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 Matt and Liz up for a special night at Bao Brewhouse in Denver.
Meet the daters:
Matt
Current Job: I have two jobs. I am a server at Snooze and I’m starting my own drone photography company – Denver Drone Views.
Why are you going on a Rooster Blind Date? Well, I kind of just fell into it. My friends thought it would be funny. I got the text while I was sitting next to a buddy at the bar, and he said I had to go for it.
Birthday: Oct 28th (Scorpio)
What do you do for fun? I hang out with friends; I like to hit up Rockies games. I don’t cheer for them but I like the environment and the atmosphere. I used to be really into backpacking and I’m trying to get back into that. I spend a lot of time outdoors and off-roading.
What are you best at? I feel like this is a trap… Identifying traps! Being easy going and being a good friend to people. The best thing about me is that I try to help a friend out. I’ve helped more people move than I can count. Being a good friend is one of my best attributes.
What do you suck at? For being 6’4” I suck at basketball. I have no height advantage. Also planning for the future.
Do you sing in the shower? I do not. I sing outside the shower.
What are you most grateful for? I’d say the friends and company I keep.
Do you want kids? On the fence.
Immediate red flags: Anyone who brings up drama but also says they avoid drama. Saying the word ‘drama’ means you’re into it even if you say you’re against it. I try to avoid that. People that are rude to waitstaff. And people who have over-emotional reactions to things.
One thing you can’t live without: I can’t live without downtime to decompress.
Why did your last relationship end: My last serious one, she moved to LA. It was ups and downs, on and off. Long distance is a lie people tell themselves.
Celebrity crush: Ryan Reynolds. I’m gay, but I’ll learn.
Guilty pleasure: I avoid it, but sometimes I need some junk food. Anything gummy. Gummy bears, gummy worms.
Liz
Current Job: Marketing manager, small business owner and DJ.
Why are you going on a Rooster Blind Date? Why not? What is there to lose?
Birthday: Sept 12th (Virgo)
What do you do for fun? Go to concerts and hang out in parks with my friends.
What are you best at? Being blunt.
What do you suck at? Painting my nails.
Do you sing in the shower? I talk to myself. Hyping myself up, talking through problems or venting. It causes fewer fights in my life.
What are you most grateful for? My family.
Do you want kids? Maybe.
Immediate red flags: People pleasers. They are never genuine and I prefer someone who is honest, upfront and tells you how it is, within reason.
One thing you can’t live without: Music. Right now, my favorite is indie rock and melodic techno.
Why did your last relationship end: Because he was disrespectful and unsupportive with my lifestyle.
Celebrity crush: Dom Dolla.
Guilty pleasure: Any shows on the Bravo Network. Vanderpump Rules, 100%
Round 1
It’s a busy night in Downtown Denver and Bao Brewhouse is popping! The daters arrive and immediately order some dim sum to share while they break the ice. After a small feast of dumplings, we pull the daters apart to see if bao-mance is in the air.
How’s it going so far?
M: So far so good, actually. It’s kind of almost like an interview process right now, asking questions. Standard protocol for a blind date situation. We talked about work, and where we are from, and she talked a little bit about music. She goes to way more shows than I do. I’ve been in Colorado for 3 years but I haven’t been to Red Rocks yet.
L: It’s going well. He’s really easy to talk to. We’re talking about his aerial drone company that he’s trying to make successful and it sounds pretty cool. We’re bonding over the fact that we both didn’t really sign up for this.
What were your first impressions of your date?
M: She seems very nice. I want to say she seems like a very down-to-earth girl, girl next door vibes.
L: He looks like one of my friends from college. He’s super welcoming and nice.
Is this the type of person you’d normally date?
M: I believe so. I’ll go with yes.
L: Probably not, but I have really bad radar so I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Where do you normally meet potential partners?
M: Pass! Places like this, bars.
L: Usually through mutual friends or at shows.
What’s the strangest dating story you have?
M: I had a date back in college who didn’t seem interested in continuing the date. I told her that if she wanted to continue, I was going across the street and she could join me or stay there. The next day she asked me how the date ended because she had forgotten. She didn’t even remember that I left.
L: Probably this experience. It’s not too bad though. I haven’t been on any really terrible, bad dates, yet.
What are you most nervous about for tonight?
M: I wasn’t really nervous at all. I kind of just went in with a let’s be open and go with it mentality. I’m not some heartbroken guy trying to fall in love. I’m not going to lie, if there’s no connection at all I was going to pitch my drone company to you guys. I already gave you both cards. Two birds, one stone. Nailing it!
L: This interview! Sometimes I feel like I don’t know how to fully express what I want to with my words, and they can be taken the wrong way. But, I’m genuine so it can’t go that wrong.
Did you get any advice for this date?
M: Some guy in the hot tub told me to iron my shirt, so I steamed it.
L: No, when I told people they were like OMG. That was it. No advice but they were definitely supportive.
How did you prepare for the date?
M: Soaked in a hot tub, got myself ready, showered, crimped my hair, and steamed my shirt.
L: I rushed from work, so I tried to keep calm and not crash.
How did your date dress tonight?
M: She looks very nice.
L: Cute, I guess. He’s wearing a nice shirt.
Round 2:
If there’s one thing we know, the food at Bao Brewhouse is incredible. Aside from that, we can’t really tell if things are going well or if the date seems like a job interview. Liz and Matt order a few more cocktails, some more dim sum and we sit back and wait to see if they move towards a more casual conversation.
