|
|
|
"Dining out to Impress? - How to pick a good restaurant for a date"(1913 total words in this text) (531 Reads) 
"Dining out to Impress? - How to pick a good restaurant for a date"
- written by Mon Sun Chan "Party Diva" of SMiLES+FLiRTS Singles Entertainment Co.
You’ve got yourself a date with this amazing person and want to make a good impression. You want to take your Date to an awesome restaurant with no detail missed. But...with so many choices to choose from, how does one choose the right one for the moment?
Here are some general tips to help you choose that amazing place that will fit your Date’s “Restaurant Style”:
What is your Date into?
One of the most important things to consider before selecting a restaurant is finding out what your Date's “Restaurant Style” or preference is. When it comes to food, people can be either really flexible, adventurous or really picky. You may have picked an upscale restaurant with all the bells and whistles or meet up at your favorite fast food burger joint but if it doesn’t work out, then you can kiss your amazing Date goodbye.
Spicy or mild? Vegetarian or Carnivore? Upscale or very casual? You will become confident and in control now you have the knowledge from your Date and the power to create something special.
Spice up your life!
We are fortunate to be able to experience many cuisines filled with various flavors and spices from different cultures locally in your own city/town. Check to see if your sweetie would be interested in trying something new or a particular favorite cuisine in a restaurant she/he hasn’t been to.
Image what you two can experience: Afghan, African, Chinese/Asian, Belgian, Brazilian, Cajun, Cambodian, Caribbean, Cuban, Dutch, Ethiopian, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Indonesian, Irish, Israeli, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Mongolian, Moroccan, New Zealand, Persian, Portuguese, Persian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Southern Spanish, Swiss, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Vietnamese, West Coast, fusion and many more to explore. With this many choices, you and your Date can try a different cuisine for each date meet up.
To find listings of these kinds of restaurants, be sure to check online or even in your local newspapers and magazines. Read reviews and hear what new and existing restaurants are like and what they offer. This site offers a few SMiLES+FLiRTS restaurant reviews here
. For other listings in Vancouver, British Columbia where people put in their feedback, check out a couple of popular listings DineHere.ca, VancouverDining.com, FoodVancouver.com, VancouverMagazine.com, Vaneats.com and even TourismVancouver.org. Otherwise another reliable source are your friends and contacts. They can share first hand their experiences where you can decide on the next move.
Food allergies / food preferences
Be aware of any dietary/allergies or preferences that may hinder the experience. Not fun sitting watching the other person eat. Or, enjoying the food to only to look green after a few moments and then running off to the bathroom. You can call the restaurants ahead of time to inquire what they put into their dishes. Or even search online. Most restaurants nowadays will advertise what they use and don’t put in. Another valuable resource you can take advantage of is checking online for restaurant listings in your local area catering to specific dietary needs/preferences. You will find some will cater to special diets (not to lose your business) and the chefs will prepare the dishes with advance notice to fit the needs for that special and important dining experience.
Casual or Fine Dining?
Pick a restaurant's environment and ambience that will fit your Date’s Restaurant Style. Most cuisines are served from casual to fine dining atmosphere. If you want to make a good impression, generally you want to choose an upscale casual to fine dining environment. You want a nice comfortable restaurant that is little more upscale from casual with an air of elegance, creativity and/or style that suits the mood. Unless your Date’s “Restaurant Style” is very casual which can be the case in some situations then choose accordingly.
Consider the decor like white table cloths, pillows, mirrors, fabrics, comfortable, relaxed and inviting. Easy. Be mindful of the volume/loudness of the music as it is a challenge to have any good conversations if you can't hear. You can use the decor and ambiance as conversation starters if you have nothing to talk about (as it may remind about trips in the past, trips wanting to take, experiences, feelings, artistic point of view etc...).
Location, Location, Location
Dining at a restaurant that has a great view like the city landscape, mountains, lake, and/or ocean helps add to the romantic ambience. Or dining in an upscale or funky neighbourhood sets the mood for the evening as this will attract a different crowd and energy. If you are meeting your Date there, pick a restaurant that is accessible to the both of you. Or perhaps carpool together that way both of you arrive at the same time rather than one waiting for the other. If parking or heavy traffic is a challenge, ensure that you leave plenty of time to meet up or consider valet parking if that is available at the restaurant.
