ravioli in pink vodka sauce; and fresh asparagus with lemon-dill butter.

Dinners range in price from $24-$32 per person and include a choice of such desserts as chocolate ganache cake and angle food cake with raspberry coulis.

Orders must be placed no later than noon Thursday by calling 943-7013. Orders will be available for pick up at 2 p.m. Saturday. Visit the Web site at www.villagepointmarket.com.

CPW’s

On Tuesday, CPW’s, 2422 Stantonsburg Road, will celebrate Fat Tuesday with Steve Creech and the Dixieland All-Stars and comedian-magician-juggler Just Paul.

The special Mardi Gras menu — being served now — includes such traditional New Orleans fare as gumbo, Emeril’s oyster stew, crab and crawfish cakes, French Market muffaletta sandwich, Bourbon Street red beans and rice with grilled andouille sausage and Cajun-style shrimp and grits. Call 757-7756.

Boss Hog’s

Boss Hog’s Backyard BBQ’s Greenville location, 1534 E. 14th St., has closed.

A sign on the window signed by The Baker Family who operated the restaurant, states that they decided to close the location “in efforts to consolidate and make Boss Hog’s a stronger, more viable restaurant as a whole.”

The sign further states that the Boss Hog’s location on 15th Street in Washington, N.C., remains open. “Very soon, we will be moving to our new location in Washington beside Kentucky Fried Chicken, featuring a drive-through window for your convenience,” the sign notes.

Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery, 518 S.E. Greenville Blvd. in La Promenade shopping center, now offers ice cream cookies in four combinations:

Greenville store owner Loy Ehlers said the new products, which feature premium ice cream sandwiched between two soft chocolate chip cookies and topped with an additional topping, are made fresh in the store daily.

Varieties of ice cream cookies include: Kiss N’ Tell Chocolate (chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies and rolled in chocolate chips); Cookie Crumb Yum (Sweet Cream ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies and rolled in chocolate cookie crumbles); Cake Batter Sprinkle (Cake Batter ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies and rolled in rainbow sprinkles); and Perfect Duet (Sweet Cream ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies and rolled in crushed milk and white chocolate). Patrons may also create their own combinations.

Until March 31, a four-pack of ice cream cookies is $8.99. Call 439-2653 or visit www.coldstonecreamery.com.

Wine tastings

Dolce Vita, 3110 Evans St., will hold a tasting of hand-crafted wines and artisanal chocolates at 6 p.m. today. Cost is $25 person. Space is limited; call 329-8500 for reservations. At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, a representative from Ocean South Imports will conduct the regular weekly wine tasting.

Village Point Market, 620 Red Banks Road, will feature a special wine tasting prior to the Thursday performance of the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra performance at East Carolina University. Four wines will be paired with hors d’oeuvres from the market beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. A shuttle service at 7 p.m. will take patrons from the market to Wright Auditorium for the performance, part of ECU’s S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series. Cost is $20 per person. Ask for the special Village Point Market concert package, available at the market, 321-3663, or ECU’s Central Ticket Office at 328-4788 between 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Nibbles

The Olympian Restaurant, specializing in Greek fare and pizzas, has opened at 560 Evans St. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Call 695-9017. “Hot Dish” will have more details in next Wednesday’s column.

REAL Crisis Intervention will host a Sweetheart Breakfast fundraiser from 7-9:30 a.m. Saturday at O’Charley’s, 610 S.E. Greenville Blvd. Breakfast will include pancakes, bacon, eggs and a beverage. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the door. All proceeds go to REAL Crisis Intervention, Inc. Call 758-HELP (4357).

Wasabi 88 is offering a Thursday-night special featuring two sushi rolls and two martinis for $20.

Bear Rock Cafe, 2205 W. Arlington Blvd., has closed, according to the sign on the door.

Hot Dish is a weekly column of restaurant and food news. To submit items for consideration, call Jane Hudson at (252) 329-9577, fax (252) 754-8140 or e-mail jhudson@reflector.com.