Each month, we set two daters up, give them free food and drinks, then wait for the magic to happen. This month’s Blind Date we set Emily and Alex up at Carne.

Meet The Daters!

Name: Emily

Occupation: Nurse

Star Sign: Aquarius

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date?  My friend told me about it. He’s a good wingman. 

What’s a good way to win you over? Go on a bike ride with me. I have a tandem bike if they want to try it out! 

Most irrational fear: Getting stuck in a bathroom stall. 

What’s your greatest strength? I’m pretty persistent. When I want to get something done, it happens. 

Do you want kids? Maybe.  It depends on the person.

What do you geek out on? Anything underwater, like nudibranches, and bikes. 

Immediate red flags: If they voted for Trump, or if you show up late on a first date. 

Immediate green flags: Dreams big, likes to travel, and has a kind heart. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? I am hyper-independent, and I always think I can do it on my own, even if I can’t. 

One thing you can’t live without? My Crocs.  

Why did your last relationship end?  Poor communication and different goals. 

Celebrity crush: Michael B. Jordan. 

Guilty pleasure: I own way too many scented candles.

Name: Alex

Occupation: Senior compliance program manager

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date?  My friend  recommended  it instead of Hinge. 

What’s a good way to win you over? If you have a little whimsy in you and you match my weird. 

Most irrational fear: Grocery stores. I feel like everyone’s plotting my demise over there. 

What’s your greatest strength? Social glue. I bring a lot of people together. 

Do you want kids? Absolutely not. I’m already snipped. 

What do you geek out on? Horror movies. I go to every opening night. 

Immediate red flags: No sense of humor and if they suck at communicating. 

Immediate green flags: Cat moms and if they like pop punk. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? I talk way too much. I don’t like quiet moments. 

One thing you can’t live without? My cats! Mocha and Waffles. 

Why did your last relationship end?  We were long distance, and we weren’t compatible. The incompatibility wasn’t worth the long distance. 

Celebrity crush: Indie Navarrette aka Freaky Nikki from Obsession 

Guilty pleasure: White Monsters.

Round 1

It’s one of those perfect summer evenings Denver has been waiting for. The scorching heat has finally eased into a tolerable summer sauna. As bikes and scooters zip around every corner, our daters, Emily and Alex, arrive at Carne. Emily rolls up on a bright orange bike that immediately catches Alex’s eye. After a glass of champagne and a few appetizers, we pull them aside to see how the date is going. 

How are things going so far? 

A: They are going good! She’s really easy to talk to. We were both nervous at first, but we’re easing into it and having a good time. 

E: I think it’s going well! He’s a really good communicator, and the conversation has been flowing. He’s a super interesting person in general. He’s very warm and welcoming. 

What were your first impressions of the dater? 

A: I saw her roll in on her super cool, hot orange bike, and I was like, is this her? It’s a nice bike! I bike, too. I’m very impressed by her bike. 

E: He seems very honest, open, and down for a fun time. 

What was the first thing you noticed about your date?

A: She was wearing these super cute Crocs. They are a camo pattern, but in a cool way. A cool camo. 

E: He’s got a great sense of style, and a cute smile. I like his smile. 

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

A: Yeah, I think so. Her humor stood out to me. She’s making jokes right off the bat. I’m laughing, and I think they are funny. I really like her eyes, and her smile is captivating. 

E: Probably, yeah. He’s willing to go out on a limb on one of these blind dates. I love his tattoos, and he’s a super inquisitive human who asks a lot of good questions. He takes the time to get to know you. 

Where do you normally meet partners?

A: Unfortunately, from Hinge. Hinge is not successful, not at all. I’ve been very on and off it. This is going well though.  

E: All my past relationships have been through real life or through mutual friends. Hinge just does not work. 

What are you most nervous about for tonight? 

A: I was nervous about the interview. I’ve never been on a blind date. I was nervous about being published for the whole city to see. That is very nerve-wracking to me. 

E: I was nervous about never having met him and knowing nothing about him. Walking into the unknown is definitely nerve-wracking. The minute I started talking to him, he was so nice and put me at ease. It’s a good start to a date. 

Did you get any advice for the date?

A: My friend went on one of these before. She said to go in with good intentions and have a fun time. 

E: My mom and all her friends were very invested in this. They told me to go in with an open mind, but they also immediately wanted a photo of my date. I did not take a photo. That’s not happening, but thank you for meddling in my love life, mom. They are going to have to wait until it is published.

How did you prepare for the date?

A: I had a good car karaoke session to the song Man or Muppet on repeat. 

E: I didn’t. I just didn’t think about it and just wanted to go in with an open mind and not hyperfixate on it. I got off night shift today, so I’m a little delirious. But it’s going great! 

How did your date dress tonight?

A: I think she dressed pretty cool. The Crocs, and I love her pants and her top. Her shoes are pretty cool. They look super comfy, too. I’ve never owned a pair of Crocs. I might need her help picking some out.

E: Very well. He cleans up very nicely. He definitely has better style than me. He’s never owned Crocs, so I will be working on getting him into them, for sure. 

What are three words that you’d use to describe your date? 

A: Confident, quirky, pretty. 

E: Open-minded, caring, compassionate. 

What are you looking forward to in the next round?

A: We’ve been getting to know each other background-wise, but I’d like to know more about her hobbies and music tastes. 

E: Talking more and getting to know him. He’s got a very interesting life, and I want to know more about it and know more about him. 

Round 2

The verdict is in: Hinge is out, Crocs are in. Alex was instantly charmed by Emily’s bright orange bike and bold footwear, while Emily found herself opening up to his curiosity, kindness, and easy conversation. The awkward first-date phase never really stood a chance. After a shared meal, they settled the next interview with a game of rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first. Alex loses. Again.

