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 up Kelly & Darwin at Middleman

Meet The Daters!

Name: Kelly

Star Sign: Virgo

Occupation: Event Planner

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? Because my friend told me it was a good idea. 

What’s a good way to win you over: I don’t know, I haven’t been won over. 

Most irrational fear: I travel so much for work, so I’m afraid the plane is going to go down. Now it’s at the forefront of my mind and I have a flight tomorrow morning. 

What’s your greatest strength: I’m pretty thoughtful. I’m a thoughtful friend. 

Never have I ever: Been on a blind date. 

Do you want kids? No, hard no. 

What do you geek out on? Food and beverage. Good restaurants and good bars. 

Immediate red flags: When they cannot come up with a plan for our first hang out or first date. I’m such a planner that it’s a red flag for me if they can’t do it. 

Immediate green flags: If they are on time. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? When I travel for work, I am very bad at communication. It’s been an issue dating before. 

One thing you can’t live without? My nice headphones. My Apple AirPods Max. On a plane, traveling, taking meetings, anywhere. 

Why did your last relationship end? My friends didn’t like him. He didn’t vibe with my friend group.

Celebrity crush: The guy from Anyone But You – Glen Powell. 

Name: Darwin

Star Sign: Taurus

Occupation: Spock Of Cannabis

Why are you going on Rooster’s Blind Date? Because I turn 40 this year & I’ve never been on a blind date. 

What’s a good way to win you over: Enjoying spicy food as much as I do. Or challenging me to a Hot Ones Challenge. Or buying me concentrates. 

Most irrational fear: I don’t know if I have one. I have a practical fear of heights because you can fall and die.

Never have I ever: Gone on a blind date until today! That, and joined the Mile High Club. 

Do you want kids? No. hard no. There are already too many people on the planet.

What do you geek out on? That one’s easy. Cannabis.

Immediate red flags: An annoying laugh. The obnoxious comedically high-pitched laughs that don’t seem real. 

Immediate green flags: Having confidence, being able to hold yourself, and knowing what you want. Major green flag. 

What is your toxic trait as a partner? Probably my quickness to anger. Why am I so quick to anger? I don’t know, ask my therapist.

One thing you can’t live without? My dog, Chester. 

Celebrity crush: I don’t have one because I live under a rock, apparently. 

Round 1

It’s a crisp February sunset on Colfax. We can almost taste spring, but that could be the Ichigo Libre we’re sipping on. Darwin and Kelly arrive, sharply on time, ready to mingle. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they have something in common. Their mutual friend, Kim, urged them both to sign up. Without Rooster knowing the extent of their entangled lives, we send them off for some cocktails and snacks. 

How’s it going so far?

D: Fine. Just fine. If you want my honest opinion, things are fine. I’m not attracted to her, so things are fine. 

K: So far so good. He’s a great conversationalist. 

What were your first impressions of the dater? 

D: That she wasn’t my type. I’m super superficial. I know what I want, and she doesn’t fit it. But, she’s really cool and I’m enjoying hanging out with her. 

K: He’s very intelligent, he owned his own business for a very long time which I’m very impressed with. I’m interested in the amount of places that he’s lived in. 

What was the first thing you noticed about your date?

D: That she didn’t meet my type. I don’t know, it’s one of those things where you know within the first 30 seconds. 

K: Is it weird to say his glasses?

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

D: No. Other than her looks, absolutely. She’s really engaging, really smart, knows her shit, entrepreneur, self-empowered. Other than her looks she’s pretty amazing. Pretty much checks all the boxes. But, if you’re going to be with someone you want to also be attracted to them. You have to have a spark. Especially as you are old as I am, you want to make sure you’re dating with purpose. 

K: No. I feel like typically I have been going on dates in the service industry. That has been my normal. He’s more scientist-y, but it’s not a dealbreaker. 

Where do you normally meet partners?

D: Unfortunately, on dating apps. I don’t really like them all, or any of them. I have had “success” if that means meeting people on the app. Those dates have never gone anywhere. I guess the apps at least let you window-shop. Which, for a self-proclaimed super superficial guy, helps. 

K: Dating apps. I haven’t really met anyone in the wild as of late. I’m only on Hinge. I would say it’s meh, but it’s mainly because I travel so much so trying to set a date to hang out with someone is very difficult. I like being on the road, but I understand the need to be home more if I want to start a community or find a relationship. 

What are you most nervous about for tonight? 

D: I was quite honestly nervous about whether or not it was going to be a situation within the first 30 seconds that I would know if was or was not interested in that person. It’s a blind date. 

K: Having no vetting process.

Did you get any advice for the date?

D: I asked my neighborhood dog park crew who lives vicariously through me, and I asked how I should dress, what I should do, and bounced ideas off of them.  

K: No. No, I talk to strangers all day for my job so I don’t really get nervous about it. I’ll always be fine. 

How did you prepare for the date?

D: I took a shower, I got cleaned up, and I looked through my closet for nice but not over-the-top clothes. I tried to meet that right balance between putting way too much effort into it or not giving a shit. Hopefully, I struck the right balance. 

K: I didn’t? I got ready. I started getting ready at 5:15pm as soon as I finished work. I did my hair and makeup. 

