Sex & Dating: Date night dinners

My partner tried the wild-caught wood grilled salmon with creamed swiss chard and fennel. The salmon had a deep ruby hue and tasted as if caught only hours ago. We started with the libidinal iced oysters and luxurious gorgonzola tart made with parmesan pie dough, topped with a tart red wine pear butter which served as an excellent contrast to the rich gorgonzola.

The orgasmic ending was in the form of a pool of chilled milk chocolate with scoops of creamy scratch-made salted caramel ice cream, all topped with “carnival popcorn” pecan praline balls. Fierce.

First dates

I’ve been on that bad internet date and was stuck for the whole two-hour meal — you know, the one with the date who sent you a photo that was 10 years old. The solution is the dimly lit Café Intermezzo on Peachtree.

Eat early and meet your date for coffee or tea at 8 p.m. Share a decadent chocolate dessert like nutella cheesecake, chocolate chip banana cake, or classic tiramisu. You’ll listen to classical music in the European ambient café. If the date sucks, eat quickly and leave. If there’s chemistry the staff won’t rush you out and they close late.

In Decatur try the very dimly lit Iberian Pig. It’s a tapas friendly Italian-esque restaurant/pub. This place feels expensive but you and your friend can eat well for about $20.

We had two glasses of Malbec and Pork Cheek Tacos — slow-roasted pork cheeks, corn salsa, avocado crema, arugula, and fresh lime — for $7 and the vegetarian crispy eggplant “fries” with a spicy red pepper aioli for $5. Their tapas are huge portions for not a lot of money. The staff is very unpretentious. Iberian is a romantic Decatur gem.

I’ve written about Roxx before and it’s a perfect budget date place for the LGBT community because there are usually no straight people and you can sit on the same side of the booth and no one bats an eye, which is nice. Or you and your friends can have a bitter divorce dinner fueled by strong cheap margaritas and scathing conversation.

Top photo: With luxurious décor and a menu to match, One Midtown Kitchen is an excellent choice to impress a first date or celebrate an anniversary. (via Facebook)