How’s it going?
M: Actually, pretty well. It seems like we left that interview process and are really getting to know each other more personally.
L: Good. I’m enjoying myself. It’s easy to talk to him. He seems like a normal dude.
What have you been talking about?
M: We just discussed dogs vs cats. I’m on team dogs. The history of what breeds we had growing up. She had beagles and I had springer spaniels. Failed Halloween plans and how Amazon dropped the ball and nobody got their costumes this year. Were you victims of that? I went a week to 10 days early and it didn’t come in time.
L: We’re talking about. I’ve asked him about what kind of shows he’s been to and what kind of music he’s into. We’ve gone on tangents about life stories. He is different… I know myself too well to know that the things that I’m interested in aren’t the things he’s interested in. He definitely feels like a dude that I would hang out with in a group as friends, but I don’t think it would go farther than that. But dude friends are not a bad thing.
Do you two have anything in common?
M: I think so. We both discussed our birthdays. She’s September and I’m October. Halloween is our favorite holiday. Personalities seem to mash pretty well. No red flags!
L: He seems open to trying new things, and exposing himself to new experiences that I relate to. It’s hard to give a specific example. It’s more of a feeling that I can bring up any topic and he can entertain it, but it doesn’t mean that we go into much detail. He can carry a conversation well, and I think we both have that in common.
What do you like about your date?
M: I think she’s interesting and nice to talk to. The conversation is not one-way. It’s back and forth, a mutual conversation and I’m not talking to a wall, which sometimes happens.
L: That he is a nice, normal guy. He’s not basic. He’s very respectable and makes me feel at ease. Not a fuckboi! He doesn’t know any of the kind of music that I like, but that’s okay.
What do you not like about your date?
M: We do not like the same type of music. I am more into alternative rock and she’s more indie and what used to be EDM but more like electronica. It’s not my cup of tea.
L: He seems like more of a good boy, or too nice for me almost. I don’t know if I need the bad, but it’s not what I’m used to. I don’t know if I like it or if I don’t like it.
What’s the most attractive thing about your date?
M: I think she has a pretty face.
L: His willingness to go with the flow. If I send us a drink, he’ll try it or be open-minded about it.
How would your parents feel about the dater?
M: I think she’s someone that my mom would approve of, but that doesn’t really matter because I date who I want to date. I don’t let my parents pick out someone to date for me.
L: They’d think he’s nice, but they would not tell me their true feelings until we broke up.
What’s been the best part of the date so far?
M: Our souvenir cups we got. We get to keep them! She got the cat one and I got the bird one. We want you to take a photo of us holding the souvenir cups.
L: Food, conversation, the drinks. Time has really flown by. It doesn’t feel like it’s been 2+ hours. I was scared it would drag on.
What could make the date better?
M: Nothing right now. I feel like it’s going at a good flow. The pace is right. Nothing feels rushed, but I also feel like there’s not any hesitation to talk and get to know each other more.
L: I don’t think anything, really. Maybe if we had common interests and extracurricular activities.
How’s the chemistry on a scale of 1-10?
M: I’m going to say during the first interview it was more of a 5, but now I think it might be an 8.
L: A 6.
Where would you like the night to go from here?
M: I would say a hug on the way and maybe make plans to meet along the way. I wouldn’t say no if she wanted to go to another bar for a nightcap, but I’m not planning on it.
L: I have to go home, so just an easy goodbye. No nightcaps. In the nicest way possible.
Will there be a good night hug, kiss or an exchange of numbers?
M: Most likely a hug and numbers, maybe a kiss!
L: Maybe an exchange of numbers. Maybe a hug. I’m not sure.
Round 3
Over soup dumplings and craft cocktails, the daters appear to be sharing stories of their childhood dog breeds. Interesting. Knowing things are going well, Rooster leaves for the evening and catches up with the daters the next morning to see how things ended.
How was Bao Brewhouse?
M: Bao Brewhouse was great. The atmosphere was perfect for a date, and sharing appetizers helped the flow of the conversation.
L: Great! Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and good soup dumplings!
What happened after Rooster left?
M: We finished our drinks and got a couple of bags to carry or souvenir glasses and decided to get another drink at a nearby place so we could talk more in a different and less noisy environment. We ran into Jules (my friend who serves at Bao) and he recommended the Emerald Eye around the corner. Liz and I each had two more drinks before calling it a night.
L: We went to Emerald Eye next door after with one of his friends. It was fun!
What was the best part of the date and why?
M: The best part was after the final interview, everything got more relaxed and we discussed meeting again
L: Getting out of my comfort zone, meeting someone new and having a new experience.
Was there a goodnight hug, kiss or exchange of numbers?
M: We exchanged numbers before leaving Bao and after post-date cocktails there was a good night hug. She did text again that night and I did respond.
L: Exchange of numbers and a hug
Will there be a second date?
M: Second date plans are more of still getting to know each other more and maybe something event-based.
L: Probably not a date, but more hanging out as friends in a group setting.
Any advice for future Blind Daters?
M: My friends signed me up for this as a joke and I just went with it. so my advice is to just be open to the experience and roll with it.
L: Keep an open mind and be yourself.
Conclusion
An exchange of numbers, a night cap and even a hug: even if Liz and Matt are only friends, we’re going to say this was a success. We can all say that Bao Brewhouse is the bao-mb.
Leave a Reply