Dinner And A Movie: 4 Rules For A Dinner Date

There comes a time in every flirtation - online and off - when things take a more serious turn: the first dinner date. As simple as "dinner and a movie" may sound, the dinner date strikes fear into hearts of many, even the most experienced daters, who find themselves relentlessly obsessing over questions like "What should I wear?" "What can I talk about?" and "Should we split the bill?"

Fear not, dinner dater! The rules for successful dinner dates are much simpler than you think. Follow the tips in these gastronomic guidelines and you'll be an etiquette expert who could give Emily Post a run for her money:

1. Modern technology is great - but not at the dinner table. Your Facebook status does not need to be updated in the middle of the fillet mignon, and there's no reason to check your email over dessert. The point of a date is to get to know the person sitting opposite you, which you're not likely to do while your face is glued to your cell phone. And speaking of the person sitting opposite you...
2. You're a grown up - sit like one. Sitting next to each other at the table is the province of parents with children who cannot feed themselves and loved up teenagers who think makeout sessions are an appropriate way to pass the time between courses. But you, being the classy and mature adult that you are, understand that sitting across from one another, staring into each other's eyes (and maybe playing footsie discreetly under the table), is the way to go.
3. Be respectful - to both your date and the waitstaff. It's obvious that your date deserves to be treated with respect, but don't forget to treat everyone else around you, like waiters and maitre d's, with kindness and generosity as well. Do not be impatient or rude, and don't leave a miniscule tip. The way you treat the people who serve you tells your date a lot about who you really are as a person, so it's important that you only send positive messages.
4. Don't forget your manners - but don't take them too far. A little politeness goes a long way. Wait until both you and your date have been served before tucking in to your spaghetti bolognese, and don't taste any of your date's meal unless they offer to share. Offer to share a sample of your own in return. Don't stress out over which fork is meant for the salad and which is meant for the entree, and don't worry too much about where the dividing line is between "forearms on the table" and "elbows on the table." And ladies: don't just order an appetizer, out of concern for your weight or your date's pocketbook, but don't order something that will break the bank either. You can have the 5 course lobster prix fixe dinner on your own time.

See? Dinner date etiquette isn't complicated - it just requires a little consideration. Now get dining, daters!