Dining & Nightlife | Singles

Good Taste?

An online dating match asked me to a restaurant I didn’t care for. I changed the venue and when the check came, he pronounced his shock at the prices. Should I have paid since it was my suggestion?

Dear Good Taste,
You should not have paid, not even the tip. He agreed to your choice and saw the prices when he was ordering. Tacky that he expressed his surprise when the check came. So, you, modern woman, offered to pay? I wouldn’t have paid, nor would I have offered. This guy wouldn’t get a second date from me (and I hope not from you either). His taste in restaurants and yours didn’t jive from the get go. If used to its fullest, an online dating service is a great way to meet people. Take the time to talk, ask questions—what restaurants do they frequent? If in conversation you don’t like where he goes, that’s a red flag. You are dating to find a match, ask the questions that will ultimately lead to that. I don’t agree with a woman paying for a meal. There is a difference between dating and a relationship. (Yikes, I can hear the comments on this one already.) I know there are a lot of women out there who feel women should never pay. I have also heard men say very negative things about women who never offer to pay for a meal. Are the rules shifting a bit? I still say, only in a committed relationship when both are working—it is ok and probably a bit “sexy” for a woman to pay for a meal or a few drinks once in a while.

Jeanie­— Smile, it is contagious

Verbal communication, not texting, is a serious key to any successful date. How about reading the menu or did your date just guess at what he ordered? If he agreed to the place, no matter what, he should have enough manners to deal with the bill like a gentleman without crying! Economics and first date etiquette have changed but communication is never outdated. It was nice of you to leave a tip but you won’t see him again. Let’s back up a little. A restaurant and a sit down date for a first meeting is a little risky anyway you look at it. You just set eyes on each other, you smiled, you shook hands, you don’t even know the person and you are going to sit down and have a full meal? How does that lettuce in her teeth look? That’s not good. First rule of attraction: Chemistry. You feel it when you meet or you don’t. Here’s the set: A first meet should be at a classy restaurant lounge on an off night at an early time. There are plenty of seats, no crowd, decent lighting but romantic enough to set the mood. Have a drink together, maybe two and see where it goes. Easy and in control for both! Oh yeah, guys, pay the bill no matter what. Chivalry is sexy.

Garrett­— A kiss makes the heart young again

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