Each month, we set two daters up at a restaurant, give them free food and drinks, then wait for the magic to happen. This month’s Blind Date, we set Alec and Kyla up for a special night at Manning’s Steak & Spirits in Denver.

Meet The Daters:

Alec 

Current Job:  Graphic Designer and former Rooster Magazine employee. 

Why are you going on a Rooster Blind Date?  Maddie said if I don’t she would never be my friend again. But seriously, why not? I wanted to see my old friends. It’s funny being on this side of it. 

Birthday: Virgo. 

What do you do for fun?  Skate and smoke blunts. 

What are you best at? Music recommendations. I was told by a lot of people that the songs I showed them were on their top 10 this year.

What do you suck at? Talking about myself. I’m really good at listening though. 

Do you sing in the shower? Only if there’s an audience. 

What are you most grateful for? My friends. 

Do you want kids? No. It’s not a rock solid ‘no’ but it’s pretty firm. 

Immediate red flags: Consistently bringing up exes. I had a girlfriend who did that. Her boyfriend died and she would never stop talking about it. He died right after they broke up. 

One thing you can’t live without: Music. All kinds of music. 

Why did your last relationship end:  Mutual breakup. She wanted kids and I didn’t. 

Celebrity crush: I have a couple. There’s one that is a Boulder artist, is that weird to say? Ellie Paisley is hot. 

Guilty pleasure: I don’t have guilty pleasures I just have pleasures that I fuck with hard. Like Live PD and COPS. 

Kyla

Current Job: Manager at Whole Foods. 

Why are you going on a Rooster Blind Date?  I am a collagist and I use Rooster for my material. I was reading the Blind Dates before and I was like this is crazy I might as well try it! 

Birthday: Capricorn 

What do you do for fun?  I collage, I like to do yoga, travel, I’m learning French, I like painting, and spending time with my friends.  

What are you best at? Talking to people. 

What do you suck at? I suck at sports. 

Do you sing in the shower? Sometimes. ‘80s love ballads. 

What are you most grateful for? My community. 

Do you want kids? Maybe one day. That’s a future me problem. 

Immediate red flags: If they are unkind or judgmental. 

One thing you can’t live without: My friendships. 

Why did your last relationship end: We were supposed to move out here together and he backed out at the last minute. 

Celebrity crush: Jeremy Allen White. 

Guilty pleasure: Sex and the City. The old ones! Please specify the old ones.  

 

Round 1

Here it is, folks. The long-awaited Blind Date of the cherished former Rooster designer, Alec. After years of waiting and yearning for a match, we finally think we have found the perfect date and the perfect date spot for our main man Alec. If things don’t go well, we’ll never hear from Alec again. 

It’s not very often a former Rooster employee goes on a blind date. Alec, our former graphic designer, is in for a fun night as he arrives sporting a Rooster hat and smile. Kyla shows up next with a patched jacket and outgoing personality. We get the daters some drinks, let them talk then pull them aside for first impressions.

How’s it going so far?

A: Really good. She’s really pretty, she’s really good at talking and we have very similar music tastes. She busted out my Spotify Wrapped and she liked it. She said I have really good taste in music. And she does, too. Her favorite artist is Smino. 

K: It’s going really well. The conversation is really easy, we have a lot in common. We’re both from the Midwest, we have similar taste in music and I think he’s a good conversationalist. 

 

What were your first impressions of your date? 

A: She is really pretty, I love her jacket and her outfit is really sick. Cute hair, cute eyes. 

K: I thought he was cute, and I was pleasantly surprised. He looks more like my type than I imagined. 

 

Is this the type of person you’d normally date?

A:  Yeah, I’d say so. 

K: Probably. 

 

Where do you normally meet potential partners? 

A: Shows and concerts. 

K: The worst ones have been from dating apps, sometimes at bars, sometimes at parks and out in the community and whatnot. 

 

What’s the strangest dating story you have?

A: The girl with the dead boyfriend she kept talking about was pretty weird. 

K:  I went on a date and it was going really well, until he went out and took a call from his ex and got back together with her. They aren’t still together now because he hit me up again after they broke up.

 

What are you most nervous about for tonight? 

A: I wasn’t really nervous. I’ve been on the other side of the dates, so I kind of know what to expect. 

K: His responses to the questions you’re going to ask him. 

 

Did you get any advice for this date? 

A: No. Nothing worthwhile. I had a bunch of stupid suggestions. Somebody told me to get her a flower, but I didn’t.

K: I got a lot of advice from my friends. They all said that it’s going to be a story worth telling and if it goes badly, I won’t remember it in a few months. 

 

How did you prepare for the date? 

A: I worked a full day at work. I didn’t go home and I came straight here. I went and got a weed cart and then realized I didn’t have a battery so I had to make a second stop to buy a battery. 

K: My best friend and I hang out every time we have first dates. We hung out together, she drove me here and she played all the songs I like. 

 

How did your date dress tonight? 

A: Super cool. I love her jacket. The patch thing is sick. I really want pants that are exactly like that that I’ve been eyeballing forever. Maybe we’ll be cute matching–matching. 

K: Street style I’d say. I like it. 

Round 2:

Matching-matching after Round 1? Say it isn’t so! We still firmly believe that Alec should have brought a flower (except for you, Tom), but it doesn’t seem like he needed it. So far, the vibes are immaculate, and we hope not to scare her away with our enthusiasm for one of our more successful dates yet. We try to hold ourselves together from across the restaurant until after their meals to see what else they’ve discovered about themselves. 

