Whenever a friend tells me they’re going on a date, the question that immediately comes to mind (after “with who?!"), is “where to?” Finding the right place to bring a romantic interest can be tricky, and where you choose to go sends a signal, whether you realize it or not, about how you view the other person. So how do you pick a place to take a date?

My friend Geoff calls the selection of a good restaurant “all important” and shared the mental checklist he runs through before picking a date place. “What’s the lighting, where can you sit, are the drinks good, ambiance, will I look like a fool eating the food.” Clearly there’s a lot of strategy involved, and it can be tricky to hit the right note.

There’s also the debate about how casual or swanky you want to go. While I’m obviously all for fine dining, personally I think you should save spots like the Legation Quarter for later on in the game. Super-chic restaurants can stifle the already awkward, getting-to-know-you conversation, and especially pricey menus can cause hesitation when it comes time to order. Also, swanky restaurants to me signify that you're trying pretty hard to impress, which, let's be honest, isn't always a good thing.

Lately, my friends have been asking me incessantly about where to find good date restaurants, and I want to throw it out to you. Where do you like to take dates out to eat? On the flipside, what do you think about someone based on where they take you? Unfortunately, we’re not all as slick as the guy who uses his fridge to pick up girls. If only...