1
FIRST DATE
For someone like me–who can no longer technically be classified as a spring chicken–first dates are less about romance than pure reconnaissance.
Forget about boozing it up in a dark bar until the beer goggles kick in. I’m here to collect and process information.
Despite my outwardly charming demeanor, I’m usually taking meticulous mental notes while steering activities toward those that would help me–and my date, to be fair–figure out if a second date is ever going to happen. Controlling? Maybe. But it’s also an efficient way to squeeze out the important information in one big gush, rather than in a slow, painful trickle.
So if you’re still with me, here’s the ideal Valentine first date for those who don’t have time to monkey around. Or those who want to quickly determine if more serious monkeying around is in order.
(Note: Ask your date to bring his/her MP3 player along. This will be important later.)
A strip of Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square–with its cool, low-key shops and cafes–is the perfect place for a date that can be broken up into many mini activities. It creates logical adios points but also easy ways to extend the affair if things go well.
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Meet at one of the many cafes on this strip. Cafe Selmarie (4729 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-989-5595) is a charming, modern cafe and bakery. Order a couple of hot drinks and sip, chat and people-watch as you get your first good look at each other.
If that goes well, move on to Merz Apothecary (4716 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-989-0900) and Delicatessen Meyer (4750 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-561-3377). Merz’s abundance of European toiletries and herbal remedies and Meyer’s food products make for great conversation sparking.
Still interested? Stroll down Lincoln Avenue to Laurie’s Planet of Sound (4639 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-271-3569). This new and used record store is a great place to gauge your date’s musical taste and knowledge of movies (they have a nice used VHS selection) and hip DVDs.
Still want to know more? Cross the street and visit Quake Collectibles (4628 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-878-4288). The real draw here is Quake’s large array of action figures from the last five decades, guaranteed to worm out the inner nerd in anyone. At the very least it will trigger illuminating conversations about one’s childhood toys.
Sure, you can stop for a meal at the hippish eateries along this strip, but if your date has held your interest this far, take advantage of the quiet four-block walk to Korean barbecue restaurant Cho Sun Ok (4200 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-549-5555).
Order the kalbi–Korean marinated beef short ribs–that you can grill at the table or have the kitchen cook for you. The many little panchan (salady-pickly dishes) will give you a good idea of the kinds of vegetables your date eats. A cold bottle of Hite beer (yes, you can drink at last) can relax the conversation, and the spicy kimchi (which should never be eaten by just one on a first date) can reveal your companion’s heat tolerance. The relaxed pace of the meal should give you plenty of time to talk.
Still intrigued? Then take the ultimate plunge: Trade MP3 players and stare into the darkest recesses of your date’s soul. Compare artists and songs to see how much your tastes overlap–or not. At this point, if you find more than 20 overlapping songs, schedule your next date.
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First date: $65.99
The final cost will be determined by how long it lasts, but if you make it all the way through dinner, here’s a breakdown:
Two macchiatos and a heart-shaped raspberry cookie at Cafe Selmarie: $5
Rocky & Bullwinkle DVD at Laurie’s Planet of Sound: $10.99
Vintage Darth Vader action figure at Quake Collectibles: $5
Kalbi for two and a bottle of Hite beer with tip at Cho Sun Ok: $45
— Monica Eng
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2
PLATONIC OUTING
The holiday season is barely wrapped up when it seems stores are stocked silly with Valentine’s Day gear to prep eager lovebirds: chocolate, candy hearts, pink and red all over the place. And so begins a dismal season of discontent for the unattached–or at least that’s what societal pressure has conditioned the single among us to feel.
I’ve never been one to cry into a carton of Haagen-Dazs if I find myself alone on Feb. 14, but I know the type. You know who you are, too, and I’m here to help you dry your eyes, grab your closest single buddy and enjoy Valentine’s Day.