How’s it going?

A: Good. Really good. We’re having a super good conversation. She’s still super pretty. We have a lot in common like our type of music tastes and artist stuff. She likes to paint and collage, I like to paint. 

K: It’s still going great. The conversation is still going well. We have plenty to talk about. There hasn’t been an awkward pause. 

 

What have you been talking about? 

A: Music, travel, ideal place of where we would want to live. She really wants to live in Portugal, or at least see it because she’s heard really good things, or the coast of France. I told her Australia but I immediately backtracked because of the bugs and lizards that are scary. 

K: A lot of different things. He used to work for Rooster so I’ve been asking a lot about them. I was asking about blind date stories and how he’s from a really small town. I thought Kenosha was small but his town is really small. Where we’d like to live if we could live anywhere.  It’s kind of going all over.  

 

Do you two have anything in common? 

A: Yes. Similar music tastes, she’s into art and artsy stuff. She collages and paints. She seems interested in the fact that I’m a designer. You know I’m dropping that I’m making official merch, baby! 

K: Yeah. Plenty. Music, where we’re from. He’s easy to talk to and I am too. We’re both creatives. 

 

What do you like about your date?

A: She’s very easy to talk to. She said that she didn’t feel that nervous even though she felt like she was supposed to be. I was feeling the same way.  

K: He’s easy to talk to. He seems genuinely kind and a good conversationalist. I think I’ve said that a lot but he is a good conversationalist and he makes me comfortable.  

 

What do you not like about your date? 

A: Honestly, I can’t find anything right away. Maybe if we hang out again….wink wink. 

K: This is the question I was dreading the most! But nothing comes to mind. 

 

What’s the most attractive thing about your date? 

A: Music taste, or that she’s so easy to talk to. She doesn’t seem overwhelming and she seems pretty chill. 

K: He really values creativity. 

 

How would your parents feel about the dater? 

A: Who cares! Just kidding, they are going to read this. They’d probably like her. 

K: I think they would like that he’s from the Midwest. They’d like that he’s genuinely kind and has a real job (now). 

 

What’s been the best part of the date so far? 

A: It’s easier to talk to her now than if I met her through a mutual friend. I like the blind date aspect. It’s less pressure. I don’t feel like I have to be like “Look how impressive I am!” to get her to go on a date with me because I’m already on a date with her. That is the hard part… the convincing. 

K: That he isn’t crazy. The food is great too! 

 

What could make the date better? 

A: If it was Friday. I have to work in the morning. I would totally stay out and keep hanging out if I didn’t have to wake up at 6 am. 

K: If the restaurant was closer to home. 

 

How’s the chemistry on a scale of 1-10? 

A: 8. 9? Or 8. 

K: Let’s say 7. 

 

Where would you like the night to go from here? 

A: I don’t know. I don’t have any plans for the rest of the night. I’ll play it by ear and go with the flow. 

K: To be determined. 

 

Will there be a good night hug, kiss or an exchange of numbers?

A: I don’t know! I wouldn’t want to be weird and pushy, but I would probably try to score the number though. I won’t push for the kiss, but I’d take a smooch. It’s been a while for ole Big Nasty.

K: Definitely an exchange of numbers. I don’t want to answer the rest. It’s to be determined. 

Round 3:

Kyla pulls us aside to say that she’s glad she didn’t get stuck with a weirdo. Alec pulls us aside to say’s been too busy talking to eat his dinner.  The owner of Manning’s pulls us aside to tell us that he is ordained and they could get married tonight! Could this date get any better?! Are we hallucinating or did the 160-proof Signature Old Fashioneds catch up with us? 

How was Manning’s? 

A: Great! Solid first date spot. The food was awesome!

K Manning’s was awesome, our server was such a sweetheart and she was (one of) the highlights of the date.

 

What happened after Rooster left?

A: Nothing wild. We both worked the next day so I drove her home and we talked a bit more.

K:  After Rooster left, Alec gave me a ride home.

 

What was the best part of the date and why?

A: The conversation. We have a lot in common and she is easy to talk to. Also, she’s super pretty so that’s always a plus!

K: The whole experience of the date was really cool, but I think the best part was meeting a cool person (and obviously a great meal). 

 

Was there a goodnight hug, kiss, or exchange of numbers? 

A: We hugged and traded numbers.

K: There was a goodnight hug and an exchange of numbers.

 

Will there be a second date? 

A: I think there’s something in the works 👀.

K: Yes, we’re planning a second date. He wants me to show him different spots around my neighborhood!

 

Any advice for future Blind Daters? 

A: Don’t overthink shit!

K: I’d tell future blind daters to go into it with an open mind. At best you meet a great person and at worst you walk away with a great story. 

 

Anything you want to end with? 

A: Follow @alecsmalldesigns. 

K: I’m just grateful for the experience! It’s a date I’ll remember for a long time.

 

Conclusion:

We promised Alec either a great date or a date with a 60-year-old, retired exotic dancer. There was no in-between. But, we’re glad we picked Kyla. We had to let Alec leave Rooster on a good note, and we can’t imagine a better send-off than a match made in Rooster heaven. You know we’ll all be crashing that wedding (and the open bar) if the time ever comes.