If an all-time classic date movie like Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally were to be filmed right here in Edmonton instead of New York, what could be a better setting than Old Strathcona? With an endless array of sumptuous restaurants and great dessert places like Marble Slab – and all those coffee shops for that ultimate-conversation-you-wish-would-never-end – Old Strathcona has it all.

To prove it, we went out and asked people on Whyte Ave what the perfect Valentine’s Day date in Old Strathcona might look like.

For Joanna and David, it would be something simultaneously simple, elegant, and potentially unforgettable. “Probably just walking up and down Whyte Ave at night,” said David, who lives in Stony Plain. “Especially when it’s all lit up!” said Joanna, who added, “I always wanted to stay at the Metterra Hotel, though. It looks so nice!”

Joanna and David’s other date ideas included hanging out at the Junque Cellar or Chapters – or enjoying a coffee at Second Cup or a frozen yogurt from Tutti Frutti.

Grayson told us he had spent most of his high school dates here in Old Strathcona. What was his idea for the perfect Valentine’s Day date on Whyte Ave? “Dinner and a movie at the Princess Theatre – if there’s a good movie playing there.” Dinner, said Grayson, would likely be at Julio’s Barrio. “It’s always busy, always full of people, and you can just tell there’s a lot of happiness there.”

Karina and Kathy said the perfect place for a Valentine’s dinner would be Von’s Steak House. “They have an oyster bar there,” said Karina. “There are oysters at Dadeo too,” said Kathy. Sharing a smile, they both added that (of course) oysters are supposed to be an aphrodisiac.

Karina and Kathy also offered some suggestions for men who might be wishing to really pamper them for Valentine’s Day. “A couples massage at Perugia Spa and Salon,” said Kathy. “A stay at one of the boutique hotels they have here,” said Karina, “…with some cupcakes from Flirt Cupcakes on the bed!”

• Chapters - 10508 Whyte Ave
• Dadeo - 10548a Whyte Ave
• Flirt Cupcakes - 10158 Whyte Ave
• Julio’s Barrio - 10450 Whyte Ave
• Junque Cellar - 10442 Whyte Ave
• Marble Slab - 10358 Whyte Ave
• Metterra Hotel - 10454 Whyte Ave
• Perugia Spa and Salon - 8211 104 St
• Princess Theatre - 10337 Whyte Ave
• Second Cup - 10402 Whyte Ave & 10608 Whyte Ave
• Tutti Frutti - 10420 Whyte Ave
• Von’s Steak House - 10309 81 Ave