Make it a full evening experience
Adding entertainment with dinner add another dimension to the evening. Most restaurants offer live entertainment such as dancing, singing, live performance, play or even stand up comedy. Check to see if the restaurant offers dinner packages encompassing a full evening making it a better and even affordable deal without breaking the bank. You will find this setup is convenient rather than driving between locations and searching for parking.
How big is your wallet?
For some singles, money is not an issue that you can spoil and impress your Date with alot of “bling bling”. Yet some wish to have the luxury to do that. Well if you are in the latter, don’t despair. Nowadays most restaurants provide set menu/dinner packages and coupons (found in local newspapers, online, magazines, coupon booklets such as Entertainment Coupon or in their online newsletter subscriptions for subscribers). In some cities, there are restaurants that get together to promote special dining packages at certain times of the year. Like Dine Out Vancouver presented by Visa where in a certain time period, you can dine anywhere in the Lower Mainland from casual to fine dining. You two or even with a group of friends can enjoy the selection of three or four courses offerings and an opportunity to try different restaurants without breaking the bank. This happens to be a good time to go check out different cuisines in upscale settings to impress your Date. Maybe enjoy a full bottle of nice wine instead of a glass with your meal.
How may I help you?
When we go out for a fun and relaxing evening, we all want to be treated well especially when we are paying for the experience. Unfortunately not all services are created equal. You can get a mixed bag of servers who are either chatty, quiet, rude, impolite, clumsy, impatient etc... If the quality of service is a concern, be sure to dine at a reputable and upscale restaurant that has shown consistent service. This can be a challenge especially if you don't know. Check out online for reviews of other visitors and even ask friends. Or pass by the restaurant close to the weekend and see how busy it is. If you know ahead of time that the service happens to be on the slow side, ask for the bill when you place your order or another alternative, relax and enjoy a dessert or another glass of wine.
Running late?
Be sure to call! Life happens and it is understandable. So if you do find yourself running late or something has come up be sure you let your date know what is going on. Communication is the key in connecting and this is one of the first steps to having a good relationship even if it is just your friend. Have the number(s) (home and cell, if available) of the person you are meeting and the restaurant so the host can pass the message to your Date/friend. Be considerate and respectful of the other person’s time like you would like them to do for you.
Tip or not to tip? That is the question
This can be one of the most confusing topic. How much do you leave? Do you leave any if the service was great or really bad? Do you have to leave a tip? Or do you feel bad not leaving one cause the server is living off the tips to cover their minimum wage?
According to a dictionary, a tip is optional. It is entirely up to you. Of course if you do want to leave one, the general rule is that if the server has provided an excellent service where you have been taken care of (checked on your experience, treated you very well, promptly catered to your needs etc...) you normally leave anywhere between 15% - 20% or more of the pre-taxed amount. In some instances, depending on where you live, doubling the taxes is usually a good rule of thumb to remember as an equation. A couple I know will have a determined tip amount once they decide on the cost of the meal. Then subtract accordingly if the service provided is not up to par. So at the end of the evening, the couple will have an amount they will leave for the server. This is just another way of doing.
It is a good idea to leave a decent tip as the chances are, your Date will see how generous or cheap you are. Unfortunately people use this as a measurement of character that we tend to use to decide if one wants to continue onto the next date. Unless the service was really bad and the both of you were treated unfairly then I am sure that both of you can agree on leaving as little as 10%. In the end the amount is entirely up to you.
Finding a restaurant is a fun and easy task. Impress your date by going somewhere special for a wonderful dining experience! Savor every moment and get ready to dine!
If you have any comments or feedback on this article, we love to hear from you. Just send us an Email!
Who is “Party Diva" of SMiLES+FLiRTS?
Mon Sun Chan, is the “Party Diva” behind the scenes of SMiLES+FLiRTS Singles Entertainment
, a community of 30-55 years old established, intellectual singles. Experience a series of events planned with your best interest in mind. Meet singles like YOU for friendships and possibly more in a fun and casual atmosphere. Visit http://www.SmilesAndFlirts.com
or send us an Email!
Copyright 2008 - SMiLES+FLiRTS Singles Entertainment
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way with author credit information.
TO REPRINT:
Free permission to reprint this article as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “who is” info – name, website and resource box with live hyperlinks at the end). Email a copy of your reprint to us.
|
|
