How to Plan a Date Night In
Sometimes it can be difficult to make a date night feel special when you’re at home eating dinner together every night. You might be getting extra quality time, but it’s fun to elevate your nights together to give them a more date-night-feel, all while incorporating local businesses.
Keep reading for a few ideas for your next date night at home!
Create your own tasting
If you’re a beverage lover, you might be anxious to start touring our local breweries, wineries, cideries or distilleries. Don’t worry, you can create your own tasting from the comfort of your home!
Many local companies are offering variety packs, or allow you to pick an assortment of your choosing. When you have your desired beverage, you can assemble your own tasting, make score cards and compare favourites. This not only makes for a fun date, but it also allows you to try out something new while supporting local businesses.
Need a few suggestions?
Tidal Bay tasting
The 2019 vintage of Nova Scotia’s signature white wine was released last month! Consider purchasing a few different Tidal Bays and trying your skill at tasting the different notes in each wine.
Alternatively, for a limited time Bishop’s Cellar will be offering a case of Nova Scotia’s 2019 Tidal Bay selection. This case is $250 and includes 11 different Tidal Bay wines plus a bonus bottle from one of Nova Scotia’s wineries allowing you to revisit a favorite bottle or share with a friend!
Beer Tasting
For beer lovers, create your own variety pack from your favourite brewery or somewhere new. Alternatively, try each, picking out two or three drinks from different breweries and surprise each other with your end result. The options are endless with this one!
Cider & Spirits
Nova Scotia is also known for its world renowned apples and award winning spirits. Don’t forget to include options for Nova Scotia cider and spirits in your tasting night! Visit our Get Your Hands on Local page for inspiration on cideries and distilleries in the province.
Meal kits
For a romantic experience for two, Obladee, A Wine Bar is continuing to offer care packages for delivery and pickup! This includes a Sommelier-selected bottle of wine (your choice of Red, White, Rosé or Sparkling) paired with three cheeses, 3 charcuterie or a mix of both. It also comes with olives, a baguette and handmade chocolate, plus background notes for each product! You can pair this meal with a view of the ocean, a picnic in your favourite park, a hike or even while relaxing in your own backyard or patio. Visit their website for ordering.
Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyard meals kits make another great date night option! This is the perfect way to still cook a meal but not have to do the prep work! Pickup takes place Saturdays at the winery, which gives you an excuse to take a relaxing picturesque drive to the Valley. You can currently choose from a Pizza Kit or Molasses Sausage Dinner Kit, each with the choice of a delicious wine pairing.
Takeout
While restaurants across the province are beginning to open for dine in service, many are still offering delicious takeout options with rotating menus and creative local offerings. Visit our Get Your Hands on Local page for information on local restaurants offering takeout in your neighbourhood.
Try a new recipe
Nothing brings people together more than cooking. Find a playlist with your favorite music and get in the kitchen! This is a fun activity to do together with a great reward: food! Want a full menu? We’ve got you covered! Start off with Nova Scotia Oysters Rockefeller, then follow up with Lobster Diavolo Pappardelle Pasta. and Cider-Poached Rhubarb Pavlova for dessert.
You can’t go wrong with pairing your seafood dishes with a Tidal Bay or a light, crisp beer, but if you’re wanting to try out a new cocktail take a look at Love You to the Moon Cocktail or the Rhubarb Moscow Mule.
Plan your summer staycation
There’s nothing more exciting than planning for a vacation! Now that summer is around the corner, it’s time to plan your relaxing Nova Scotia staycation or weekend getaway.
Here are some options from one end of the province to the other:
Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre
Only 45 minutes from Halifax on the South Shore, Oak Island Resort & Conference Centre is complete with stunning views of Mahone Bay and a delicious seasonally inspired menu with fresh, local seafood. Take in the fresh air and sea breezes from their large oceanfront patio and watch a beautiful sunset. They’re opening June 19, you won’t want to miss out on this nautical adventure!
Liscombe Lodge Resort and Conference Centre
Located on the serene Eastern Shore, Liscombe Lodge Resort is a nature lover’s dream destination. Experience natural beauty and delicious meals at this peaceful getaway. Liscombe Lodge opens for the season on June 19.
Pictou Lodge Beach Resort
Dine and stay oceanside in a historic setting at Pictou Lodge Beach Resort. Perfect for an intimate getaway, the beautiful chalets and rooms with ocean views will have you feeling relaxed in no time. Pictou Lodge Beach Resort opens June 19.
Argyler Lodge and Restaurant
Famous for stunning sunsets overlooking Lobster Bay, the Argyler specializes in chef-created, seasonal, and locally inspired dishes that change regularly depending on what is fresh from their garden, local farms and sea. If a seaside lobster boil sounds like your ideal evening, make sure to mark the Argyler for your next staycation destination.
Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa
If a golf getaway is on your summer bucket list, make sure to look up Digby Pines for your next Nova Scotia staycation. Complete with a golf course and spa, and situated overlooking the Bay of Fundy, Digby Pines is a quiet retreat for a secluded getaway. Churchill’s Restaurant and Lounge offers a creative and eclectic menu, driven by a passion for locally-sourced, uniquely Nova Scotian ingredients, delivered right to the back door. Digby Pines opens for the season on June 19.
Chanterelle Country Inn & Cottages
Chanterelle Inn & Cottages and Restaurant 100 KM is a fantastic location to take in the beauty and bounty of Cape Breton. The 100-acre estate sits high on a brae overlooking the estuary of the North River as it flows into St. Ann’s Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. The restaurant serves cuisine created from locally sourced ingredients sourced within 100 kms.
The options for a Nova Scotia staycation don’t end with the above destinations. When researching your summer staycation we suggest making sure to also check out Restaurant Avalon at Castle Rock Country Inn, Lane’s Privateer Inn, Fox Harb’r Resort, Quarterdeck Beachside Villas & Grill, White Point Beach Resort, Blomidon Inn, and Amherst Shore Country Inn.
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