No matter if your platonic V-Day date is of the same gender–just pick a pal and you’re sure to have the best, least-stressful Valentine’s Day yet. We crafted a day and night full of feel-good activities aimed at keeping your chin up and your spirits high.
With hopes of wiping away any traces of self-pity right off the bat, my friend-date and I signed up for a Chicago Chocolate Tour (www.chicagochocolatetours.com, 312-863-8614). We met with perky guide Valerie Beck, her assistant and two other tour-takers (a bona fide couple visiting from out of town) at 900 N. Michigan Ave., ready to visit seven chocolate shops along the Mag Mile and learn about the history of the tasty, mood-enhancing cocoa treat. Highlights include soul-soothing, creamy and rich hot chocolate at Godiva (835 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-280-1133), a divine truffle at Teuscher (900 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-943-4400) and our ending point–the new boutique wine, chocolate and cheese lounge Eno (505 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-321-8738). We could have hung out at their cool communal tables all evening.
Being serious was decidedly not a priority for our carefree date, so we decided to kill some free time before dinner by dropping in for an early evening visit to one of the many psychics in town. We ended up at Wrigleyville Psychic (3456 N. Clark St.; 773-525-6888), fully expecting to be taken for a frivolous ride by our hostess Leeanna and her also-psychic sister Chanel. My friend-date and I had simultaneous palm readings in separate rooms. We compared notes later and, sure enough, the young sisters suspiciously had plenty of similar things to say about my friend’s and my individual futures. Still, it was a quirky way to waste time … oh, and $20 each.
On to bustling hot spot Japonais (600 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-822-9600), where we indulged in some fancy eats without feeling like we needed a better reason for being there. We started our visit with a fun wait in the sceney, packed downstairs bar for a beverage and plenty of eye candy before settling in for dinner upstairs. The trendy restaurant buzzed with music, chatter and laughter, and the open rooms and industrial-chic Eastern-influenced design didn’t lend themselves to whispering sweet nothings–or anything at all for that matter. In fact, our table was so close to the couple dining next to us that we spoke to them nearly as much as we spoke to each other. Also, while the sushi, self-cooked marinated beef slices and ceviche we ordered were all delish, the messy fare did its best to make us both look fairly unsuave–perhaps even a bit slovenly–while we dined. But who cared?
We ended our night on an uplifting note: A visit to Ravenswood tap The Rail (4709 N. Damen Ave.; 773-878-9400) provided a dazzling display by the fast fingers of a local magician who entertains patrons (around 10 p.m. about three nights a week). A few good tricks later, my platonic date and I were ready to call it a night. No regrets, no frayed nerves, no built-up-but-disappointing V-Day rituals–and no gaping questions about commitment or future plans.
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Platonic date: $287
Because you don’t have to have a significant other to splurge on yourself in the name of good times and distraction from Hallmark holiday depression.
Chicago Chocolate Tour: $40 each
Parking during tour: $24
Psychic reading: $20 each
Parking during reading: $15
Dinner for two at Japonais: $118
Tip for tableside magician at The Rail: $10 (plus whatever you spend on drinks)
— Fauzia Arain
3
THAI GETAWAY
Romance to me is a sun-soaked vacation for two in Southeast Asia. Hourlong, $1 massages on an Asian beach, the Gulf of Thailand lapping gently at our feet. A trip to the kitchen of an island restaurant for an impromptu cooking class on panang curry. Hours spent browsing market stalls for Chinese ceramic horses and electric-colored silks.
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My husband and I took that trip four years ago. It might as well be a lifetime ago. Fourteen months ago, we had a baby.
So, for parents who want to pour a sippy cup’s worth of romance back into their babycentric lives, we recreated that romantic vacation, if only for a night, by browsing an Asian store, enjoying massages (alas, not on the beach) and taking a Thai cooking class for two.
Oh, and for new parents, here’s the best part: We hired a baby-sitter for the night. Now that’s romantic.
