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52 Great Dates

Dinner and a movie? Buzz kill. Whether you need to jump-start a new relationship or put some sparks back into an old one, here are 52 ways to fan the flames of romance. Or at least have a little fun.
By D Magazine |
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CHEAP IS NEAT


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Blind-date Dilemma

You don’t know her. She doesn’t know you. Play it safe and meet up at the Dallas Museum of Art for a quick lunch date. And we’re not just talking food. Grab a cup of tortilla soup at the Atrium Cafe and then partake in 15-minute Fridays, the DMA’s ingenious series that teaches you and your soon-to-be main squeeze about a fascinating piece of art in just about the time it took you to call her in the first place. The best part is it’s free with paid admission to the museum. www.dallasmuseumofart.org.


Picture Perfect

Need art? Make your own. Seriously. The Meadows Museum has a series called Sketching in the Galleries some Thursday nights. A bona fide artist will guide you and your love through the creative process; y’all just need to bring a little imagination. Who knows? You may come home with a masterpiece; at the very least, you’ll make a memory.


Morning After

You know this drill. Saturday night is date night with your favorite honey: pre-dinner cocktails, then wine with dinner, then after-dinner drinks, then wake up together Sunday morning with teeny hangover. The only things for it are beer biscuits and eggs at Barbec’s, the charming, aging diner by White Rock Lake. The grease can soothe your addled souls while you read the paper and quietly ruminate on the heated action that took place at the end of the night before.


Half-price Romance

A fast route to the true personality of your date is to take him or her to Half Price Books. What does your date go for? The vinyl LPs, the science-fiction section, the vintage issues of Playboy, or the cheap DVDs? Peruse the massive selection and then discuss your choices over a latte in the store’s Black Forest Cafe. It’s like an inkblot test for compatibility, only more fun. And you’ll probably leave with a stack of good stuff.  www.halfpricebooks.com.


Old-school Outing

Lakewood Theater’s classic film series is one of the best deals going in Big D. For 15 cents apiece, you and your beloved can watch such classic films as Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte; To Kill a Mockingbird; and White Christmas. Doors opens at 6:30 for live music by Blue Diamond Trio, and the show always starts at 7:30. With popcorn a mere 25 cents a bag, we promise you’ll spend no more than $1. Where else can you get that kind of guarantee?  www.lakewoodtheater.com.


Literary Love

Here’s the plan for hopeless romantics: write a little poem for your sweetie, and she’ll write a ditty for you. Go to the Stone Soup Mixed Genre Peer Workshop on the first or third Tuesday of the month at Paperbacks Plus, and read your poem aloud. In return for your intelligent and loving words, your fellow poets will give you pointers on how you can make it better. (Not that you need any help.) Celebrate your poetic prowess with a cocktail at Cosmo’s or a beer at Lakewood Landing


American Graffiti

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With all due respect to Sonic, Sonic stinks. Keller’s Drive-in is the real deal. The original location closed a few years ago, but two more remain. We prefer the one on Northwest Highway, because that’s where Shirley works. Shirley has been a carhop there for 39 years. A burger costs $2.05; a cold bottle of beer is just $1.40. On Saturday nights (winter months excluded), Keller’s has a car show, if you’re into that kind of thing. But we prefer the show in our own car. One bit of advice: midway through your meal, switch seats with your date. Otherwise, your neck will get sore. You know, from turning your head to make eye contact.


Car Action

There are only about 15 drive-in movie theaters left in the state of Texas (we once had about 450). Alas. But one is within driving distance. The Brazos Drive-In, 51 years old and still going strong, lies about an hour and half from downtown Dallas. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Get there when they do, as the Brazos frequently sells out. A carload costs just $15, making a double date quite a bargain (plus, you get two movies for that price). Tilt the steering wheel up, ease the seat back, tune in the movie on your radio, and let the chili dogs work their magic. Fridays and Saturdays only. The season ended November 29, but kicks off again March 5, 2004. www.thebrazos.com.


Rail Good Time

You may not remember the movie Before Sunrise, but we do. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke played lovers who meet on a train, talk for about two days straight, and, being lovers, they fall in love. We’re pretty sure the train had a lot to do with the romance, and DART Rail has had a small measure of magic for us ever since. Granted, the train in the movie was traveling from Budapest to Vienna, not Mockingbird Station to Galatyn Park, but DART is much cheaper. Check the web site for schedules and maps, or be spontaneous for once in your life: buy a couple of all-day passes, and see where the rail takes you. 214-979-1111. www.dart.org.


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