What features would you like to see more of on Datespaces.com?(surveys)

In this troubled economy, some of the best things in life are truly free. What better way to spend a day with your significant other than taking a short drive or hike to view the amazing fall colors.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
1285 Avenue of the Americas (52nd St.)
New York, New York 10019
Restaurant: (212) 459-1222

Review
In our ongoing quest to introduce DateSpacers to the best date locations at the best prices, the major steak chains have been making our lives very easy of late. First. Ruth’s Chris Steak House offered a $40 prix-fixe that, given the menu options, carnivores could certainly bring their vegetarian dates to feast upon. Then, last week, The Palm announced a $45 surf-and-turf special. And this week, McCormick & Schmick’s one-ups the famed steakhouse with the same deal but at 1/3 the price. In honor of Valentine’s Day (so the restaurant claims), M&S offers a three-course steak-and-lobster-tail dinner for only $30 a pop, so if you’re searching around for an inexpensive but awesome V-day meal, look no further.

Click here for previous installments of Man Made from Mr. Online Dating Matches’

I went to Starbucks a few nights ago to get my usual nightly cup of coffee (night owl here). It was 8pm on a Friday night and the coffee shop was pretty packed so there was an unusual 10 minute wait to get my drink. As I was waiting for my café latte to be made ready, I happened to notice a guy and a girl sitting right next to me. They both appeared to be in their mid 20’s. The guy was slouched down in his seat and his every body movement made him look like he was a robot. The girl on the other hand looked like she was mentally checked out of the conversation he was trying to have with her.

The Palm
837 2nd Ave
New York, NY
(212) 687-2953

250 W 50th St
New York, NY
(212) 333-7256

Review
An economic meltdown brings with it dating opportunities that may have never before been possible. Because of a lack of hedge fund and bank execs dining at what many consider to be New York’s premier steakhouse, The Palm restaurant chain is offering an unprecedented deal for unprecedented times. A surf and turf dinner (lobster tail and steak for the layman) for two people for only $89. That is unbelievable!

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Two deals for all you daters looking for a cheap option or two in these tough times:

White Castle is doing candlelight dinners (you buy the food) on V-Day, while the Palm has a coupon for steak and lobster tail dinner for two for under $100. Seriously! What are you waiting for?

Dear DateSpacers,

This week we offer some mixology advice to keep you on the level. One of our tips was inspired by a (very) recently learned lesson. Can you guess which?

Tip 1: Don’t order a White Russian on a date, unless you want breath harsher than General Winter. What’s good for the Dude is not always good for you.

Tip 2: Speaking of “dudes,” don’t order anything with the word “bomb” in its title–ever–unless it’s Saint Patrick’s Day.

Tip 3: And speaking of the Irish, don’t let anyone ever tell you Baileys Irish Cream can’t go bad. Because, Brothers and Sisters, it can. Oh, Lord, it can.

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Introducing your new girlfriend to your buddies should be an exciting occasion, but all too often it can spell a recipe for disaster. Whether you realize it or not, the new gal in your life is still getting to know you. She will be paying close attention to the things you do and the things you say for several months to come. Remember the old saying “You are known by the company you keep” ? Most women realize that sometimes the best way to get to know a guy is through his friends. The last thing you probably want to do is take her out to a bar to meet “Big Baby Bubba”, your old college buddy who can simultaneously down a 40oz of Olde English and fart the National Anthem in pitch-perfect tone. Good times in college…..but chances are not the first impression you want to make on your new girl.

Review
This week’s DateSpace of the Week comes at the recommendation of UrbanDaddy.com, the invite-only e-newsletter that some snarkier people prefer to call “DailyCandy for guys.”
Casa La Femme is one of the few legitimate establishments in the city that features the ancient Arabian art form known as belly-dancing and also has immaculate bathrooms. Some snarkier people might say that the art form inspired the late-90s suburban dance craze referred to as “grinding,” but that’s neither here nor there. Belly-dancing is damn sexy, as long as its performed by attractive people, which is fortunately the case at CLF.

Dear DateSpacers,

This is the best week we’ve had in, well, weeks. We got a new President and a new episode of Flight of the Conchords, we finally mastered the Soulja Boy dance, and we made it to our 50th issue of Thursdates! And–to top it all off–we just learned this great news!

So join us for some serious percolating up in this dancery. Oh, and no haters, please. At DateSpaces.com we do it all for love like Color Me Badd.