NY Diary #7 - The perfect place for a date

I had been waiting 3 whole days for an answer from Megan to my invitation to go on a date.

I was even starting to hate everyone who called me or sent me messages in that period, for the cruelty with which they deceived me, as at each sound from the mobile I sprang up in the hope of finding an answer from Megan.

Then at last the text message of happiness: "Wanna meet on Thursday? XXX Megan".

New York can be one of the most romantic cities in the world if you choose the right place for a date. For Megan I wanted the perfect place, so I began to mentally run through my favourite spots.

Vittorio's La Lanterna on Mc Douglas between West 3rd and Washington Square is a classic. In the garden with soft lights and the glass roof it really seems like you're inside a lantern. In summer you can flirt under the starry sky while in winter, you can look out on the snow falling from the sky and, toasting with a good glass of Pinot Noir, you can risk the first kiss.

Or maybe Megan would prefer the chic Bar Veloce. In Manhattan there are three of them: in Chelsea, SoHo and the East Village. In all of them you breathe a sophisticated atmosphere, with a background soft jazz and screenings of Fellini's movies on a loop. Drinking a vintage Cannonau, I could have put together a line to charm her with my wild side like: "The bouquet of this wine reminds me of when I varnished boats on a Mediterranean island and ate the raw fish I caught...".

Or maybe that's too much showing off? Yes, maybe something simpler such as the Cubana Cafe' in SoHo would be better. In a warm and cozy basement, on small and wonky wooden tables, we could toast with mojitos, and, carried away by the inebriation and exhilaration of the Cuban rumba, we would definitely let ourselves go with a passionate kiss.

But the tasty fusion food on Houston Street could melt her heart, or a candlelit dinner in romantic oriental atmosphere of Kittichai's at 60 Thompson, or the delicious culinary experimentations of Blue Ribbon in West Village or...

I'm about to make a reservation in four different places, just in case, when suddenly the mobile rings again telling me I have received another message.

It's Megan again: "Nick, wanna meet at my place? I wanna know what you think about my new paintings :)".

"Yeah, that's the perfect place!" I think to myself, supporting myself on an hydrant in the street, to avoid falling over from excitement.

Nick Landucci