Ten Places I'd Want A Date To Take Me

During a recent interview, I was asked for a list of ten places I'd want a date to take me. Coming up with four or five was pretty easy, but by the time I was getting down to the eighth, ninth, and tenth, I was having to think for a bit.

Most of us can probably list a few places without really thinking, but what surprised me was how quickly my "build-in" list ran dry, and how quickly I had to start thinking of what mattered to me. I think my first four or five thoughts were pretty boring; the interesting stuff came in the second half. Is this true for you?

What would by your top ten? Leave your reply in the comments…

Per Se or French Laundry: I still haven't been to either of Thomas Keller's most famous restuarants, mostly because I haven't had the right someone and right occasion to go!
Jinpachi (West Hollywood, CA): Best sashimi I've ever had. Good tofu, too.
Bar Tartine (San Francisco, CA): Nice ambiance + good food = great date spot.
Cafe Jacquelyn (San Francisco, CA): Traditional French onion soup and souffles to die for. My parents took me here when I was in high school; it changed the way I looked at food.
Chez Panisse (Berkeley, CA): Work with the very best that nature gives you and do as little as possible to it.
This little tiny roadside diner I once at at (somewhere in France): No, I don't remember where in France, but by that point on a date, I think I'll be okay trying any hole-in-the-wall next to a castle in the French countryside. Incidentally, this is where I first had duck confit.
Veggie Planet (Cambridge, MA): "It's nothing special." — which will only make sense if you're zen about it. Stick around for a Club Passim show while you're at it.
The Bazaar (Los Angeles, CA): Willy Wonka meets Spanish Tapas. Need I say more? Whimsical and fun.
Underground Supper Clubs (Any metro area, USA): You know, out of someone's home. An adventure!
Home-cooked meal (Your place): Cooking for me is alwaysappreciated.* Even if you're nervous and burn the house down (as long as it's your house, not mine).*Cooking is, for me, about sharing and community. Cooking for me is always appreciated. Just because I've done "some" food stuff doesn't mean I'm a food critique who'd tear someone apart. Except if I were a guest judge on Top Chef, in which case, I'd do a constructive critique, but that's different, and we're not on Top Chef now, are we?