The nights are drawing in and it’s the season to snuggle! With all this potential for autumnal romance in the air, we’re proud to present the results of another wonderful Love Bites in Greenpoint blind date!
Last week Lizzie, 30 and Dakota, 33 went for dinner at Greenpoint’s awesome Balinese restaurant Selamat Pagi (152 Driggs Avenue) and got to know each other over some fruity red wine and an amazing vegan chocolate cake.
But while their minds were blown by dessert, were they blown away by each other??!
DAKOTA
33, writer and journalist
Likes: Bike riding, browsing books at Word, and Ovenly cookies.
Have you ever been on a blind date before?
Yes.
Were you nervous before the date?
A little bit, but Lizzie was so nice that as soon as we started talking I relaxed immediately.
What were your first impressions?
Lizzie’s beautiful. She is also warm, entertaining and talkative, which I always like. I’m an extrovert so when I go on a date with an introvert, I end up nervously blabbing all night just to fill silences.
What did you talk about…did you have much in common?
I love that she loves crafting! She literally seems to do it all. We talked about Greenpoint, crafting, growing up in the Midwest (we both did), makeup (we’re both obsessed and she has great brows so I had to get the scoop on that), family and food. We both love to cook.
What did you have to eat/drink?
We had Tempeh spring rolls and coconut meatballs for appetizers. And tamarind glazed tempeh, coconut kale and wonderfully-spiced crispy ayam bumbu for mains, paired with a fantastic fruit-forward Austrian red.  Neither of us eat dairy so we both had the vegan dessert, a rich chocolate cake. We were stuffed by the end! Everything was so delicious. Thank you to Selamat Pagi for a delicious, memorable dinner!
Did your date have good table manners?
Excellent! She asked me which side I wanted — we both didn’t mind.
Describe Lizzie in three words.
Sweet. Sparkly. Pretty.
Was there a spark between you?
I’m not sure. I don’t have a type and she’s very pretty. I am usually naturally very flirtatious with people, and I love to make trouble, but I didn’t want to be overly mischievous on a blind date. Even if it’s not meant to be, I hope I gained a great friend.
Did you go on anywhere afterwards?
No, but I did walk her most of the way home. I was quite tired from an exhausting weekend and week of working.
Did you kiss?
No.
Would you meet again?
I’d love to see her again, even as a friend.
Highlight of evening?
When we realized how much we have in common.
Lo-light of evening?
Honestly, none. I thoroughly enjoyed our time together.
Verdict / Marks out of 10 for the evening.
8. A lot of fun! I really liked Lizzie a lot.
LIZZIE
30, Inventory Coordinator
Likes: Cooking, knitting, and national parks
Have you ever been on a blind date before?
No! This was thrilling.
Were you nervous before the date?
I was a bit, walking over. I walked around the block first to make sure I wasn’t there 10 minutes early and was pleased to see I wasn’t the first one to arrive!
What were your first impressions?
She looked very refined at the bar drinking a glass of wine.
What did you talk about…did you have much in common?
We had a lot to talk about! She’s a writer and has an excellent conversation style. We talked a lot about family and travelling. We have a lot in common; we both like crafty things and food and cosmetics so there wasn’t ever a lull in conversation. We are both from the Midwest, and I think that was a nice common denominator in our personalities.
What did you have to eat/drink?
We loved everything, and Selamat Pagi was very generous. Our waitress was really nice and made some good recommendations.  Dakota had a chicken dish with really good turnips and squash,  and I had the tamarind tempeh and some kale. Everything had this delightful infusion of coconut. We couldn’t stop remarking about how great it all was!
Did your date have good table manners?
Yes.
Describe Dakota in three words.
Curious, effusive, adventurous.
Was there a spark between you?
I’d say no, but we had such a nice time that I’d like to see her again for dinner or drinks. In getting to know her I can tell she is a really good friend and fun person to have on your team.
Did you go on anywhere afterwards?
We both live very close to each other, so we had a nice stroll back.
Did you kiss?
No
Would you meet again?
Yes, absolutely.
Highlight of evening?
We are both allergic to dairy and we got very excited when the waitress said we could eat the chocolate tart; it was a nice moment and wowza it was amazing!
Lo-light of evening?
She left her phone at the restaurant! I hope she was able to get it in the morning!
Verdict / Marks out of 10 for the evening
10! The best way to spend an evening. Great food and conversation. Couldn’t hope for a better outcome!
Awww!! Thank you Lizzie and Dakota for being such lovely blind daters!
And gigantic thanks to the fantastic team at Selamat Pagi for being such generous hosts! Selamat Pagi is the only Balinese-inspired restaurant in the area and they pride themselves in exclusively using organic, locally-sourced meat, seafood and produce in their kitchen. As well as serving delicious dinners (Tues-Sun) they also serve up a splendid weekend brunch.
Would you like to be sent on a Love Bites blind date? Want to get in on an opportunity for a romantic match, a free dinner AND an amazing illustration of yourself by our very own Libby Vander Ploeg?
WE ARE STILL ESPECIALLY KEEN TO GET EXTRA GUYS ON BOARD, SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY SUITABLY ELIGIBLE GREENPOINT BACHELORS PLEASE SEND THEM THIS WAY!!
And if you are a local bar or restaurant who would like to host a Love Bites date, drop us a line at [email protected]