Quandary: a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation.
I recently did this awesome cooking class with my girlfriend at EatzLA (www.EatzLA.com) for date night and brought another amazing couple that we invited with us. We had an incredible evening of slicing and dicing, drinking wine and sauteing, and mingling and sharing the culinary experience with other like minded couples (Thank You Chef Niki). It ended up being a fun food experience for us all.
So, whether you’re on a first date, in a new relationship or long term commitment, going out to eat can always be an adventure. Deciding on the type of cuisine or the choice of restaurant can sometimes end up in a strain filled discussion. But what happens when your dining date makes that momentous decision and reaches across the table for a fork dive of your coveted lobster mac and cheese or the infamous reach to sneak a french fry off of your plate?
I have to admit when going out to dine I’m a very picky eater. I’d rather order Chinese take out any day of the week versus perusing the trendiest of menus. With that being said, I do love going out to eat with my girlfriend because of the quality time we get to spend with each other. Which leads me to an even bigger question: To share or not to share?
Think of all the countless times you’ve gone out on a date; gotten seated at the table, handed your menus and noticed all of the amazing food to choose from. You’ve looked it over a dozen times as if you were studying an NFL playbook and narrowed it down to a few choices. You’re finally ready to order when all of a sudden you hear, “Should we order a few things to share”? Now you’re in a bit of a quandary. Do you go rogue and order off on your own or do you stick to team formation and share?
Now, if your eating at a hamburger joint or breakfast bar the the answer is quite simple; order what you want. But if you’re eating at a more moderately priced place or higher, the better option may be to lean towards sharing. Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer here, but there’s definitely an upside to sharing.
You get to experience so much more with your significant other while enjoying food together. Here are 3 of my favorite reasons why “to share”:
1. Communication. Being able to choose what you want to order off the menu to share is a good way to open up the lines of communication. It can set the tone for the time spent together through the meal as well as give you insight on each others eating habits, likes and dislikes. From just discovering that your date loves everything extra spicy, while you don’t like anything spicy at all, can make for a fun interactive time in itself (Trust me, I know).
2. Intimacy. Sharing food can be considered one of the most intimate acts that you can do with your clothes on. It’s authentic and primal. I mean who wouldn’t want to take this opportunity to be more flirtatious. No great relationship can ever begin until you’ve taken food from the same dish. The sharing of food is at the heart of human intimacy and food has always been used as a means of seduction.
3. Bonding. As you grow closer through sharing it creates a bond between the two of you that will hopefully carry over to a more committed relationship. Sharing food also creates a sense of trust, which allows each of you to step outside of your comfort zone and experience new food cultures and cuisines from around the world. I mean come on, we’ve all wanted to be brave enough to try that sea urchin at the raw bar or Calf’s brains, or cervelle de veau, as the French say. Learning to trust your partner creates a stronger bond in the relationship.
So the next time you’re out and decide to go for sushi, enjoy the dining experience together by letting go of old habits (for those of you who only order the shrimp tempura) and order new things to share. You’ll be surprised on how much fun you have together that evening. Oh, and if you need some liquid courage to help get you through it, I suggest a good bottle of cold sake! Happy Dining.