My dinner date at Jamie's Italian

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EN

Dating. I don't date a lot but when I do most of my dates are good if not a great lesson learner. Let me tell you about this dinner date I had a while back at Jamie's Italian, a restaurant created by the one and only Jamie Oliver, also one of my favorite tv-chefs and author of all time. Anyway, my date whom I met at the one and only Tinder also loves Jamie Oliver and loves food and would love to try out this black ink pasta that they had at Jamie. Great! He was a foodie just like me which is, by the way, a bonus.

He was also a teacher just like me but he teaches high schoolers while I teach elementary kiddos but that doesn't really matter. Wowie so many clicks already! Before you guys jump into conclusion, let me first put out my own conclusion: no, we are not dating to this very day, and yes I'm still single. I kind of lost contact and interest in him anyway. The reason was quite clear at the very beginning: he works abroad and wasn't looking for a relationship only a mere company.

However that still didn't stopped us from going to Jamie's Italian. And I was quite excited because I always wanted to try out Jamie's food and now I finally I can! Dating doesn't need to lead to something or another and it can be a fun one timer or two. Again dating can be good and if not a great lesson learner and basically you are just looking and searching. And if there's food involved, then count me in!     
NL

Daten. Zo nu en dan doe ik het en de meeste daarvan zijn wel positief en anders een goede les. Laat ik me je vandaag vertellen over die ene diner date bij Jamie's Italian. Een restaurant van de welbekende en absoluut een van mijn favorite tv-chefs: Jamie Oliver. Mijn date die ik op Tinder heb leren kennen was ook fan van Jamie Oliver en wilde dolgraag de zwarte inkt pasta uitproberen bij Jamie. Hoe leuk, mijn date is dus ook een foodie net als ik! Bonus!

Daarnaast was mijn date ook een leerkracht. Net als ik! Wel gaf hij les aan middelbare scholieren en ik basisschool kinders maar dat gaf niet. Klinkt als een goed begin met veel kliks tussen ons, nietwaar. Voordat jullie gaan speculeren: nee, wij zijn geen koppel en ja, ik ben nog steeds single. De contact en interesse ben ik ook trouwens verloren. De reden was eigenlijk duidelijk van begins af aan: hij werkt in het buitenland en was niet opzoek naar een relatie maar meer gezelschap.

Dat weerhoudt ons niet om alsnog bij Jamie's Italian te eten! En ik keek er erg naar uit want ik wilde altijd al eten bij Jamie. Daten is dus leuk maar ook spannend, leerzaam en niks moet. Gelukkig maar want als het bij die ene keer blijft, hoe jammer of opgelucht je ook bent daten is gewoon puur zoeken en aftasten. En als er lekker eten bij komt kijken dan is dat een leuk extra. Genieten dus!

     

❝Zweef
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voor Nederlandse
vertaling!
We Arrived
We arrived at 6:21 PM according to my SD memory card, which means dinner time in Holland and the restaurant was packed and busy as expected. My date thought that you can`t make reservation but guess what it turns out you can! Hence the many tables I saw with RESERVATIONS signs. Anyway while we were standing there hoping a table will be set free soon, I was examining the interior which was nicely cluttered, industrial themed with lots of showcasing of ingredients hanging here and there and everywhere.
We Sat
Throughout the busyness there was this jolly service who spoke British offered an improvised seat at the bar where they offer to remove some of the kitchen props and make space for us. I want! I looked at my date and luckily he agrees as well and so the next thing we sat at the bar next to each other.

Usually with dates you kind of always sit face-to-face but since there were no tables available any soon and we were offered to sit at this improvised seat, I kind of like this way. Because that way I have an excuse of not making eye contact all the time and just naturally rest my gaze at somewhere else. Not because I lost interest in someone if you may think, no, but sometimes all the focusing of eye contact is sometimes so tiring.
And I wear lenses as well and they were so dry at the end of that afternoon so yeah I was glad we were sitting side by side.
And it gets even better, because we were sitting in front row for that matter at a kitchen were they prepare first courses & desserts! Seeing the chefs work, the food prep and all the jazz were great inspirational topics for conversation starters too.
We ordered:
1 Earl grey martini // 1 Espresso martini // 1 crab spaghetti // 1 mussel & squid spaghetti nero // 1 ice cream dessert
We Drink
We kicked our date off with fancy alcohol. Gosh, am feeling such an adult. This earl grey martini of mine was nice. His espresso martini was even better.
We Eat
Ok time for me being a foodblogger here at the moment and snap food pics. Luckily my date didn`t mind me with the camera at all. He was pretty aware I was a foodie anyway seeing all the #foodporn at my IG. If you were really interested in me you would have done some background research on me (not in a creepy way of course) and so I snapped away with carefree acting I was a professional foodphotographer/foodstylist/foodcritizer. I need to impress you know! As I was done I put down my camera and we digged into our food.

