Feed dating: The aftermath - The Jewish Standard

As reported in last week’s FYI, Futuresimchas.com and Nobo (formerly The Pasta Factory) organized a speed dating event in Teaneck on Monday called Dishes & Dating.

The Big Lipowsky swallowed his pride and signed up in order to bring you the inside scoop.

More than 70 people from around the New York metropolitan area signed up for the event with an almost even split of 38 men and 34 women. The women stayed put while the men juggled their water and wine glasses, silverware, and napkins as they moved from table to table. (My first “date” and I both had the same idea of tucking the napkin into my shirt like a bib as I moved, but I ended up draping it over my arm like a waiter.)

“It was a good, diverse crowd,” said Futuresimchas.com’s Yossi Markovitz, one of the event’s organizers. “That’s the best way to make matches.”

The evening was split into two types of speed dates. First, we had 15-minute rounds paired with salad, appetizers, and the main course. Then we moved into more rapid four-minute dates to fit in as many as possible into the remaining two hours. In the end we all came together with a dessert buffet.

We dined on salad, lamb ribs, spring rolls, dumplings, and prime rib. During each course we had an evaluation form to critique the food, which organizers decided would be a worthwhile ice-breaker. For the second-round appetizers – a chicken dumpling, a lamb riblet, and a duck confit spring roll – The Big Lipowsky lucked out and sat with a vegetarian who graciously gave up the meaty morsels. Trying to be a little creative and entertaining while writing the critique, I told her that the chilled spring roll in a rice wrapper was cool, refreshing, and inspired me to paint.

Markovitz did get some criticism because of the length of the event – about three hours.

“People just get tired,” he said. “Most of the speed-dating events are 10 pairs max and we had 75 people. People get tired after meeting other singles of the opposite gender. We had to call it quits after 15 rounds of the speed dating and couldn’t go to 25 as initially expected.”

All in all, though, Markowitz chalked up the first-time event as a success and Futuresimchas plans to repeat it with different venues.

As for how The Big Lipowsky made out, well, some things just are not for public record. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make.