Restaurants observe holidays.

Byline: Appetizers by The Register-Guard

To celebrate National Pancake Day, the International House of Pancakes restaurant chain will offer a free short stack of pancakes to all guests visiting any Oregon location between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Guests will be encouraged to donate a portion of what they would have spent to Albina Head Start, which serves Portland preschoolers. Local IHOP restaurants are at 3427 Gateway St., Springfield, and 355 E. Broadway, Eugene.

Bamboo restaurant, 296 E. Fifth Ave., will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a five-course dinner, offered from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The evening's festivities will include party favors, dragon parades and special music. The price is $28 per person. For a reservation, call 484-1889.

The meal will begin with steamed buns and dumplings, followed by seafood won-ton soup and a shredded winter vegetable salad. The entree is a choice of red cooked duck with dates or steamed chinook salmon with young ginger. Mandarin orange sorbet with almond cookies will be served for dessert.

Continuing a popular and profitable tradition, Abby's Legendary Pizzas will again sell giant, heart-shaped pizzas for $11.99 on Valentine's Day.

Pizzas recently added to the Abby's menu include Greek vegetarian, hot wing, Italian meatball and double-smoked pepperoni. Recently added toppings for "create-your-own" pizzas include chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, spinach, feta cheese and artichokes.

Flinn's Valentine Tea Time for Sweetheart and Friends is taking reservations for its Valentine's Tea. The three-course high tea will have seatings at noon and 2:30 p.m. beginning Sunday and continuing through Valentine's Day.

The tea hostess and host will be costumed from the Victorian era. Flinn's is at 222 First Ave. S.W., Albany. For a reservation, call [phone]. The price is $15.25 per person.

To be listed in Appetizers on Wednesday, notices of food- or wine-related events must reach The Register-Guard by Tuesday of the week preceding publication. Mail it to: Appetizers, The Register-Guard, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440; fax it to 338-2813; or e-mail it to [e-mail].