When you’ve been a couple for a long time, date night can become a bit routine or, dare I say it, just a bit stale. I mean dinner and a movie are fun and all, but sometimes you’re looking for something more romantic and meaningful. And to the guys out there, I know we can all agree that planning a romantic date night can be pretty difficult at times. Why can’t date night just be easy and fun? With that in mind, I decided to go on a hunt for the best date night in Calgary. I’m happy to report that I found exactly what I was looking for at Heritage Ranch. They’ve managed to take date night to the next level by not only knocking it out of the park with romance, but by having it all tied up in one neat little package.
In my book there are four major components to a great date night. The first of course is having a great lady to take out on a date. Once that’s settled, you need a great (preferably secluded) location, a unique activity that allows for lots of snuggling, and a delicious meal. Heritage Ranch offers all three of those things as part of their Winter Night Lights package. Lets start out with location. Tucked away in the small town of Red Deer, which is a bit North of Calgary, Heritage Ranch sits on a huge state park. This means that their restaurant sits in a secluded little spot right along a river. Great Location? Check!
Now for the second part, the unique activity that allows for lots of snuggling? How does a romantic 30-minute private horse drawn sleigh ride sound? To Lauren and I it was fantastic! We arrived at Heritage Ranch and once we checked in, we enjoyed a cocktail while our sleigh was prepared. Then we got to enjoy a 30-minute ride under the stars while taking in a lovely display of lights that are set up along the trail. Our sleigh driver was friendly and took us on a gentle gliding ride through the forest. To a couple of Floridian’s like us, it was absolutely magical.
For the third part, that delicious meal, Lauren and I were truly delighted by Heritage Ranch’s onsite restaurant, West Lake Grill. We were taken to our “date night table” which was a little table for two with both seats facing out the picture window so we could gaze out into the woods.
When we arrived at the table my lovely lady was presented with a long stemmed rose and a box of chocolates. Then, all we had to do was pick an included bottle of wine and whatever entree we desired and we were free to enjoy a nice, quiet, and romantic dinner. I must be honest here, most small restaurants don’t fare too well when it comes to a great meal. Heritage Ranch however really stood out. Their chef managed to put together simple, local ingredients to make a great dish. I ordered the steak which was glazed with a combination of a Jack Daniels and Rickard’s Red sauce that was to die for.
Lauren went for the salmon which was coated in a Jameson maple glaze. The real shocker with her dish though, was a creatively executed creamy beet risotto.
To finish it all off was dessert. We enjoyed a shared slice of decadent flourless chocolate cake.
On top of the fantastic meal the staff at Heritage Ranch was outstanding. They were all attentive to our needs, but also knew to give us plenty of time alone to just snuggle and enjoy our meal. At some “romantic” restaurants they seem to rush you through your meal, or try to pack in as many tables as possible into a restaurant which creates a loud and difficult atmosphere. Here at Heritage Ranch though, they really seemed to understand the nuances that make a date night special. It’s as if they all had a passion for making sure that we had the perfect evening. As we were leaving, we noticed a sign on the wall that said it all.
If you are looking for a really unique and enjoyable date night experience while you are visiting Calgary, I truly recommend that you check out Heritage Ranch. Overall they hit the perfect combination of factors to make our evening truly memorable and romantic. For me, one of the best parts was the fact that the meal, sleigh ride, and gifts were all put together in one neat little package. That means all I had to do was make one phone call, and a perfectly planned date night was all set for me. If you happen to be visiting Calgary when it’s not snowing, don’t worry. Heritage Ranch also offers evening carriage rides and horseback riding for those beautiful spring and summer date nights. For more information or to book your own sleigh ride, hop on over to their official website.