The ideal place to start a romantic date is at Golden Triangle (72 W. Hubbard St.; 312-755-1266, www.goldentriangle.biz). This store transports you out of a life of Pampers Cruisers and Whole Grain Cheerios and into a dreamier place that feels thousands of miles away.
Golden Triangle is crammed with Asian furniture, textiles, pottery and art. You could spend hours here fantasizing about living in a moldering mansion in Ho Chi Minh City, languidly napping upon a delicately carved mahogany bed piled with lush silks the color of orchids. Or sipping cold fruit juice under a slowly turning fan as a hot afternoon breeze ruffles the yellowing pages of old National Geographic magazines.
I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about this store a lot.
Next up, massages. Getting massages is a major activity for American tourists in Asia, so we decided we needed to do the same here.
We cabbed it to massage-specialists Urban Oasis (12 W. Maple St.; 312-587-3500, www.urbanoasis.biz), where my husband, Jon, opted for a traditional Swedish massage and I chose Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy to keep our Asian theme going.
We were both offered juice upon entering Urban Oasis’ sedate third-floor space. I was led into a darkened room set up with a massage table under what looked a little like Olympic parallel bars. My tiny, cheerful massage therapist, Suzette, would spend the next hour dangling from the bars over the table while using her feet to massage my back and legs.
If this sounds weird, it was, a little. But it was also amazingly effective, as Suzette was able to use her body weight to push down with her feet, which didn’t feel like feet at all, but rather like big, long smooth hands.
Like I said, it was an odd kind of massage. But it left me rubbery and relaxed–like you feel after a long swim–and sort of giddy. After the massage was over, I was given a soft robe before being directed to a spotless room with a powerful steam shower, organic bath products and as much time as I wanted to get showered and dressed.
Jon and I regrouped in the spa lobby, happy and hungry. Jon was a little sore, too, thanks to a powerful, grinding Swedish massage that he hoped would work out some issues he has with his neck.
We headed north to Heat and Spice Cooking School (925 W. Cullom Ave.; 773-742-2331, www.heatandspice.com), which specializes in fiery cuisines.
This is an informal kind of cooking school–it’s located in owner Joe Sochor’s apartment. His kitchen will remind you of your own, except with bins of probably unfamiliar ingredients.
Sochor handed us sheets printed with recipes for dishes we would be cooking: chicken and coconut soup with galanga, lemongrass pork satay with peanut sauce, spicy stir-fried chicken with Thai chiles and holy basil, wild lime sorbet and lychee-ginger granita.
In other words, a feast. Sochor led us through preparation of each dish, patiently showing us how to prepare galanga root, lemongrass, Thai chiles. After an hour or so, we began to enjoy the fruits of our chopping, sauteing, broiling and pureeing. The food, we both agreed, was the best we had eaten outside of Thailand. We left fat and happy, with a large bag of leftover galanga, holy basil, chiles, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.
One tip for anyone taking this class: Bring your own munchies and alcohol. Sochor offers neither during class and it takes quite a while for any dish to be ready to eat. Our stomachs were growling by the time we tucked into our fragrant coconut and chicken soup, and we wished we had picked up a bottle of sweet sparkling wine. Instead, we sipped tap water, a hum-drum accompaniment to such delicious food.
Still, we returned home tired, full and a little recharged. Just like we felt after we touched down at O’Hare four years ago, our trip to Asia over. Except at the end of this night, we didn’t face a week of jet lag.
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Thai romance: $601
Before you balk at the steep price, remember that this is a date for new parents. We had this date after a year of not going out–ever. Not even a movie. So really, that $600 amounts to just $11 a week for the two of us, a wee entertainment budget, really.
Anyway, that’s what we’re telling ourselves. Here’s how we spent the cash:
Eight hours of child care: $100
Parking: $18
Cab ride to and from Urban Oasis: $18
Massages for two at Urban Oasis: $205
Massage tips: $30
Private Thai cooking class for two at Heat and Spice Cooking School: $230
— Trine Tsouderos
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