Well, well, well. I'm back.

Gentlemen--

This has most certainly been a long time coming but I have made my return to the blogosphere with one thing in mind:

(No, today I am not talking about the deprevations of the single life)

Today, I am talking about the fact that it is OK to be single.

First, the obvious benefits:

When you're single you can do this:

Wear this:

And no one ever holds it against you if you are caught doing this:

But lets be honest: is that what you want to be doing anyways...?

Obviously, yes.

But should you...?

Probably not.

Have some self-worth! Have some integrity! There is honor in being single!

You can do this:

Visit these:

Eat this:

And live here:

Enjoy the time you have left to yourself and learn some things in the mean time. It's learning, discovery, fine dining, and good living that make a gentleman. It may be a trial by fire, but the end result is worth it.


So have some pride in being single, my friends. Have some pride in being a man and have some pride in being a gentleman.


Cheers.

--Dapper Chris

The Third Date

Last but not least, we have the big third date. You can taste the tension in the air.

I will be honest with you, gentlemen. For as much hype as is attached to this date, it really is a no-brainer:

Take the woman out to a nice dinner.

Just to aid us in the process, let's make a list of places that are NOT considered to be fine dining:

--Dennys.

--Ihop.

--Village Inn.

--Anywhere that advertises "pie" as a highlight of the menu

--Burger joints in general

--Pizza parlors

--Your parent's house

The list goes on and on.

Now let's talk about the qualifications of a nice restaurant. Keep in mind, this can still be affordable if you do it right, it will just take a little preparedness (can I stress enough how important this is?!)

When looking for a quality restaurant, it is important to know that it does not have to have 5 stars to impress. Many 4 star restaurants provide excellent service and high quality food as well, and do it for a fraction of the price. Things to look for on your restaurant hunt are as follows:

A chef. A good restaurant has a real chef; not just some kid right out of culinary school following a corporate-cookbook.

A wine menu. A quality wine-menu is a good indicator of the quality of a restaurant. Just because it exists, however, does not mean you have to order from it.

A little style, a little class. Find a place that has personality, is in a quality building in a good area, and that has earned a good reputation both online and from people you trust. A little class goes a long way.

Follow those steps, and you will be golden.

And lets just be clear, gentlemen. When you take a woman out to a nice restaurant, you put on a tie. Or a a blazer. At a minimum, a shirt with a collar. Don't kill yourself over it, just look the part.

Treat her like a lady, and I promise you she'll love you for it.

Cheers.

--Dapper Chris

Click here for an excellent example of what to look for when restaurant hunting:

http://johnberryhillrestaurants.com/berryhillandco/