Need Help from Los Angelenos for Second Date Idea

March 14, 2012 4:50 PM

Need some help from Los Angelenos for my "perfect date" idea!

Here is a bit of backstory... I'm 28, she's 23, we met through a mutual friend. We really hit it off over the phone & via texts, but have only hung out once.

We are both at point in our lives where we are completely consumed with work and school, and we don't want to jump into anything without being able to commit to the time needed in order to have a functional relationship.

So we decided to step WAY back and are only communicating via letters in the mail. We had a second date planned that included making pad thai and watching a movie at her place, but it didn't end up happening.

Okay, here's what I need from you guys... I'm planning the ULTIMATE second date to make up for the one we didn't end up having in the first place. Essentially, I would like to take her out to a really nice Thai restaurant in LA and then rent a smaller movie theater for a private screening of the movie we planned on watching at her house.

I just about have the theater rental taken care of (in talks with a few different theaters), but I'm ALWAYS open to additional ideas or suggestions about that.

It's the Thai restaurant I'm struggling with. I've done a lot of research, but I'm having trouble finding a nice, romantic Thai restaurant in the LA area. Help!

Obvious Disclaimer: Yes, I know I'm completely crazy. Yes, I know this will be very expensive. No, I don't care. You only live once. Yes, I am a die-hard romantic. Yes, I'm open to other ideas/suggestions that would fit into what we had originally planned for our second date.

Thanks in advance!

posted by askmefiguy to Human Relations (9 answers total)

Data point: As a mid-twenties woman (though a little older than your date), I would be SUPER CREEPED OUT by someone spending that much money on a second date with me after that little contact.

Suggestion: Dinner at an upscale Thai restaurant (I know some great midrange ones, but no upscale ones, sorry), followed by an over-21 screening at the Arclight theater in Hollywood - it's not porn, it's just regular movies where you can bring your drink in to the movie. It's one of the nicest theaters in Los Angeles.
posted by insectosaurus at 5:10 PM on March 14, 2012 [7 favorites]

Seconding the creeped-out part. But that's not what you asked.

If you're on the west side, Chan Dara (on Pico) is quite nice and very yummy. It's not Valentino romantic, but it's nicer than most.
posted by bluesky78987 at 5:16 PM on March 14, 2012

Another vote for don't do the movie thing. It's too much, too fast, and you already said you don't want to jump into anything without being able to commit the time needed in order to have a functional relationship. Save the big guns for later.

Gindi Thai in Toluca Lake is good.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 5:17 PM on March 14, 2012

Response by poster: While I appreciate the opinions about whether or not my idea is crazy, or "creeper status," or "moving to fast," please know that there is a lot more to the backstory that I didn't wish to get into. This date won't be happening for a little while as it is, but I just like to plan early.

Gindi Thai looks good! I like that it's both thai & sushi!
posted by askmefiguy at 5:25 PM on March 14, 2012

Do you want a romantic restaurant or good Thai food? Because in LA, I think the two are mutually exclusive. (But I could be wrong. Other LA Mefites - prove me wrong!)

My Thai favorites:

Mae Ploy (Silver Lake)
Nariya Thai (Hollywood)

Gindi Thai is okay. It's got a nice ambiance, at least. The food is decent, but if you like really authentic/spicy Thai, it's disappointing. But I'm kind of a snob about these things, and I took a friend there once and she really liked it. If you don't live near Gindi Thai, I wouldn't drive too far. Find a nice neighborhood spot - ask your neighbors, ask your friends - because if a date involved driving to the valley for Thai food, that would really piss me off.

Chowhound is a much better restaurant resource than AskMefi.

And an AskMeFi pet peeve: Don't post a crazy relationship thing with "significant backstory" that you don't explain and not expect to get comments on the fact that you sound crazy. If you didn't want relationship advice, why did you post so much about this very strange sounding relationship? If you truly only wanted to restaurant advice, just ask, "I would like a nice, romantic Thai restaurant in Los Angeles for a special date. A very special date. I am super romantic." etc., etc.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 6:22 PM on March 14, 2012 [3 favorites]

If you're going through with the theater thing, I'd first settle that and then find a restaurant that is at least on the same side of the city as it. I've been to a lot of good Thai places in LA, but I've admittedly never been to anything upscale. Unless Thai Elvis at Palms Thai counts (dinner and a show!).

Off the top of my head, these are the upscale Asian (Vietnamese with fusion elements, actually) restaurants that I can think of:
Red Medicine
Spice Table
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:43 PM on March 14, 2012

ski 7 (thai) and wp24 (chinese) are two more downtown options.

and the downtown independent may be another theater option, if it wasn't already on your list.
posted by jimw at 7:14 PM on March 14, 2012

sorry, that should be soi 7.
posted by jimw at 7:14 PM on March 14, 2012

If you want actual thai food (not thai inspired or asian fusion), there really are no high-end or for that matter romantic places in LA. If it must be thai, I'd go for the real deal and just head to Jitlada.
posted by drpynchon at 9:06 PM on March 14, 2012