Planning Your Next Date

Urban Daddy’s post last week on “Better Dating Through Sonar,” featured a new app that may be the future of online dating.

According to Urban Daddy:  Introducing StreetSpark, a brand-new dating app that scans your immediate surroundings for… romantic opportunities—and sets off a vibration every time one enters striking distance… Should someone resembling Your Perfect Match (even just semi-pro volleyball players) appear nearby, your phone will engage DEFCON 1 protocols and arm the warheads of love. You’ll casually peruse their profile and pic (and see their Facebook “likes”) and then choose whether to “ignite” this particular spark and send a message to the person, or to “extinguish” it and nip the bloom of romance in mid-blossom. Of course, the other person also has the option to ignite or extinguish you. Luckily you are highly flammable.

But what happened to good old-fashioned dating?!  Remember the days when you went on a date with someone that you didn’t know much about and had not seen a picture of yet, but your friend thought you two would be “perfect” together?  Do you really want to know everything about a person before you meet them?   

Instead, plan a perfect date at a cozy restaurant without preconceived notions and enjoy the company and the food –- no checking out his/her Facebook/Twitter/Google search page or scanning the menu first.  Just take a chance.

Perilla

 9 Jones St. nr. W. 4th St. NYC

Grab a quiet corner table in the back and order the duck meatballs.  Sitting near the kitchen, you may get a chance to see/meet the owner/chef, Harold Dieterle, Top Chef‘s inaugural winner.

 

Blue Ribbon Brasserie

97 Sullivan St nr. Spring St. NYC

Go early, sit at the bar, share a dozen oysters and try the martinis while you wait for a table (no reservations). Start with the platter of honey BBQ-glazed ribs and chicken wings.  The lobster and fried chicken for dinner will not disappoint. Take your time and enjoy a bottle of wine.  Don’t want to wait for a table?  Then head over to Blue Ribbon Sushi a few doors down. 

 

Frank

88 Second Ave. nr. 5th St. NYC

Are you on a budget or not sure if you want to spend dough on your date?  Check out this budget-friendly Italian joint in the East Village and order Grandma Carmela’s slow-cooked ragu.

 

Braeburn

117 Perry St. at Greenwich St. NYC

This restaurant reminds me of Nantucket meets a Vermont ski lodge.  The menu items are seasonal and fresh and the ambiance is cozy but not crowded.  Ask about the daily specials.  On Sunday, they feature a roasted chicken dinner for two.  You can also use this as your fallback plan if the wait at the Spotted Pig is too long.

 

Dieci

228 E. 10th St. nr. First Ave. 

This tiny 25-seat subterranean restaurant features Japanese Italian tapas. Yes, you read that correctly. The Japanese chef creates some amazing combinations of flavors and presents them in small portions so they are perfect for dates. Order a bunch of plates and share. You won’t want to miss the Spicy Yellowtail Tartar Crostini, Homemade Meatball, Saikyo Miso Marinated Black Cod and the duck. The menu changes so go back again.

 

 

Bon Appétit!

Back to School

Remember when August meant summer vacation, summer reading, and getting ready for the new school year?  Well, it’s time for YOU to go back to school! 

Check out these classes where you can learn some new skillz. 

Trapeze School New York (TSNY)

Take a class in Flying Trapeze, Silks & Ropes, Trampoline, Aerial Conditioning, and more!

About TSNY: Forget fear. Worry about the addiction. We have opportunities for everyone from the thrill-seeker to fear-facer, athlete to couch potato, casual flyer to serious aerialist. Amazingly enough, we have seen people ranging in all desires and abilities inspire each other, bring new energy to the school and enrich each other’s lives with courage and mutual support.  Classes are offered in NYC, DC, Boston and LA.

 

Pizza School

At Pizza a Casa our mission is to educate and equip pizza lovers with the knowledge and tools necessary to make fantastic thin crust pizzas at home. We feature the finest in pizza making gear for the home pizza chef and weekly classes sharing the secrets of pizza making perfection in a home oven.

 

Flamenco Dance Class

Bring some spice into your life. There are Flamenco dance studios everywhere!  Just bring comfortable clothes and shoes/ pumps with a hard sole and dance your way through the fall.

 

DJ Class

Jam Master Jay founded Scratch DJ Academy as a place where anyone could learn about the DJ art form, its culture and history. Courses include mixing, scratching, digital DJing, Music Production and more in NYC, Miami and LA.

 

Pottery Class

All classes at Mugi Pottery focus on wheel throwing techniques and accommodate skill levels from beginners to very advanced, in small groups to ensure individual guidance. Various throwing projects, glazing and surface techniques will be explored in all of the classes.  Find a pottery studio near you!

 

Sailing School

The Manhattan Sailing School is the largest and most respected such organization operating in the New York Harbor. At the end of your course, you can also challenge the American Sailing Association Standard for Basic Sailing if you wish to get certified. The subjects you will learn in Basic Sailing are: Sailing Terminology, Points of Sail, Rigging & Derigging, Hoisting & Trimming Sails, Tacking, Jibing, Sailing by the Lee, Proper Commands, Docking & Securing a Boat, Important Knots, Basic Navigation Rules and Man Overboard.