52 Great Dates

EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN

Around the World

Grab your favorite foodie and follow Dallas food writer Susan Taylor as she embarks on an international culinary tour. Begin with British tea, taste some Turkish pastries, explore an Asian market, indulge in Hong Kong-style dim sum, and observe the making of authentic Italian gelato. Or, for something a little closer to home, partake in a fiesta culinary tour, where you can explore the exotic produce, spices, and chilies at a Latin American market; watch the ancient process of turning dry corn into tortillas; and savor icy treats made with cantaloupe, mango, coconut, and strawberry at a Mexican popsicle factory. Bon appétit! www.susantaylortours.com.

Get Fresh

Produce, that is, at the Dallas Farmers Market. Plan to spend the morning perusing the locally grown fruit and vegetables, tasting samples, and perhaps taking one of the cooking classes available on Saturday mornings at the Market Resource Center (all of Dallas’ top chefs teach there). Plan your menu, pick up your ingredients, and head home to create your own culinary magic. www.dallasfarmersmarket.com.

A Grape Escape

This is the date that pays dividends. At Su Vino Winery, you make your own wine. After tasting a few glasses at the wine bar, you decide whether you and your date would like to make, say,  Shiraz or Merlot. Then you start the fermentation process and hit the road, letting Su Vino baby-sit your wine for six weeks. Finishing the process requires-aha!- second date. You return to bottle and cork the stuff. It’s great fun, and your time together will actually bear fruit, about 30 bottles of wine (for as little as $199). Of course, then you’ve got to drink it all-and that’ll require at least two more dates. While you’re in Grapevine, Cafe Italia, just around the corner from Su Vino, is the perfect aprés-winemaking spot for dinner. Su Vino, www.suvinowinery.com.

Middle Eastern Magic

To get in the mood, pop in Another Time & Place on Henderson Avenue and browse the selection of Turkish wares. Then feast on heavenly tabbouleh and falafel at Ali Baba on Lower Greenville or a trio of kebabs (chicken, beef, lamb) at Izmir Mediterranean Tapas in Stone Street Gardens to gear up for the evening’s finale: the Velvet Hookah. Even nonsmokers love the fruit-flavored tobacco and sexy surroundings of this exotic bar in Deep Ellum. If you didn’t have time for dinner, the Velvet Hookah has a light international menu (hummus and such) to satiate you while you toke. Curl up on comfy pillows and get ready to be seduced-by the fragrance, that is. 

Roll with It

Hui Chuan, chef/owner of Hui Chuan’s Sushi, Sake, Tapas in Fort Worth, can teach you and your fellow raw-fish lover how to make beautiful yet simple sushi rolls in her hands-on class at Central Market. Roll your own and then enjoy your creations, including heart attack roll, oshinko roll, healthy roll, and Philadelphia roll. Still hungry? Head a couple of exits south to Tei Tei Robata Bar (or go before class for inspiration), a chic and edgy respite for inventive Japanese cuisine. Central Market, www.centralmarket.com.