How did your date dress tonight?

D: Uh, I don’t know. I would say the same. She’s appropriate for the weather. 

K: Just good. That’s a fun question. 

What are you looking forward to in the next round?

D: Learning more about what she does. 

K: Getting to know what things he likes to do outside of work.

Round 2

Yikes, Darwin sure is particular for a man who showed up with a hole in his shirt. Does he realize this is getting published? We don’t mean to be mean, but anyone who eagerly calls themselves a self-proclaimed super superficial person should probably take some time to self-reflect on the extreme standards they have set for themselves. Kelly, on the other hand, is lovely, kind and keeps it cool as a cucumber. We cringe and send them away, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. 

How was dinner at Middleman?  

D: The food was great. The ambiance was cool. I really like Middleman. I had a lot of fun. I would certainly come back. 

K: It was great. Middleman was fantastic. Their drink menu is very thoughtful. I love the different takes on drinks. Their food menu was killer. I loved the butternut squash panisse and there was an option for vegan and gluten free folks. I’m a dietary girly in general. 

How’s the date going?

D: Everything is going great. The date is a lot of fun. That’s it. 

K: It’s good. We are aligned politically which is nice. We both have similar travel schedules, which is also nice and very hard to find. Darwin is very comfortable in himself and is looking for someone who is also comfortable in themselves, which is lovely. 

Do you two have anything in common? 

D: Yes. We’re both entrepreneurs, we both have start-ups and have been running our own businesses for the majority of our careers, we both randomly have a good friend / mutual colleague that we didn’t know that we knew, and we both like whisky. It’s an interesting coincidence. 

K: Yes, he works in the cannabis industry and I plan events in the cannabis industry. He travels for conferences and I plan conferences. We’re both newish to Denver. We will run into each other at one specific cannabis event that I plan.  

What do you like about your date? 

D: I like that she is independent, strong, and knows what she wants. 

K: He’s lovely. 

What do you not like about your date?

D: That she isn’t my type. That’s it. I could get over it, but I don’t want to. 

K: He’s never had Malört! 

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

D: The eye contact is great! And she’s very attentive to detail. 

K: He ordered me a drink while I was away from the table. It was good. It was a drink I initially wanted but the bartender talked me into something else. I liked them both. 

How would your parents feel about the dater? 

D: My parents would think she’s great. 

K: I think they would like him. Period. 

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

D: The general atmosphere. We’ve been having a lot of fun laughing at Trump. We’ve gotten along, so everything is great! 

K: The smashed potatoes. They fucking slapped! 

What could make the date better? 

D: *smirks* If I was attracted to my blind date. 

K: I was going to say a first kiss to be funny, but I really don’t want that. 

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

D: Probably a 4 or a 5. 

K: I’d give it a 5. I guess let’s up it to a 6. 

Where would you like the night to go from here?

D: I think being able to acknowledge that we have great compatibility and can be good friends. I’d love to hang out with her again as a friend for sure. 

K: To Club Bed Solo. For real, to my house. I have to pack since I’m leaving for 19 days tomorrow morning. 

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

D: No. 

K: Ya never know! 

Do you think there will be a hug, kiss or exchange of numbers?

D: Probably a hug. Neither to the other things. These are the worst questions ever. But I have so many friends who can’t wait to read this. 

K: I think there will be a hug and exchange of numbers. 

Round 3

We all know where this is going, so let’s skip to the part where we tell you about how awesome Middleman is. We are blown away by the food at Misfit Snack Bar, and the drinks are some of the best we’ve ever had in Denver. We’ve done a lot of dates, but we’ve never met a bar manager as passionate as Celeste. If you swing by, please tell her Rooster says hi!

What happened after Rooster left? 

D: After Rooster left, we had another drink and a few more laughs before calling it an evening. 

K: I just went home. We finished our drinks and called it a night. 

What was the best part of the date and why? 

D: The best part of the date was the free food and drinks, and the opportunity to meet someone new.

K: The chai-infused drink – Andaman. It was delicious. 

Would you have changed anything about the date?

D: The date itself was fun, but if I could have changed anything, it would have been to listen more and talk less. I felt like I dominated the conversation, and not in a good way.

K: I don’t think so. I feel like the location has a nice atmosphere. Sometimes when you go to a sit-down restaurant, you can feel a little trapped. Middleman was a great spot. More casual. 

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

D: We hugged.

K: There was a goodnight hug, but no exchanging of numbers. 

Will there be a second date? 

D: No, but we’ll certainly hang out again as friends.

K: I don’t think so. We both acknowledged that we weren’t attracted to each other in that way, but we would be happy to be friends. 

Any advice for future blind daters? 

D: Fill out the application form in as much detail as possible to help the Rooster team find eligible daters.

K: Have fun with it! Put yourself out there. 

Conclusion:

Sometimes it’s a swing and a miss. Sometimes your friend suggests that you sign up for a blind date, and sometimes your date was referred by the same friend, and now you’re stuck in a weird friendship triangle. The moral of the story: if you sign up two of your friends for a Rooster Blind Date, please give us a heads up because Middleman was just supposed to be the name of the bar. 

Are you single? Do you like free food and drinks and meeting new people? Click HERE to sign up for a Rooster Blind Date!