Food has the power to universally unite, with some of America’s favourite first date spots being Starbucks, fast-food institutions like In-N-Out and Chick-Fil-A, and restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden, as per dating app Clover.
If you’re someone who loves nothing more than grabbing a bite to eat with your significant other, then you may have noticed that sometimes your tastes don’t exactly align.
For example, you love quaint and quirky side street gems, while your partner prefers dining at Michelin-starred establishments or visiting inner-city celebrity haunts.
If you’re firmly team McDonald’s and your boyfriend or girlfriend is obsessed with scoring a reservation The French Laundry, then you could be in what is being dubbed a ‘restaurant gap relationship’.
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This so-called status has been defined by the New York Times as the ultimate ‘misalignment in tastes, spending habits and culinary curiosity’.
“One partner secured a reservation by setting an alarm a month before; the other didn’t know you needed one at all,” the publication wrote.
According to Bonnie Winston, a New York matchmaker akin to Dakota Johnson’s Materialists character, many of her tristate clients mention restaurants as an important factor during the recruitment process.
“Dining used to be a special occasion,” she informed the publication.
“People would see movies or walk around museums on first dates. Can you imagine?”
Winston, who started her practice in 2013, claimed that she often asks potential matches if they drink alcohol, whether they are vegan, and if they like loud or quiet bars.
This is because, for many people, these are make-or-break attributes, opinions, and preferences.
“I do my best to match, but there’s always real-life chemistry at stake,” she quipped.
But it isn’t just professional dating clients who are discussing how important being on the same wavelength foodwise is.
Over on Reddit, one 29-year-old asked if ‘a major difference in food preferences’ was an immature reason to end a relationship.
“I am a ‘foodie’ and love nothing more than to try new restaurants and cuisines and also love a good cocktail,” she wrote.
She explained that her romantic flame was only interested in eating ‘chicken, steak, rice, and veggies’ and that he didn’t drink alcohol because he didn’t like the taste.
“He's a great guy and nothing much else is wrong with him but I can't get it out of my head that because of this it's probably not a match. I love food so much and can't imagine not bonding over that with my partner and experiencing new cuisines together. When we go out to eat it always feels like he's just watching me enjoy the food,” the social media user added.
Debators flocked to the comments section, with one claiming that dating ‘picky eaters’ was an ‘absolute nightmare’ and that they were ‘glad’ to have ended that relationship now that they were dating ‘another foodie’.
Another commented: “Nah this is nothing. I have a lot of dietary restrictions with a tricky stomach and even though I can't eat much variety I love to go out. I can always find something on the menu and I'm sure he can too. I enjoy watching others enjoy good food.”
A third argued: “Nope, its not immature. You two are incompatible, and that's a perfect reason to break up.”
While being in a 'restaurant relationship gap' may not worry some people, it can apparently be very telling for the future, according to an expert.
Jourdan Travers, an American psychologist, told the New York Times that how someone dines out and why can give insight into how they were brought up.
“This is bigger and more noticeable for people who are single or starting a new relationship,” he claimed.
“How a couple handles where to eat is a low-stakes rehearsal for bigger conversations.”
So if you're arguing and going back-and-forth over whether to book that table for dinner, you may not quite be ready to move onto the big stuff, according to the expert.
Topics: News, Restaurants and bars
Ella Scott