Steven Devereaux Greene has been named executive chef of An restaurant in Cary.

Greene has spent the last several years working at Herons, the restaurant at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary. An and the Cary hotel are owned by Jim and Ann Goodnight. Jim Goodnight is co-founder and CEO of SAS, a nearby business analytics and software company..

Greene had previously worked as chef de cuisine at The Dining Room at The Woodlands Inn & Resort in Summerville, S.C., under renowned chef Ken Vedrinski, who had spent a number of years at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Greene incorporated the Asian fusion lessons he learned from Vedrinski into the menu at his namesake restaurant, Devereaux's in Greenville, S.C. before he moved to the Triangle to work at Herons. 

Michael Chuong was the original executive chef at An but left last month. (Go HERE to read my earlier blog post about his departure.) No word yet on his next enterprise.

For Valentine's Day, restaurants usually unveil a prix fixe menu or special offerings in addition to their regular menu. If a nice meal out isn't your thing, here's my list of other Valentine's Day activities, including cooking classes and chocolate tastings.

Here are a few dinner options that I spotted in my inbox or online:

• Durham's West 94th Street Pub is offering a four-course meal Friday through Valentine's Day and 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Dinner costs $25 per person or $35 per person with beer or wine.
• There will be a Valentine's Day Food Truck Rodeo and Fundraiser in Carrboro from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday. See my earlier post for details.
• The Point in Raleigh's Five Points neighborhood is offering a three-course menu for $40 a person. Go HERE to see the menu. (Scroll down a bit to see it.) They are offering that menu on Friday, Saturday and Valentine's Day.
• Tribeca Tavern in North Raleigh and Cary is offering a three-course meal for $50 per couple or a la carte off their special menu. Go HERE to see it.
• Twisted Fork, also in North Raleigh, also is offering a special Valentine's menu.
• Cary's Coffee and Crepes is offering a Valentine's special: a strawberry and nutella crepe. As the owner Terri Pastrana says, "Pair it with a hot mocha latte and you have a smiling date that won't break the bank."
• Raleigh's 42nd Street Oyster Bar is offering a three-course menu for 2 for $65. Go HERE to see the menu.
• bu.ku in Raleigh is offering a special three-course menu that is $75 per couple. The special starts Friday and runs through Valentine's Day. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Jibarra in Raleigh is offering a three-course meal and a margarita for $49. Plus, they will be offering some other specialty cocktails for the occasion. Go HERE to see a menu.
• The Angus Barn in Raleigh is offering a four-course meal on Saturday for $95 with live music and dancing in the pavilion after dinner. Go HERE for details.
• Daniel's in Apex is offering an Almost Valentine's wine dinner on Thursday offering five courses for $75. Go HERE and click on Wine Dinner for details. Daniel's is also offering a special Valentine's Day menu, including lobster bolognese for $22.
• The Matthews House in Cary is offering dinner and dancing from 6:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday. It costs $50 per person. Plus, one lucky couple will win a night in the honeymoon suite. Call 467-1944 for more details and reservations.
• Herons at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary is offering a five-course tasting menu for $85. You can get wine pairings for an additional $35. You can take your date for this special meal on Friday, Sunday, Monday, Feb. 13 and then Feb. 15-Feb. 18. Call 447-4000 for a reservation.
• La Residence in Chapel Hill is offering a three-course meal for $49 or a four-course meal for $65 on Valentine's Day. Call 967-2506 for a reservation.
• Taste Carolina is offering walking tours in Durham and Raleigh on Valentine's Day. Tickets cost $62.50.
• Dos Perros in Durham has posted its Valentine's Day menu, which it will be offering in addition to its regular menu. I'm most intrigued by this drink, which could stand in for dessert: Mexican Affogato, a Mezcal-spiked coffee poured over mole ice cream with house-candied orange peel. 
• Its sister restaurant in Chapel Hill, Jujube also has posted its Valentine's Day menu.
• The Fairview Dining Room at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham is offering a five-course meal for $65. Go HERE for details.
• The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill has a series of dining and overnight stay packages starting at $129. Go HERE to see their offerings. UPDATE: If you just want to dine at the Carolina Crossroads restaurant, there is a special four-course meal with champagne and a rose for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day for $75 per person. On Feb. 11-13, you can enjoy a four-course meal with champagne for $65 per person. Call 918-2735 for a reservation. 
• Il Palio at The Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill is offering a five-course meal for $95. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Chef Chip Smith, formerly of Bonne Soiree, is now cooking at The Inn at Celebrity Dairy in Siler City. They are offering a Valentine's Day menu on Saturday, Sunday and Valentine's Day. Call 742-5176 for details.
• Watts Grocery in Durham is offering a three-course meal for $50. Go HERE to see the menu.
• Foster's Markets in Durham and Chapel Hill are offering a three-course take out meal for two for $75. You must place your order by Saturday to pick up on Valentine's Day. Go HERE to see the menu.

