There's no denying that Chicago is a great place to be single, but we could all use a break from the dating-app grind. Enter Dating IRL, an original Time Out Chicago feature that sets up two eligible singles on a blind date at a Chicago hot spot. After a night out, each dater reports back with honest feedback on first impressions, chemistry and awkward moments. This time, we matched Emily and Tony and sent them to Forbidden Root for dinner and drinks. Let's see how it went.
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Photograph: Grace DuVal
THE DATERS
EMILY, 28
"Public relations, free spirit and walking California stereotype living in Gold Coast."
TONY, 27
"User-experience designer, free spirit and whiskey connoisseur living in Logan Square."
FIRST IMPRESSION
EMILY
“He seemed very nice and polite, even when I went to introduce myself to the photographer before him (whoops) and laughed it off."
TONY
“Emily has a contagious smile and was easy to talk to. I got the vibe that she was also there to experience something new. She seemed really down-to-earth.”
Photograph: Grace DuVal
CHEMISTRY
EMILY
“The conversation kept flowing with lots of laughs, which was great—there’s nothing worse than silence. However, our connection erred on the side of friends over romance.”
TONY
“We laughed quite a bit throughout the night, and the conversation flowed seamlessly. I’m a simple guy, so I was impressed that she enjoys whiskey as much as I do.”
AWKWARD MOMENT
EMILY
“I admitted to only just finding out upon moving to Chicago that Clueless was a satire. Me saying that was the moment he learned it was a satire, too.”
TONY
“I was kind of expecting some awkward moments, but I don’t think we had any. Still, I’m sure everyone can agree that it’s awkward to get your picture taken on a first date.”
Photograph: Courtesy Forbidden Root
THE DATE SPOT: Forbidden Root
EMILY
“Nice atmosphere, and I really liked the exposed brewery. I love a good highbrow-lowbrow pairing, and nduja with a brew was oddly satisfying.”
TONY
“I was disappointed that I had never heard of Forbidden Root. The atmosphere, drink selection and food were all great. I’ll definitely be back.”
THE VERDICT?
EMILY ♥♥♥♥ (out of 5)
“We exchanged numbers. He was an absolutely lovely and interesting man, and even though he’s not necessarily my type, I’d give it another go.”
TONY ♥♥♥♥ (out of 5)
“I thought it went well for my first blind date. We exchanged numbers at the end, and though we didn’t say if we would actually see each other again, I’d be up for it.”