Playing with your food
I don't think that much about what I order on a date.
Sure, I'll cruise the menu, consider a few options, cut out the most expensive item.
I probably won't order something that's hard to eat or that's likely to get stuck in my teeth. But, beyond that, I don't really consider what my food choice says about me.
Recently, though, I was talking with a friend about the food dilemma. You know, how some women order steaks to seem like they can cut it with the guys? And other women go for a salad because they're afraid they'll otherwise look fat?
This friend - a guy - reads a lot into women's menu picks. If a chick orders something she doesn't really want to eat just to present a particular image, he says, then what's to say she won't skew the truth during the rest of the relationship?
I think that might be going a little overboard.
But it's clear what you order - and eat - makes some sort of first impression.
Ladies, do you have rules about what you eat on a date with a new guy?
And fellas, do you even notice what a woman is eating?
Or are we all just over-thinking things?
Comments (4)
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always order food that matches what you are wearing so when the food is dropped it won't be so noticeable.
Posted on August 15, 2007 2:37 PM
True enough - I know I've ended up with some embarassing lap-and-shirt incidents when the food starts to fly.
But I'd say order whatever you feel like - fun-loving, free-spirited folk'd just as well eat to match their attitude, but, on the other hand, some people are pretty diet-focused. I think it's the same on both sides - don't spend a day deciding what you want; don't nitpick someone else's meal choices.
Posted on August 15, 2007 5:08 PM
Once, a guy ordered all of our sushi using the Japanese words for the food. I had the same translation list in my menu and I was super unimpressed with his pretension.
The other thing is wine/beer. If you like something fancy, order something fancy. If you like Miller Lite, stick to your guns and drink it, without explaining it. If you order a peach sangria or single malt scotch, it's sending its own message and there's not much you can say that will alter it.
For what it's worth, I've honestly never thought about this. In high school, an aunt told me to order spaghetti on a first date to see if my date had a sense of humor, but I don't like spaghetti so I never got to test it out.
I felt a little self-conscious when I had three dates in a row with a guy and each time we ordered the same food. But then we were together for years, so that kind of thing doesn't worry me any more.
Posted on August 16, 2007 5:16 PM
I'd rather go on a date with someone just to get to know them. I could really care less what they eat. Even if it's something you don't like, your difference in food choices could spark interesting conversation. The bottom line is--be who you are ALL of the time. Whether you order a brownie sundae or veggie burger, who cares? It's about the person, right?
Posted on August 17, 2007 5:49 AM