These two singles got creative with each other before enjoying a tapas dinner. But did they create an impression on each other? Find out in this darling Exton dream date.
DAVE
Age: 24
Job: Interior Designer- custom interiors for VIP helicopters
Hobbies: Watching sports, snowboarding, dirt bike riding, airbrushing, drawing, outdoor sports, taking vacations
RENEE
Age: 26
Job: Teacher
Hobbies: Working out, sporting events, live music open mic, BYOBs, travel, cooking.
The Date:
DAVE: The plan was to meet at Wendall August, take a tour of it and then have dinner at Riverstone Café – it sounded like a good time.
RENEE: Dave and I met at Wendell August in Exton to learn about the detailed process of personalized handcrafted metals. This sounded fun to me as I enjoy doing arts and crafts-related activities. I’ve actually taken a class on glass fusion and have since realized how much I enjoy creating art, even if I’m not that good at it. After Wendell August, we headed down the road to Riverstone Café for dinner and drinks.
First Impressions:
DAVE: My date walked in and had nice long dark hair and dressed very nice. We had no problem starting conversation and we had fun making the metal stamps.
RENEE: Going into the date, my friend Sarah had mentioned that after seeing some pictures of Dave, he was totally my type. I was a bit concerned with him being younger than me, as I tend to be interested in guys that are a few years older than me. Once I arrived at Wendell August, I realized that she had been incorrect, and after spending 5 hours on our date together, I confirmed that he still was not my type. However, this does not take away from the fact that Dave was a perfect gentleman: very nice, funny and great company and he had very nice blue eyes!
Wendell August
Main Street at Exton
103 Woodcutter Street
Exton, (610) 363-2426
www.wendellaugust.com
DAVE: I had heard of it but had never been there. We had fun learning about the company and their process. There was a pub table with wine from Black Walnut Winery set up in the back where they make their products. I thought it was a really neat environment.
RENEE: I had never heard of Wendell August prior to our date, so I was curious to find out what it was all about. While we were there, the two women who were working that night very graciously gave us the history of the company as well as a tour of the store and workshop. Dave was very inquisitive about the process as it seemed to connect to his area(s) of expertise. While we were there, we were able to make our own metal imprint – I chose a carousel, Dave chose a bear in the woods. We ended up laughing during this activity because I didn’t realize that what I thought was a complex process turned out to only be hammering the metal sheet. We also got to hammer a 2011 imprint into the wine charms we took home with us. Again, my lack of expertise in this area caused me to make a fool out of myself and my 2011 imprint was a bit stretched out.
Wine and Gifts:
Black Walnut Winery
3000 W. Lincoln Highway
Sadsburysville (610) 857-5566
www.blackwalnutwinery.com
RENEE: At that point, Dave and I needed a drink so we sat at a tablecloth-covered, candlelit high-top table and got to know each other a little better over a glass of red wine from Black Walnut Winery. It was light and easy to drink – I liked it. Upon leaving, the women sent us off with our own handmade gifts and I was the recipient of some handmade hoop earrings! If you know me, you know that I love jewelry that is eccentric, so this was the perfect ending to this part of the date.
Riverstone Café
143 West Lincoln Highway
Exton (610) 594-2233
www.riverstonecafe.com
DAVE: We then headed to Riverstone Café which I had heard of but never eaten at. It was a really nice environment with good music in the background and nice table set up in the back.
RENEE: I had eaten at Riverstone Café in the past. The dark but soothing ambiance in Riverstone sets the mood for a relaxing candlelit dinner. The modern couches with tall backs in the bar area accompanied by small tables prove to be very inviting. There is also an area near the front door reserved for live music performances, of which we were privileged to see that night. The oyster bar is my parents’ favorite, and in fact they are regular patrons of Riverstone. Our server was kind in giving us extra time to look over the menu as we found ourselves deep in conversation fairly often. He was also helpful in answering any questions we had about the menu.
