We’ve all been there—you’re out with a cute friend, and suddenly you find yourself engaged in witty banter and occasional touching—wait, are you flirting? Perhaps you’ve even had a drunken kiss or two. So what's the deal? Do you remain friends, or is there more? Singles are perpetually plagued with the question of, “is this a friend date or a date-date?” Sitting silently in a movie theater isn’t going to help you decipher someone’s intentions, so here are some suggestions for not-too-romantic, not-too-casual spots to get to know your “friend” a little better.
Macondo
157 E. Houston St. (Allen & Eldridge Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.473.9900
Sit down at this beachy Latin American tapas newcomer and your waiter will inform you that everything at Macondo is meant to be shared. How will your “friend” react? We’d venture to say that if he/she is all about the sharing (feeding, perhaps?), it’s a date. As a bonus, if you speak Spanish, you can show off your skills as you help your dinner-partner decode the Spanish-heavy menu.
Peep
177 Prince St. (Thompson & Sullivan Sts.)
SoHo 212.254.7337
A neon paradise, Peep has a bathroom smack in the center of the narrow dining space—so what’s the gimmick? The single stall bathroom comes complete with a one-way mirror so you can study your “date’s” facial expressions for as long as you want—as well as peep the other hotties in vicinity.
Felice Wine Bar
1166 1st Ave. (@ 64th St.)
Upper East Side 212.593.2223
Exposed brick walls, dim lighting, and grotto-like spaces often make wine bars big-time date spots, but don’t let that scare you away, because wine bars can be perfect for putting your dinner buddy to the test. Check out Felice and see if your would-be lover is focused on getting drunk off of vino or spinning this rendezvous into something more romantic.
Delicatessen
54 Prince St. (@ Lafayette St.)
NoLita 212.226.0211
One of the latest joints to sprout in NoLita/SoHo and vie for hot spot status, Delicatessen only takes a limited number of reservations, so you can pop in and claim that the choice was spontaneous. While it has all the signs of a magnet for pretentiousness (pretty people and ultra-modern sleekness), the fact that they serve mostly calorific diner food and that they’ll soon be open 24-7 will help you spin this “date” any which way your senses take you.
Lucky Jack’s
129 Orchard St. (Delancey & Rivington Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.477.6555
We like to keep things positive, but because there’s always the chance that situations can go embarrassingly wrong, Lucky Jack’s offers two exits. The long bar in this LES spot extends from Orchard Street to Allen Street, so should this “date” be less than friendly, you can excuse yourself to the bathroom and then, um, just never come back.
