This Fall in Chicago
Dating IRL
We convinced two single Chicagoans to ditch the apps and embark on a choose-your-own-adventure date through Chinatown. By Nick Kotecki
Brian, 30 Recruiter, world
traveler, live music aficionado; Old Town
Justine, 30 Writer, hot dog
enthusiast, dance-off champion; Humboldt Park
S TOP 1
S TOP 2
S TOP 3 THE VERDICT? Justine
Nine Dragon Wall (158 W Cermak Rd;
chicagoarchitecture.info) Justine
“He’s the polar opposite of who I typically date. My type is usually tattooed guys
who are in creative fields. He was super friendly and didn’t seem nervous, which put me at ease and set the tone for a fun evening exploring Chinatown.”
Brian
“I was kinda nervous walking up to the wall, both because I had never been to Chinatown before and wasn’t confident I’d be able to find the wall and because I had no idea what Justine would be like. She was immediately fun and outgoing, which I appreciated.”
Won Kow Restaurant (2237 S Wentworth Ave; 312-842-7500,
wonkowrestaurant.com)
Justine
“We ordered drinks for each other, and he picked one of my favorites, a Singapore sling. We sipped our bowls o’ booze and talked about how this didn’t have any of the pressure we often feel on a first date. Or maybe that was the gallon of gin?”
Brian
“Won Kow was probably my favorite part of the date. The menu had random drink names like Scorpion but didn’t list
ingredients. In true blind date fashion, I suggested we order each other’s drinks. I figured this would break the ice. Luckily, we both chose options the other liked.”
8
TIMEOUT.COM/CHICAGO September–November 2015 Phoenix Restaurant
(2131 S Archer Ave; 312-328-0848,
phoenixchinatownchicago.com)
Justine
“We had a nice little view of the skyline and hashed out the creative merits of
Breaking Bad and House of Cards. How is there not a dating app that pairs people up based on what you watch on Netflix? Get on that, tech people.”
Brian
“The next card had us choose between ramen or dim sum. We went with dim sum, and while the conversation still flowed, the food was a little lackluster. It was just cordial, friendly conversation. There wasn’t much flirting or attraction involved.”
“I had fun with Brian. He totally went with the flow. There wasn’t a spark for me, but I did think of my single lady friends who would probably dig him. So hey, Brian! Let me play
matchmaker. (That’s weird, right?)” Brian
“The date was fun. I liked not
knowing anything about the other person. It took away a lot of the preconceived notions you often have on first dates. Justine’s very
pleasant, has a great personality, but just not what I’m looking for!
FIND MORE ONLINE
timeout.com/chicago
PHOTOGRAPHS: MAIN IMAGE: JOHN KHUU; JACLYN RIVAS;
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76