First dates can be a stressful experience because your first impression is going to make or break any connection you might have. This is not to freak you out, but you need to be able to impress your date with something that is better than a cookie-cutter experience. Coffee dates are tried and true, and definitely food-related, but they are not going to win any style points and you want to stand above the competition, but more importantly wow your date.
Why food dates? Well, food has always been a place of connection for people. From dining halls to the holidays we use food as an excuse to gather and talk, and cooking is a performance for us to feel involved by doing something. Food dates are more or less the same, that is why going for dinner or coffee or even just drinks are always go to’s. This does not mean they are not good, but you want something out of the ordinary that makes you memorable, and these 6 ideas will get you started.
1. Virtual Dinner
While the world is a little cooped up right now, you can always have a simple date, over the internet while you have dinner. You can plan ahead and both cook the same meal or get fun and show off your favorite meal and see what your date makes too. Virtual dinner dates are still kind of niche because many people are doing video chatting, but the full dinner experience is still not as popular as it should be! Try to dress up a little too to really go the full mile, or have fun and make it casual.
2. Ice Cream Date
Everyone loves ice cream and it is a timeless date idea going back decades and decades. Ice cream shops used to be the place for teenagers to meet one another. Now, you can get ideas or even an actual ice cream maker at https://www.dreamscoops.com/ and host your own little ice cream shop to wow your date. Create a sundae making station, set out fun toppings, and get silly. Breaking the ice is way better when it is over ice cream. To really go the extra mile, you should decorate your place to make it themed like a real ice cream shop.
3. World Food Experience
You might not have the means to travel the world and back again, but that is where food shines. Food allows us to travel to new locales without leaving a restaurant, home, or city. This idea is a good one because you can experience new tastes, introduce your date to a favorite exotic food location, or impress them with your knowledge of unusual cuisine. Go even further and try to make the food yourself, something that would impress nearly anyone. You should brush up on some of your information too so you have something to talk about regarding the food or culture too, extra points for intelligence!
4. Picnic
Simple, cheap, but definitely enjoyable nonetheless. Picnicking in the park is a good way to get out of the hustle and bustle of a restaurant and get out in the fresh air. It gives you a good excuse to wear something summer casual and impress with a timeless look. Fruit trays, sandwiches, or little finger foods that are not messy work well as well as the classic checkered blanket. In terms of the cute factor, it would be through the roof and you can count on getting some points from the date’s friend when they inevitably tell them about how you made a little romantic park date. Bring a frisbee, soccer ball, books, poetry, anything else so that you have other activities to enjoy.
5. Food Holiday Date
Much like an ice cream date, why not dedicate the food theme to one specific food? There are so many, “food holidays”. National Pizza Day, National French Fries Day, National Beer Day, the list goes on and on. These might not be real holidays but for your date purposes, they might as well be. You can really get creative when you only have to worry about the theme revolving around a specific food or drink item. Take them on a beer flight tasting tour, set up a volunteer pizza day for a local charity or organization, or just make a lot of dishes revolving around a specific food. The options can be as big as your mind wants it to be and there are endless food holidays you can pick, just make sure to talk to your date so you do not pick something they do not like or worse, are allergic to!
6. Food Trucks
Food trucks have become a big staple in cities as a way to experience a cultural infusion of cuisine and authenticity. Food trucks have been popping up everywhere and the food and service often rival traditional restaurants. It can be a fun adventure to search around your city and go on a food truck hunt. You can even turn it into a photo op and make it a fun collage and pretend you are both professional food photographers. These food trucks sometimes have festivals too where they gather together to spread the joy of street food for the people. It beats being stuck inside and you can get some exercise to burn off the calories while getting in some quality conversation between stops.
Picking out a date outfit, choosing what to say, how to introduce yourself, or what day to go on a date are all choices you need to make, but one of the most important things that are going to determine all of this is what kind of date it is going to be. The right date can make or break a first impression. You can appear too adventurous, too boring, or too weird. These 6 ideas all revolve around food-themed first date ideas because food is a powerful and time-worn tradition in making a connection, and they provide a good way to start off on the right foot.
