Thursday, December 29, 2016

"The death of the dinner date"

In recent years, somewhere between endless Tinder swipes and countless OkCupid matches, the dinner date has fallen by the wayside.

As online dating surges in popularity, few millennials have the time, money, or desire to sit with a stranger over a long meal. Only 7 in 10,000 messages in a recent OkCupid IAC survey suggested “grabbing some dinner” and a somewhat less scientific survey this reporter conducted of several dozen actively dating 20-somethings found that dinner has become a highly taboo first date. Last month, Moody’s Investors Service slashed its operating-profit growth forecast for the restaurant sector. (This appears to complement another trend noted by market researcher NPD Group that suggests 57% of meals In the U.S. are eaten alone.)

There’s good reason why people don’t want to sit through a meal with a stranger for an hour or, often times, longer. One singleton this reporter spoke to called it her “worst nightmare” and another said the idea of sitting through an unspecified number of hours of food, drinks or dessert makes her anxious. A recent article in Cosmopolitan detailed, “Why First-Date Dinners Suck,” listing similar reasons: the date category is antiquated, the time frame of the event is too long if there is no chemistry, and eating is too “intimate.”

Dating online can be more miss than hit, even when you see the photo beforehand, so there is a risk that the dinner will feel even longer. “In theory, I like the dinner date, but nearly every time I’ve gone on one as a first date I feel like I’m trapped with somebody who got stale after the first 15 minutes,” said Christine Victoria Waller, a 35-year-old childhood educator who lives outside of New York City. “For beginning dates, I prefer a cocktail someplace nice, with the option of it turning into dinner if we are feeling it.”

Via Drudge: for more click link

17 comments:

edutcher said...

One of the nicest dates I ever had was a dinner date.

Her name was Ingrid.

Trooper York said...

Was there gambling?

The Dude said...

There was, just not the usual kind.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It was just the other day that I was thinking about a bit in one of the early episodes of Mad Men. Betty is all impressed that they're having dinner at some fancy place, Roger's treat, and Don says something along the lines of "[That he's taking us out to ------ tells me he likes me. When he takes us to ---- I'll know he trusts me.]"

Stuff like that is what got me hooked. Life lessons for the naively curious.

I tried looking it up on the internet but that was a fail.

I wish my memory wasn't such a suckfest.

Oh, well.

AllenS said...

When I was a yute, and had access to a car, the best date site was to go to the outdoor drive-in theater. Your own personal space, and she didn't mind eating popcorn.

deborah said...

Yeah, I think it's pretty standard these days to opt for drinks or coffee as a test run.

Chip Ahoy said...

Eric, [restaurants, mad men]

• Restaurant: AJ Maxwell's (aka The Forum of the Twelve Caesars) ...
( fudging here a bit as AJ Maxwell’s wasn’t exactly featured on Mad Men — but its location was. In this will-she-stay-or-will-she-go Peggy Olsen-centric ep, the devoted-to-Don-Draper working girl misses her big birthday dinner at The Forum of the Twelve Caesars, much to the great chagrin of her family and boring beau Mark. Steakhouse AJ Maxwell’s opened in the same space as the opulent The Forum of the Twelve Caesars, which closed in 1975, but some of The Forum’s over-the-top charms remain.)
• Restaurant: Barbetta. ...
• Restaurant: Benihana. ...
(Draper kicks off his short-lived romance with Bethany at Benihana’s flagship Manhattan location in this episode. There to research Japanese culture (Because restaurants have better booze than libraries?), Don’s supper isn’t nearly as memorable as Bethany’s scene-stealing black dress.)
• Restaurant: The Four Seasons. ...
( Betty Draper is impressed with the place – and Roger Sterling’s generosity. Don says of Sterling, “Toots Shor means he likes me. When he gets us to The Four Seasons, then we’ll know he trusts me.” A longtime power spot for lunch and dinner, The Four Seasons and its cool mid-century-yet-current vibe will transport you straight back to the days of Sterling Cooper. Plus, the food’s way better than Shor’s. Sorry, Toots!)
• Restaurant: Grand Central Oyster Bar. ...
• Restaurant: Keens Steakhouse. ...
• Restaurant: La Grenouille. ...
• Restaurant: The Oak Room Bar.

More @ 10 Places Don Draper Dined in New York — and You Can, Too!

• Restaurant: P.J. Clarke’s
• Restaurant: Sardi’s

You're making me interested in this show. It's on Netflix and I keep passing it up.

ndspinelli said...

Allen, I could see you pulling the stunt made famous in the movie, Diner. Boogie, played by Mickey Rourke, would put his boner up through the bottom of the popcorn tub.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Dinner is too intimate, but hooking up is fine!

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

PJ Clarke's is where Johnny Mercer wrote 'One For My Baby'

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Thanks, Chip!!!

That's awesome!!!

AllenS said...

No way, Nick. Might look cool in a movie, but I would have been the butt end of the joke like forever.

deborah said...

"Dinner is too intimate, but hooking up is fine!"

Good catch, Evi.

ricpic said...

Dinner dates are wasted on the impatient young.

Trooper York said...

I always read about PJ Clarkes when I was a kid. Like Toots Shore and Jilly's it was where the old time ball players used to go. PJ Clarkes in particular was a hang out for the Old Giants. Kyle Rote. Andy Robustelli. Especially Frank Gifford. So one day in the 1980's we were bouncing around and ended up in front of PJ Clarkes.

I said "Holy Shit" lets go in. Maybe we will run into one of the Giants. So we go in and man what a bummer. It was your normal gin mill and it did have a bunch of photos and memorabilia behind the bar. The thing was....it was remarkably filthy. I mean really, really filthy. Layers of dust three inches deep was over everything. I have no idea how they could pass a health inspection. Now look I used to practically live in the Blarney Stone so I ain't a picky fuck.

PJ Clarkes was just about the most disappointing place I have been in. With the possible exception of the 21 Club which is another really overrated shit hole.

Trooper York said...

Now Keens is a great steakhouse. One of the top five in New York. Far superior to the very overrated Peter Lugers.

My buddy was dating this girl who was waitressing there and went for a memorable dinner there once. Since she was our waitress we got tons of booze on the arm. It was before the computerized Point of Sale and cameras all over the place so you could get away with it.

The steaks are just great. And the sides are far superior to the crap they serve at Peter Lugers.

Trooper York said...

Peter Luger's had a certain rep because it was in Williamsburg back before it was infested by hipsters. In the 1970's and 1980's it was considered daring and an adventure to go to eat in Brooklyn in the "Slums." Of course Williamsburg was always pretty solidly middle class and full of Orthodox Jews but wadddayagonna do? You couldn't tell pretentious elitist douches anything anyway.

If you ever want to go to a great Steakhouse in Brooklyn I highly recommend "DeStefanos" on Conselyea in Williamsburg. A very unpretentious joint with the best side dishes in the city in my humble opinion as a fat fuck. Also some great apps. The Pear and Pancetta in the Fig Vinegarette is outstanding. As is the Sautéed Fennel Rib Eye. Oh and don't forget the Short Rib Rolls which are
Stewed Short Ribs, julienned carrots & mashed potatoes fried in a crisp thin wrapper. The best.

Go there and eat them for me because I can't eat that stuff anymore. Enough with the overrated joints. Get some real food prepared by the family and sit next to the shrine to Grandma. A taste of Old New York.