First dates always begin with a blend of anticipation, nervousness, and excitement that has your stomach filled with butterflies. And tonight was no exception.
Of course, there is always that awkward moment when you first meet, and true to this narrative, our date at Chic by the Oyster House started off under this same theme when we were trying to find the exact location of the place. So after making some excuse about how my busy schedule doesn’t permit me to go to TST much, we finally found our destination in the bustling district.
The Chic is elegantly decorated, but having said that, the mix of classic and modern styles is definitely an acquired taste. Fortunately, my date remembered how I enjoy outdoor dining and proposed that we eat on the balacony on this comfortably cool November evening.
The seating outdoors is limited to just a few tables, but this actually provides the perfect venue for private and intimate conversation. The area was rather dimly lit, but one could argue that this is the ideal setting for a romantic dinner for two.
To win the lady’s heart, I started the evening ordering white wine along with the seafood platter to help break the ice. The oysters from this dish were absolutely wonderful. They were creamy and flavorful making the oysters from your standard buffet seem bland and watery by comparison. The remaining items on the seafood platter included abalone, whelks, mussels, and shrimps, all of which were good, but not especially outstanding.
Following the appetizer, we decided to try the lasagna which was beautifully garnished and unlike the anything that I’ve seen elsewhere. I am one who usually complains of excessively large portions, but this dish seemed rather light even by my standards. Nevertheless, this dish hit the spot as a nice light entrée that was not overly oily or salty.
Despite going easy on our orders, the conversation with my date was thoroughly satisfying and we even skipped dessert. So we just ordered another round of drinks and chatted the night away. A perfect end to a perfect first date.