Last month, my dad told me about a guy that had expressed interest in participating in our dating project. He didn’t have his contact information, but suggested I reach out to him on Facebook. That person was Alex and as I read through his online profile, it all began to sound very familiar…
As it turns out, Alex had sent me a message a few weeks earlier on an LDS dating website I joined late last year. We had sent a couple of brief messages back and forth, but nothing more. Unbeknownst to him (since my Facebook page is private and I didn’t post anything about this project on the dating website), the dating project he heard about involved the same girl he had sent a message to a few weeks earlier. Small world!
He responded back and said he’d love to go out. But as we began looking at date options we soon learned that we both live crazy lives with ridiculous schedules and that the first time that either of us could get together (as part of this project or not) was several weeks down the road at the end of March. And so it was that we went out tonight.
Alex had suggested meeting at Cavatore’s, a quaint little Italian restaurant just inside the 610 loop. I’d heard the name but didn’t know anything about it beyond that and I was in for a treat!
As I walked into the restaurant, I caught a glimpse of an adorable mid-age Italian woman who was clearly one of the owners. I watched as she greeted customers, managed a party reservation and oversaw the wait staff, all to the soft sounds of gentle Italian music being played at the nearby piano. It was like something out of a movie and the fact that she reminded me of Minnie Driver in Return to Me may have played a role in that, too. It was adorable.
Alex arrived and from the start was friendly and pleasant. After being seated, we each placed our order for lasagna – everyone’s favorite (literally, it said so on the menu) and an order of the Caesar salad that made them famous. Now this is no ordinary Caesar salad mind you. It’s the BEST! Literally, it was incredible.
The salad is made on a cart at your table, where you watch as the maître d minces a tooth of garlic with merely a fork and spoon, tosses in various oils and other ingredients, and then add in freshly chopped romaine lettuce and crispy croutons before beautifully placing the masterpiece on cool glass plates. Seriously, it’s like watching an artist work. Whether it was a result of the entertainment or just the perfect match of ingredients, the salad was really incredible. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the salad being created, but I did catch the maître d at someone else’s table so now you can see his back. Just use your imagination. :)
During dinner, Alex told me about his conversion to the LDS church just 3 months earlier and about the incredible journey he had been on to reach that point after years of interaction with members of the church. It was clear that he had experienced a life-changing transformation that has really impacted him for the better, and he’s passionate about sharing it with others.
I also learned that Alex really enjoys traveling. His job as an attorney has taken him to various parts of the world, but when asked about his favorite place, he said without hesitation it would have to be Hawaii. He even visited six of the islands in just eight days because he couldn’t get enough of it all. He enjoys studying about and visiting old war forts, loves trains and airplanes, and is really just a big kid at heart. :) As if that weren’t enough, he’s half Swedish and comes from a family of linguists, where he himself speaks English, Swedish, French and even some Spanish!
After dinner, we ordered what had to be the best desserts on the planet -- he enjoyed a slice of pecan cheesecake while I indulged in a cup of chocolate mousse (it may be my favorite dessert now). I mean, look at it! And believe it or not, it tasted about ten times better than it looks, if that’s even possible.
At the end of the night, Alex graciously paid for our superb meal, walked me to my car and gave me a kiss on the cheek as we parted. He even thoughtfully sent me a text at the end of the night to make sure I had made it home safe despite the wet and rainy roads. Overall my time with Alex was nice and I enjoyed getting to know this former stranger, now friend. Thanks, Alex, for a wonderful time!
1 comment:
I'm glad you had good date! That chocolate mousse looks amazing! I really need to visit that place! :)
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