First Date’s Guide to Ordering and Eating at a Restaurant | First dates are always a bit more challenging than all the dates you’ve gone to. The second and third dates are more fun since these are the times that you’re already quite sure you like your date. The first dates are the memories you come back to when you’re drunk and want to laugh at yourself. It’s a convenient way to get to know a potential partner and bond over food, but it’s also a lot of pressure for both parties to put their best foot forward.
Besides, first dates are going to be the reason why you’re going to get a second or third date. If the first date goes wrong, you can’t expect that call to come, right? So, there’s a lot of pressure over making that first dinner a success. Are you a bit awkward and worried that you might ruin the date? Don’t be because a lot of people are just like you. No one knows what will happen during a first date. Some have turned out great. Others have become nightmares.
Know Where You’re Going
Make sure you know where you’re going. Even if it’s a blind date organized by common friends, make sure you know at least where you’re going to have dinner. An arranged date is nice and all, but not if you are completely in the dark about where the date is going to be.
Don’t Be Too Picky
Are you a picky eater? During the date, try not to show that to the other person. Even you will be turned off by someone who can’t pick a dish in the hundreds of options on the menu. You shouldn’t order the healthiest meal also since some dates tend to feel embarrassed when they order a full meal. You don’t want that kind of awkwardness. If it is a dinner date, then order something you will normally eat for dinner.
Avoid Food That Can Get Stuck in the Teeth
It is normal for you and your date to zoom in on each other’s features. Of course, you want to look at this person sitting across from you. So, what could be more embarrassing than, while doing this, you find a sesame seed stuck in your teeth? Don’t order food that can get easily lodged in your teeth. Examples of these are corn on the cob, lettuce, and any food with sesame or poppy seeds.
Stay Away from Smelly Food
Never order smelly food when on a date. There’s a reason why you are not having that date at an Indian restaurant no matter how good the food is. The smell of the spices clings to you and it will take a full shower before it goes away. You don’t want to smell like a curry on your first date, right? Stay away from strong-smelling food such as those types rich in onion and garlic. You’ll have to stay away from beans, too, because they create a gassy odor that your date can smell from the other side of the table.
Order Something You Know
There’s a time for ordering exotic food. It’s not the first date. Even if you’re curious about an Italian pasta whose name you cannot pronounce, don’t order it or you risk having the server correct you in front of your date. Order something a dish that you can pronounce and that you’ll be able to eat once it arrived on the dinner table.
While it’s nice to be adventurous, save that for the second and third dates. If you get too risky with your order, you might end up having to eat something you cannot stand or not eat at all and have your stomach growling in hunger later. Be safe and order what you usually get.
Follow Basic Table Etiquette
What did your mom tell you about talking when your mouth is full? Heed your mom’s advice. Don’t talk when there’s food in your mouth. Follow other basic table etiquette, too, such as not putting your phone on the table, not texting or answering a call unless it’s an emergency, and not drinking too much alcohol to the point that you cannot handle it.
First dates are always nerve-wracking. Following these basic tips should help you get rid of the first-date jitters. Also, they will help you survive the scrutiny and anxiousness of a first date. Hopefully, your first date will be uneventful enough that you will enjoy the company more than think about what you’re supposed to be doing.
