The First Date

I tread cautiously, writing this post. I know many a man who has a very carefully planned dating ritual and I hate to impede upon years of practice and habit. But, if you are still single and all of your planning has left you at a dead end-- fear not. I have answers.

Let us reminisce on the last date you took a woman on. Where did you go? What did you do? Was there a second date? I fear that far too many men don't know what it is that women are looking for on a first date, and so their answers to those questions probably went as follows:

"To a Golden Corral."
"Ate at Golden Corral, and then rocked out to radio-hits."
"No, there was not a second date."
--Of course there wasn't!

There is no woman on earth who is going to be impressed by your lack of taste in restaurants and your prepubescent sounding baritone. The only woman who might love you after a night like that would be your  mother, and even that would be by force of habit.

So what to do? Are all of your options exhausted? Here's where we start: restaurant hunting. Go out and try a couple 3-4 star restaurants in your area. Feel comfortable asking the waiter what is good and what isn't. Use online review sites like Yelp or Zagat to aid you along the way and talk to people you know and trust and ask them their opinions on the places you have selected. The goal intended is to have you prepared; a woman loves a man who knows what he's doing.

Choose a restaurant that you like-- the food, the atmosphere-- just keep in mind that this restaurant represents you on your future date. The service, the dining experience, even the waiter will have an effect on the woman's opinion of you at the end of the night, so be choosy. Make a reservation beforehand, even if you know the restaurant will have openings the night of your date. As I have stressed this entire post, our goal is for you to always be prepared. We don't you floundering about like an ignoramus while still trying to make a good first impression.

Once you arrive at the restaurant, open the door for her on the way in. Pull out her chair and ensure that she is allowed to order first and ask the waiter questions she may have concerning the menu. Be confident in your decision to eat where you chose. If she has questions for you, answer them to the best of your ability. Have your meal chosen before hand and share with her your experience with the restaurant and why it was that you chose it.

Again, a restaurant does not have to be 'fine dining' to be considered acceptable. Just make sure its somewhere you are comfortable; somewhere with personality where you can be confident about the food, service, and atmosphere. The benefit of doing so is obvious: even if the date goes poorly, at least you got to eat at one of your [new] favorite restaurants. Consider it your reward for branching out.

So, in review:

No buffets.
No singing.
Choose your restaurant with confidence.

Its easy, gentlemen. Enjoy.

Cheers.

--Dapper Chris