Is Steak the New Salad?

According to a recent NY Times article titled “Be Yourself Girls, Order the Rib-Eye“, when it comes to first dates, that may be the case. (Hat tip to Open Left and Eating Liberally where I first saw this posted).

The article quotes a woman who outlines what she thinks ordering red meat says to her date about the kind of person she is:

“unpretentious and down to earth and unneurotic.”

“I’m not obsessed with my weight even though I’m thin.”

And ordering a burger instead of something fancy says:

“I’m a cheap date, low maintenance.”

While I certainly like women who are unpretentious, down to earth, thin and low maintenance, food is something near and dear to my heart. Isn’t ordering something with the strategy of making me like you better a dirty, nasty way to play tricks with my heart? How dare you use food, the world’s most pure and honest substance, to deceive me!

However, as the article points out, this is merely the polar opposite of the strategy women have been employing for decades. Females used to be advised to eat BEFORE a date, so they could order something small at dinner and appear “dainty and ladylike.”

But listen to the women quoted for this article and the message that they believe ordering a salad on a first date sends:

“unappealing mousiness”

“vapid and uninteresting”

“wimpy, insipid, childish”

Ouch! Whither the salad? What about the women who genuinely just love salads? Aren’t we all the mood for a light salad sometimes?

My advice to the single female readers of this blog: Be yourself. With all the effort and preparation you are already putting into trying to impress on a first date, just leave the food out of it and order what you genuinely feel like eating.

If you like your steaks rare, then by all means, soak up that blood with your dinner roll. If that grosses me out, too bad, I’m not the guy for you (note to single female readers, that definitely does NOT gross me out…dare I even say….HOT?)

Oh, and for any guy who thinks this means women won’t judge you for ordering a burger on a date, the article makes sure to throw water on that good news fire. Yes, that’s right men, if you order a burger, just be warned, it could still cause women to think you are a fatty fat fatty who is going to die early.

Sorry guys, but life isn’t fair. Until it is, guys, gals, do yourselves a favor, keep enjoying those first, second and third date steaks. Mmmmm….steak……so good.