Food:
DAVE: The food was good; we shared some tapas. We both had the filet for entree (I think she just had to copy me), and service was good. The pan-seared shrimp was delicious and so was the hummus (which she had made me try, and turned out I liked it). The filet was good – juicy and cooked to my liking.
RENEE: Dave and I each ordered a Caesar salad to begin, although I ordered mine with balsamic dressing. Dave also ordered edamame for us to share (well, it was for him, but I ate probably as much as he did).
Our next “course” involved some type of shrimp dish for Dave (I don’t eat seafood) and a hummus plate for me. Dave had told me earlier that he didn’t like hummus, but when I had him try it, he actually liked it. He seemed to really like his shrimp dish too. As a main meal, we both ordered the Petite Filet from the small plates section of the menu. We agreed that this dish could have been a bit more flavorful, but it did the trick. Neither of us ordered dessert as we’re more of the “second helping” kind of people instead of dessert. Not to mention, we were both pretty full from all of the other food.
Drinks:
DAVE: I usually like IPA beers but went with a wheat ale “Sweaty Betty.” It was a tasty dinner beer.
RENEE: Dave ordered two “Sweaty Betty” wheat ales from the beer list, and I ordered two of the Chocolate Cherry Martinis. Dave enjoyed his beer and I thoroughly enjoyed my martinis – maybe a little too much!
Conversation:
DAVE: We talked about our pasts, family, goals, and we laughed a lot to where my jaw hurt from laughing so much. We also talked about our schooling, most embarrassing parts of our lives, our fears, and how we enjoyed Wendell August. We asked each other our interests and dislikes and likes. There was never a dull or boring moment.
RENEE: Dave and I didn’t really have any awkward moments during our date. In fact, we got along really well and seemed to feel comfortable enough taking jabs at each other when possible. We talked about the typical date “interview” questions (as I like to call them) such as family, backgrounds, education, occupation, hobbies, etc.
At one point during the date, I took my phone out and couldn’t remember why. I mentioned this to Dave, and he “slyly” told me it was to give him my phone number. In the middle of telling him how slick I thought he was in saying that, I looked over to find Dave attempting to take a sip of his water when I noticed that the straw accidentally went up his nose. I told him that this event cancelled out any kind of “slickness” I was in the middle of praising him for. We both laughed uncontrollably. At that point, I started keeping tab of any funny or incriminating things he said by writing them on my to-go box (as my memory tends to fail me pretty often). He kept a mental tab as well – at least he told me he did! One comment he mentioned had to do with if he was a good dancer or not. He said that he wasn’t good at “stage dances i.e. the polka,” at which point I looked at him and wondered how many people our age are actually polka dancers. I then added that to “the list.” As I mentioned earlier, our date lasted for a good five hours, so conversation was never an issue.
Was it a match?
DAVE: I believe it was a good match. We kept conversation going and made each other laugh. She is a very outgoing and an intelligent person, very down to earth with a hint of wild.
RENEE: Unfortunately, I’d have to say that Dave was not a good match (romantically) for me. We come from very different backgrounds and experiences, and while we may be looking for similar qualities in a romantic partner, our diverse backgrounds and physical chemistry seem to deem our relationship as more of a friendship than anything more. I did enjoy spending time with Dave. Our jovial banter seemed more like a friendship than a romantic relationship.
Kisses?
DAVE: We exchanged numbers. We did hug and then the good old Italian goodbye kiss – half cheek half lips.
RENEE: Not really.
Will there be a second date?
DAVE: It’s possible to have a second date. We shall see!
RENEE: Romantically, I don’t think there will be one. As friends – sure, I’d love to. He’s a great guy and will make another girl very happy someday.
How did you leave it?
DAVE: We left it at the hug and kiss and goodnight. Then, as I was driving away, I had to return to her because her purse had “eaten” her keys and she thought she lost them. Classic!
RENEE: We exchanged numbers and we’ve sent a couple texts back and forth, but haven’t planned any future dates/activities. Dave is a great guy; I don’t have anything negative to say about him. We had a great date and a lot of laughs, but it wasn’t a match! I’m sure we will keep in touch in one way or another.
