The Singles:
Age: 24
Job: Account Executive at Marketing and Public Relations firm
Hobbies: concerts, traveling, eating and sometimes cooking, reading, dance parties, art, road trips, running
Age: 29
Job: Restaurant Manager
Hobbies: Cooking, dining out, music, tennis, golf, sports, beer, festivals, traveling, etc.
The Restaurant:
Gilmore’s Restaurant
www.gilmoresrestaurant.com
133 East Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380-3107
(610) 431-2800
First Impressions?
Michelle: Matt was a little bit late which didn’t bother me in the least, but I was just nervous at first since I had no Idea what he looked like, that he may already be sitting at the bar and I’d have no way of knowing. But turns out I had arrived first and when he came he walked right up to me and apologized for being late, which was thoughtful.
Matt: I was running a few minutes late because I had a golf game earlier that day and it went a bit too long.
Michelle: From a looks perspective, he was not really my type – but I’m pretty open-minded so I was just excited to get to know him. He was wearing a light yellow sweater, which made him appear classy but laid back at the same time.
Matt: She was dressed sort of upscale casual in a nice top and jeans.
The Date:
Michelle: We first had a drink at Side Bar, which was nice to have a drink in a relaxed atmosphere and ease into things. Then we went over to Gilmore’s which was much more intense, but the food and service was incredible.
Matt: We started off for drinks and to meet each other at The Side Bar (which I think is one of the best bars in West Chester.) Then, we were going to have the Bistro menu at Gilmore’s restaurant. It’s a new menu that is a great deal and available for a more casual dining experience.
The Conversation:
Michelle: Matt was extremely conversational and I don’t think there was a moment of awkward silence the entire night. We seemed to have a lot to talk about, and many things in common, so that helped to keep the conversation flowing. We talked a lot about our favorite restaurants, our jobs, traveling, Penn State and Matt was quite the connoisseur of beer and wine, so he made up for my lack of knowledge (but not experience) in that area.
Matt: We talked about the background of what we do and where we work. We talked about West Chester a bit because she had never been here before. She had a very inviting personality and she was very easy to talk to, I could tell we would have very good conversation the entire evening.
The Drinks at Side Bar:
Side Bar & Restaurant
www.sidebarandrestaurant.com
10 East Gay Street
West Chester
(610) 429-8297
Michelle: I had never been there, and in fact have never been to West Chester. It seemed like a pretty chill bar, there weren’t many people there when we were there so we could easily hear each other. I had a glass of Malbec, which Matt so thoughtfully ordered for me.
Matt: I’ve been there many times and it’s one of the most welcoming bars in West Chester. Great wine list and beer selection, with constantly changing seasonal beers. We were taken care of by one of the owners, Justin, who kept her company while I was running late. Great service, great place.
The Restaurant:
Michelle: Gilmore’s definitely lived up to its reputation for being formal, but it didn’t bother me nor seem to ruin the mood. It was a pretty small restaurant and the table are rather close together and we were definitely the youngest people in the restaurant. Probably didn’t help I look 16.
Matt: I have never been to Gilmore’s, I always had the impression it was too formal. We were greeted at the door and our coats were taken by the hostess and we were escourted to our table. The restaurant was filled with a great mix of people dining there. I was excited to try the Bistro menu that I had read about on WC Dish.
The Service:
Michelle: The service was great. They were extremely attentive and knowledgeable about all of the dishes and answered all of our questions. At one point I got up to go to the bathroom and when I returned they had refolded my napkin. Must say I was impressed.
Matt: It was spot on. They offered to chill our white wine, they answered all of our questions and we never felt rushed, it was a fantastic service experience. Our server was always a step ahead and was never hovering, he anticipated all of our needs.
Wine:
Michelle: I’m embarrassed to say I don’t recall the exact types of wine that we drank with dinner – Matt being the connoisseur that he is brought four bottles (two white, two red) with us, to ensure that we had something that would go well with our food. We drank both a white and a red.
Matt: I brought a bottle of Muscadet and a Côtes du Rhône white, they are both French wines that I thought would go well with our French-style cuisine.
The Food:
Michelle: For an appetizer I got the foie gras, something I would not typically go for but I decided to be crazy. Matt got shrimp corn dogs with a chili sauce – both of which were delicious. I secretly liked his better though. Then for dinner I ordered the steak frites. For dessert I had a delicious slice of cheesecake and we shared a cheese platter that was heavenly.
Matt: I had the full Bistro menu that started with shrimp corn dogs served with a chili aoli, the batter was light and fluffy and it was a perfect dish. I had pork tenderloin for my entree and it was cooked exactly how it should be, it was really moist and was served with a sauce that was out of this world. The dessert was a coconut tort that was just enough sweetness to compliment the entire meal.
Conversation and Chemistry:
Michelle: As I said, I think we had good conversation the whole evening and Matt was quite funny. He seems like a great guy, I just wasn’t feeling any sparks.
Matt: I don’t think there was any chemistry with Michelle but I thougth she was really easy to talk to and I had a really enjoyable time with her.
Did you exchange numbers?
Michelle: We did and said we would keep in contact.
Matt: Yes.
Was it a Match?
Michelle: I had a great time and am glad I had the opportunity to share a fun evening with Matt, but I wouldn’t say it’s a romantic match.
Matt: We really connected on a lot of similarities but lacked that spark. I would love to hang out with her as a friend. She is so easy to talk to.
Was there a kiss?
Michelle: No kiss.
Matt: I gave her a hug at the end of the night.
Will there be a second date?
Michelle: I don’t foresee it happening, perhaps as friends.
Matt: I don’t think so but I’d love to keep in touch.
How did you leave it?
Michelle: Matt insisted on getting my parking garage ticket validated so we ran into the place where he previously worked to do so, but after he came out I think he was so nervous he kind of said a quick goodbye and ran off. I wasn’t offended by any means, it was just funny.
Matt: I said goodnight to her and said I had a great time.
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