A smile catches her attention and a love of gastronomy brings them together. The first thing Melinda noticed about Robert was his smile. As she read more about him, everything pointed to someone who liked to have fun and was genuinely a nice person. She swiped right. They chatted back and forth for a few days. Robert asked Melinda out. They arranged to meet. Robert immediately won bonus points when he suggested the Spanish tapas restaurant, Barlata. It meant he’d been paying attention during their conversations. Melinda had studied in Spain during her university years. Sometimes first dates can be awkward – especially when there are long pauses in the conversation. That wasn’t the case for Melinda and Robert. The conversation flowed easily. Robert says sangria always helps. They talked about their close connection with family and friends, their fondness for travel and music, and their appreciation of gastronomy – amazing food and great cocktails make life just a little bit better. The bonus points in both their eyes kept adding up. What was scheduled as quick happy hour drinks turned into dinner. Both of them were amazed at how naturally the conversation flowed. If you change venues during the first date, does that still count as the same date? Or, is it considered a second date on the same evening? After dinner, Melinda and Robert moved on to The Golden Goose for a night cap. The perfect end to a wonderful first date.