If you would like your restaurant added to this list, please send an email to aweigl@newsobserver.com and put "Valentine's Menu" in the subject line.

So many dining options, how can you choose?

I had an earlier post about the special menus at Marguax's, Savoy, Piedmont, Jujube and Zely & Ritz. Here are a few more:

• Chapel Hill's Cypress on the Hill  is offering a five-course meal for $65 with wine pairings for an additional $20. To see the menu, go HERE. Call 537-8817 for a reservation. Earlier time slots are filling up but if you want a later reservation, this may be a good option for your party.
• Chapel Hill's Lantern is serving a three-course menu for $75. To see the menu, go HERE. Call 969-8846 for a reservation.
• Raleigh's Solas is offering two seatings. One from 5-7 p.m. and another from 7-9 p.m. Click HERE for details. (I can't tell if it costs $40, $60 or $55. The facebook page isn't clear to me.) If you don't want to do dinner, it looks like you can pay a $20 cover for access to the bars, deejays and more. Call 755-0755 for a reservation.
• Cary's The Umstead Hotel is hosting a New Year's Eve gala for $125. It  includes beverages, hors d'oeuvres and live music. Call 447-4000 for tickets.
• ADDED: Blu Seafood and Bar in Durham is offering four courses for $60. Go HERE to see the menu.
   

Just a reminder that Herons in Cary is celebrating its reopening with a guest chef five-course dinner at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27.

The guest chefs include Curtis Duffy, chef de cuisine of Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago and Claudio Aprile of Colborne Lane in Toronto.

It costs $145 per person. Call 447-4050 to make a reservation.

REMINDER: Enjoy a nice meal and help out the Western Wake Farmers' Market by going to a fundraiser event on May 21 at The Umstead Hotel & Spa. 

Herons executive chef Scott Crawford will be serving up food for the fundraiser. (Crawford just earned Herons a five-star review from N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox.) The event includes drinks, appetizers, a carving station, specialty cheeses and breads, seafood and an assortment of desserts and seasonal fruit. 

There also will be live music and a silent auction. The event is 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 21. 

Tickets cost $60 a person. To purchase a ticket, go HERE.

Chef Scott Crawford has unveiled a new bar menu at Herons, the restaurant inside The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary.

The menu includes a version of the pork belly sandwich that I loved when I ate there a couple months ago: pork belly sandwich, smoked cheddar and sweet potato fries for $11. 

Other items that caught my eye: a Maine lobster pizza, pancetta, Manchego cheese, leeks and tarragon and a truffled crab salad on a toasted croissant and vegetable chips, both for $16.

This is a lower-cost option if you want to check out Herons but don't want to splurge for dinner in the formal dining room.

The Umstead Hotel & Spa is hosting an intersting cooking clinic on Nov. 13: "The Lost Art of Lost Cuts." 

Chefs Scott Crawford of the Umstead's restaurant, Herons, and Bret Jennings of Elaine's on Franklin will be teaching consumers how to use underutilized cuts of several rare breed rabbits and Hog Island sheep.

The event is sponsored by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. 

The 9 a.m. clinic is followed by a three-course lunch at Herons. The cost is $125 per person. To register, call 542-5704.

The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary is hosting Tea with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, as well as entertainment by the Raleigh Boys Choir.

The events are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Dec. 5, 12 and 19.

Each child takes home a gift. 

The cost is $18 per child and $36 per adult. Call 447-4373 for reservations.