He Said, She Said with Irene and Todd

The Singles:

Todd

Age: n/a

Job: Teacher by trade and a theater artist by desire

Hobbies: Producing, directing and acting in theater (particularly in the area of new play development), seeing movies, live music and cooking

Irene

Age: 26

Job: Manager for a carry-out beer distributer

Hobbies: Photography, writing, baking, watching football, being a big book nerd and being a bit too honest

The Restaurant:

McKenzie Brew House

240 West Lancaster Avenue

Malvern, Pa

(610) 296-2222

www.mckenziebrewhouse.com

First Impressions?

Todd: When I walked into the restaurant, the hostess took me to the table where Irene was sitting. It was easy to see that she was a an Eagles fan because she was sporting her Eagles Jersey. My first impressions were that Irene was cute and easy on the eyes.

Irene: I was actually pleasantly surprised. I really didn’t know what to expect from a blind date. He was in jeans, a black shirt with some green line thing going on and Chucks. I liked the whole Chuck thing. I had on my pink low-top Chucks..

Todd: When we started talking I could tell that conversation would be easy; she was a big talker, like me.

Irene: The first thing we talked about were Chucks. Todd mentioned he had a fake fur pair of chucks and that had me dying from laughter.

The Date:

Todd: The theme was centered around the movie, Daybreakers, that we were going to see after we ate, so the tie-in at the restaurant was that we were given a “Vampire Kiss” martini.

Irene: The theme was vampires. I’m always down for some vampires.

Vampire Kisses:

Todd: We started with the Vampire Kiss Martini. This consisted of Patron XO, Godiva chocolate liqueur and Drambuie. I liked the drink but because of its sweetness could probably not drink it all night. But, it was a nice, tasty treat.

Irene: The martini was a unique combination of flavors and looked really cool with a blood-like syrup around the rim.

The Conversation:

Irene: I don’t think the conversation ever got awkward; it seemed to flow very naturally. Actually, the conversation was going so well that we kept forgetting to look at the menu and actually order; the waitress had to keep coming by every few moments only to find that we still hadn’t even looked at the menu.

Todd: The conversation flowed freely and I felt very comfortable talking and hanging with Irene. We are both talkers and I think we could both carry on a conversation with anyone, anywhere. We both say whatever we feel like without holding back.

The Restaurant:

Todd: McKenzie’s is a nice, brew-pubstyle restaurant with a comfortable and open environment that lends itself well to conversation.

Irene: I had been there once before a few years back. There is a lot of space between the bar and the tables; it’s very open.

Drinks:

Todd: In addition to the martini, we also tried their beer sampler. My favorite was the Black Lab Stout. It was very nice, full-bodied with a touch of bitterness, as a black Stout should.

Irene: Black Lab Stout was a smooth chocolate and coffee flavor. The description said it had licorice, but I didn’t detect it, which I was thankful for because I hate licorice.

Todd: Another good one was the Unicorn Amber Ale. This had flavors of roast and chocolate barley. The other one I liked was from the beer specials list, which we also were given 3 samples of. I liked the Grissette, a Belgian-style farmhouse ale but with wheat and black pepper. I enjoyed this one very much.

Irene: I liked the Unicorn Amber Ale. It was a smooth-tasting ale and had a nice balance of flavors.

The Service:

Todd: The service was very good. Our waitress paid great attention to us and pulled back a little, as she should have, when it took me and Irene awhile to figure out what we wanted to eat. She was very helpful at making suggestions and explaining the sampler and other items. Once the waitress got used to our slower pace, she adjusted her number of table visits accordingly. I was very happy with the service.

Irene: The service was good. We were not rushed at all. The only critique I have is that our main items came out 5 minutes after the appetizer came, which I felt was too quick.

The Food:

Todd: We had the hummus appetizer and enjoyed it together. It had a nice combination of garlic and, I believe, some jalepeno. It was served with pita and olives. I really enjoyed it and thought it was a nice item to share.

Irene: The hummus was presented well, inside of a cabbage leaf with olives at the opposite ends also in a cabbage leaf. It had a nice balance of garlic and cumin or tahini, not sure which one, or both perhaps.

Todd: For my entree I ordered the 3 Tacos Carnitas served with tortilla chips. The meat marinade was great and the tacos were topped with some delicious salsa and cheese.

Irene: I ordered the panini of the day, turkey, spinach, swiss cheese, bacon & cranberry sauce. It was a little dry but I liked the combination. There were also a few grapes, a slice of melon and chips on the side.

Todd: Irene shared with me that a recent date really turned her off by “stuffing his whole hands in his mouth while he ate,” so I tried to eat as daintily as I could.

Was There Chemistry?

Todd: Conversation was NEVER a problem with Irene. I could have sat with her for MUCH longer, as I really enjoyed her company and I do feel like there is some chemistry between us. She’s a woman with a big personality and fun to hang with.

Irene: I like to think that there was chemistry. There were no quiet points in the conversation and it went all over the place to all sorts of topics. I felt comfortable talking. I find people who don’t talk uncomfortable, but that was not the case for us.

The Movie:

Todd: We went to see Daybreakers. I had seen the trailer, which showed that it was a vampire movie set in the future, in a future society where humans were harvested for their blood.

Irene: We saw Daybreakers. I was actually looking forward to the movie. I prefer horror movies, so I was all about blood. The movie was pretty good; better than I was expecting.

Todd: If you’re in the mood to see a vampire movie, then I think it was a good movie and I would recommend it. Will it win an Oscar for Best Picture? Probably not.

Irene: There was a twist in the plot that wasn’t shown in previews, which I found fantastic! I hate when movies show the best parts right there in the trailer.

Exchange Numbers?

Todd: Yes, we did. That was my move…I’ve got game!

Irene: Yes, we exchanged numbers, right after Todd asked me if I wanted to get together again.

Was it a Match?

Todd: It very well could be. I move a little slow on getting attached quickly. Irene and I have been communicating through texts and a phone call since the date and I think we’re both on the same page on a lot of things. It’s a really good start in my book.

Irene: I seem to think so. I feel that we got along fine, had a good conversation and so on.

Was there a kiss?

Todd: HELLO McFly! See comment above about my “game.” I was a gentleman and waited ’till the end of the date. I moved in for a kiss and got it…I think Irene wanted to make-out, but I only gave her a quick kiss…to keep her wanting more.

Irene: Yes, there was a peck; just a peck. I’m a lady.

Will there be a second date?

Todd: Why yes, there will be. That is, if Irene doesn’t get mad that I said I think she wanted to make-out.

Irene: Yes, I think there will be. We continued to text for the remainder of the evening after we parted ways.

Update:

They have been texting and talking nonstop since the date. They have a date planned for this Saturday.

Updated update:

There were some miscommunications via text messaging which led these single to not want to go out for a second date after all. Guess it ended up being a (texting) train wreck after all.