Technically yes and no.  In today’s mid-week dive into what’s new in the food world,  I came across an article shared by Zagat.com called “Ten Dishes Not to Order on a First Date”.  This useful list came from another food blog called “SFoodie Weekly” and written by Olivia Ware (Editor’s note:  Her name is Olivia Ware, not Olivia Wilde).  Her breakdown on “do nots” is as follows:

DO NOT ORDER:

1. Meal salad:  Easy enough, your whole meal should not be the salad.  It’s like going to McDonalds and asking them to just sell you only the lettuce and tomatoes that goes on the Big Mac.
2. The Burrito:  This should be a given, considering that burritos have gotten people in trouble in the past and caused an entire middle school to be locked down while being searched by police.
3. The Mile Long Noodle:  Ever feel silly when you are eating pasta and no matter how high you raise your arm there is a never ending line of noodle going back into your plate?  Now officially more than just silly.
4. The Tiny Game Bird:  Simply put, picking up meat by the bone and eating it caveman style is not a good first impression.
5. The Kid’s Meal:  There’s short list in this one but bottom line is if your choices looks like a nostalgia meal from Chucky Cheese’s then it’s a no-no.
6. The Vodka Red Bull:  Now, SFoodie recommends you stick to beer, the cocktail menu, or wine.  Keep your ‘teenage drinks’ for later.  Our opinion?  It depends on the date.  You may need that extra caffeine boost. ::nudge::
7. The Non-desert:  Do your research; if your date likes sweet stuff then treat them to sweet stuff.  Cheese has consequences and if you are a Vodka Red Bull type of person then the after-dinner wine is just redundant.
8. The Tooth Magnets:  THESE ARE THE ENEMIES THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR DATING EXPERIENCE.  This entry covers everything that hides like insurgents between your teeth, lying in wait to just blow your chances in getting a good night kiss.  Examples include spinach and corn on the cob.
9. The Whole Shellfish:  Just like the Tiny Game Bird entry above, demolishing an armored crustacean (Editor’s Note: ‘enemy crab’ joke removed) may be a great stress reliever but is bad for first impressions.  Moral of the story is to hide your savage tendencies for later.  Much later.
10. The Raw Allium:  While it seems pretty obvious that eating a whole raw onion and expecting some deep frenching afterwards is about as ridiculous as wrestling a porcupine, you need to keep an eye out for dishes that serve alot of raw spices.

So, thank you Olivia Ware for your helpful hints and suggestions.  To read more about the “Ten Dishes Not to Order on a First Date” and to see what is recommended instead, check out the Zagat.com shared link here or just bounce straight to the article here.

Summer has finally come full force as for this week in NYC, the weather forecasters predict temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit all week.  For some of you (including me) what this means is a week full of Starbucks cafes and everything iced.

Those of you who have to venture out in the heat, remember to stay hydrated.  NYC also have cooling centers for relief during heat waves.  You can locate the nearest cooling station by clicking here or by calling 311 or (TTY: 212-504-4115).  As of this post, the cooling centers are not yet activated but they are a good thing to keep in mind as the summer scorcher starts.

… And now let us dream of ice cold deserts like this ice cream soda from the Juniors (386 Flatbush Avenue Ext, Brooklyn, NY 11201-5389) in Brooklyn:

Ice cream soda from Juniors. Strawberry soda with vanilla ice cream.

Mmmmmm.