How was dinner and drinks from Carne?  

A: Amazing! I’ve never been here, but I’m going to recommend this place to anyone looking for a special occasion or a nice meal. 

E: Oh my god. So good. The octopus was delicious. Maybe the best I’ve ever had. The food and drinks were all around top-notch. 

How’s the date going?

A: Great! This is going really well. I had my doubts at first, but this is a really good date. I think we’re both getting more comfortable and having fun. 

E: It’s going well. We’re having a really good conversation and getting to know each other. We have a lot of similar interests and things in common. 

Do you two have anything in common? 

A: We both like biking and indie rock music. and we don’t like EDM. It’s a big thing in Denver! That’s another fear of mine: EDM girls. I can’t keep up with the wooks. I’m lame! They have such an exciting lifestyle. 

E: We have a lot of similarities in our taste of music and what we like to do in our free time. And it seems like we’re both adventurous eaters. 

What do you like about your date? 

A: She’s really easy to talk to, which can be an issue on first dates. It’s hard for me to get a date to think fast. I think she’s really pretty and very nice to look at. 

E: I feel very at ease and comforted. He’s super nice and easy to talk to. He makes me feel like I can be super honest. I always have more questions, and there is more to learn and discover about him. 

What do you not like about your date?

A: I don’t not like anything about her. I couldn’t think of anything if I tried. 

E: At this point, not much. I think there’s a lot of potential here. Hopefully there will be a second date. We’ll see! 

What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?

A: Playing rock, paper, scissors on who goes first on the interviews. We’ve been splitting some of the food, and she’s been doing a high-pitched baby voice for splitsies, and I think that’s super cute. 

E: Probably when he admitted that he didn’t know something. He was super honest about what he knows and what he doesn’t. He’s not faking it at all. No mansplaining. I appreciate that! 

How would your parents feel about the dater?   

A: I think they would like her a lot. She’s really nice. My parents always ask me if whoever I’m dating is nice to me, and I think they’d be very about her. 

E: My mom would for sure think he’s super cute and kind. She would have a really good time getting to know him. 

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

A: Vibing with her over good food and drinks. 

E: How quickly we found a rhythm and flow and hit it off right away. Neither of us has been on a blind date before. We laughed about how nervous we were but immediately felt right at home. 

What could make the date better? 

A: A bottle of red wine to share and to keep the date going. She said she likes comedy, and my favorite brewery has free comedy night on Wednesdays, so that could be a thing. The date feels like it’s going fast! 

E: If we could make it longer. 

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

A: 7.5. She told me that she liked my smile, so I think that’s good. A kiss at the end could make it a ten. 

E: I’m critical, but I think it’s a 7 out of 10. It’s better than most first dates. 

Where would you like the night to go from here?

A: I want to keep hanging out with her, for sure. I’ll see how she feels about the comedy show. 

E: Hopefully we go and grab another drink somewhere and keep it going.  There’s potential for a second date in the future. 

What’s a fun fact that you learned about your date? 

A: She’s allergic to cats. But not too bad. She takes medicine, and she loves cats. She’ll be around them, I hope. 

E: The most interesting and fun fact is that he’s doing a Taco Bell 50K. I had no idea that existed, and I am shooketh! I would absolutely not do it. 

Do you think there’s going to be a second date?

A: I hope so, yeah! I would ask her if she wants to go on a bike ride and hit up a brewery. I’ve always wanted to ride a tandem bike.

E: Yeah, I think so. I hope so. I think we’d take my tandem bike for a spin, for sure. He was very intrigued. Done deal, let’s go! 

Round 3

By now, the date is cruising faster than an e-bike at the Thursday Night Cruiser Ride. Neither Emily nor Alex are looking for the finish line; they are just enjoying the ride. The next day, we check in to see how the rest of the night unfolded. 

What happened after Rooster left? 

A: We kept the party going! We biked over to Ratio Brewery for their comedy night and closed out Larimer Liquor! We ended up helping this girl out from a bad first date. Her date was super drunk and creepy, and she asked us to help her out. We managed to get her an Uber home and away from her date. 

E: We hung out and went to Ratio to see a comedy show. Then, we went to another bar where this poor girl was having a terrible date, so we ended up saving her from it. Then we were like, okay, it’s time to go home. 

What was the best part of the date and why? 

A: I’d say it was when my nerves went away, and I genuinely started enjoying myself and Em’s company!

E: It was a really fun date! The conversation was constantly flowing and it never felt awkward. 

Would you have changed anything about the date?

A: Nothing at all!

E: No, I don’t think so! It was a great date. 

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

A: All 3!

E: Yes, all of the above. It was a good kiss. 

Will there be a second date? 

A: Yes! We’re going to go for a bike ride and hit up a brewery!

E: Yeah, we’re already making plans to hang out. Probably sometime next week. 

Any advice for future blind daters? 

A: As cheesy as it sounds, be yourself and keep yourself open-minded to the experience! I was shaking a little walking over, but man, I’m glad I went through with this experience.

E: Go into it with an open mind, have fun, and don’t set expectations. It was a really fun time. 

Would you recommend going on a Rooster Blind Date? 

A: 100% yes!

E: Yeah, I would! 

CONCLUSION

Emily and Alex biked off into the night with plans to do it again soon, this time on Emily’s tandem bike. Moral of the story? Delete the apps. Sign up for a Rooster Blind Date. And whatever you do, wear the Crocs.

Are you tired of ordinary dating? Do you like free food and drinks? If you are 21 or older, then you may be entitled to a  Rooster Blind Date!

Click HERE to sign yourself or a friend up!