Sometimes you want the subtext of your date to be:
“No big deal, just two great-looking people sitting around eating tacos, casually enjoying each other’s company. Yeah. Maybe I’ll touch your knee. We’ll see what happens.”
And sometimes you want that subtext to be more like:
“That’s right, I’m taking you to Kusakabe, that new Japanese spot now open by the Transamerica Building—it’s a serious eight-course omakase situation, because you deserve it.
“And when we approach the counter, we’re going to see some elm and eucalyptus, and I’m going to pull out your chair. Then we’ll say something friendly and respectful to the chef, a Sushi Ran vet, and we’re both going to be a little on edge but only because we know something good is about to happen.
“And then it’ll start. Eight or nine courses of whatever the chef has deemed worthy of our palates tonight. At some point we’ll meet the sommelier and the sake sommelier—yes, did I not mention? It’s two different people—and they’ll make important things happen for us.
“And then if we want more, there’s an actual menu, too, so maybe some salmon roe or wild-caught horse mackerel.
“Oh, and it’s kind of interesting. Everything here is kaiseki-style, which means the number five is big—five colors, five tastes, five preparation methods.”
Great subtext.
“No big deal, just two great-looking people sitting around eating tacos, casually enjoying each other’s company. Yeah. Maybe I’ll touch your knee. We’ll see what happens.”
And sometimes you want that subtext to be more like:
“That’s right, I’m taking you to Kusakabe, that new Japanese spot now open by the Transamerica Building—it’s a serious eight-course omakase situation, because you deserve it.
“And when we approach the counter, we’re going to see some elm and eucalyptus, and I’m going to pull out your chair. Then we’ll say something friendly and respectful to the chef, a Sushi Ran vet, and we’re both going to be a little on edge but only because we know something good is about to happen.
“And then it’ll start. Eight or nine courses of whatever the chef has deemed worthy of our palates tonight. At some point we’ll meet the sommelier and the sake sommelier—yes, did I not mention? It’s two different people—and they’ll make important things happen for us.
“And then if we want more, there’s an actual menu, too, so maybe some salmon roe or wild-caught horse mackerel.
“Oh, and it’s kind of interesting. Everything here is kaiseki-style, which means the number five is big—five colors, five tastes, five preparation methods.”
Great subtext.