So my crab spaghetti was yum and for eating here at Jamie, I thought the portion and price ratio was quite reasonable. My date enjoyed his pasta dish too as he was so looking forward to eat black inkt squid pasta for the very first time as he mentioned before.

(do you guys share food on first date? I kind of always do)
Then we end this quite successful dinner with my favorite... ice cream! We were allowed to pick 3 scoops of ice cream and picked the flavour: blood orange, chocolate and biscotti and shared it.
I Peed
These are by the way toilet tiles at Jamie`s which are super hilarious! Anyway, here in the restroom I messaged and updated my friends through phone about my well being knowing how curious they are about my date. And perhaps worried too because I`m honestly I`m a dork when it comes to dating and any tips and tricks are welcome.
ADDRESS: Grotemarkt 90-92 Rotterdam - THE NETHERLANDS

FOOD: •••• 4/5
INTERIOR: ••••∙ 4,⁵/5
SERVICE: ••••∙ 4,⁵/5
PRICE: ••• 3/5
♥

Comments

  1. Y.M.October 23, 2017 at 10:30 AM

    Nooo jammer :(, maybe next time 😉! Maar eten ziet er goed uit! ^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 23, 2017 at 11:49 AM

      Maybe next time ja, haha :') Het eten was gelukkig wel yum! Xx

      Delete
  2. literal proofOctober 23, 2017 at 11:45 AM

    Looks awesome! I totally agree with you with the eye contact thing. It's really tiering, especially while EATING! I'm alwayys worried about whether there's food on my mouth or anything like that, or if I look weird while eating xD. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience. I really want to visit one of Jamies restaurants <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 23, 2017 at 11:48 AM

      I am so happy to read that I'm not the only one with the eye contact thing! I also worry if I look like a pig eating rather than a lady haha but hey, that's just me :') and you're welcome! I'm glad I put out my experience! You should go to one of Jamie's restaurant, the food is yum! Xx

      Delete
  3. Hannah CaoOctober 23, 2017 at 11:45 PM

    Such wonderful pictures (YUM!) I used to find eye contact tiring while eating too but then I met someone I couldn't keep my eyes off of so he was an exception eventually :') I love Jamie's!

    Hannah | Ante Meridiem

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 24, 2017 at 5:20 AM

      Oh wowie, that's such a cute story of yours :D Did it turned out to be something you two or...?
      Yes! I'm a huge Jamie's fan! Xx

      Delete
  4. AudreyOctober 24, 2017 at 7:35 AM

    Aw this was so cute! I think it's really important to have fun whilst dating and not put too much pressure on yourself! // haha @ the restroom tiles -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 24, 2017 at 8:29 AM

      Yup yup I totally agree c: I always enjoy myself no matter what! Haha I know right, those tiles are mega funny! xx

      Delete
  5. elise liddellOctober 24, 2017 at 11:14 PM

    i once bought a pasta sauce with jamie oliver's face on it because i was being a fool thinking that "ah it's jamie oliver so this must be awesome" truth be told, the pasta sauce was quite bland ^^;; granted, i think i bought the strictly tomato one which means i shouldn't have expected something that tastes extraordinary like, idk, a bolognese? :))

    BUT that doesn't mean to say i'm not jealous of you! i would love to be at this restaurant too just so i can taste and see what's the hype all about - i mean, that's how people react, right? getting hyped over a restaurant or brand with a famous person's name on it? everything looks delicious though!!! *o* also, i think it's kind of adorable how even though it was a date, it wasn't a date "date" kind of thing. it's like... a brief meeting with a cool stranger kind of one time thing (if that even makes sense)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 25, 2017 at 1:42 AM

      I've heard about the food products from Jamie Oliver that they are not so great as people would expected from the great Jamie Oliver. I have never tried out his products because I find it a bit overpriced :P and same thing with the rest of his products like the kitchen utensils and tools, o well!

      But I'm really fond of eating at this restaurant of his! The food is slightly better than elsewhere and the menu is different and a lot more unique which I like too c: and haha I get what you mean with the meeting up with a stranger :P Thanks for you comment though! Xx

      Delete
  6. JaneOctober 25, 2017 at 3:46 AM

    Haha glad you still enjoyed the date! Sounds like it was a nice time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 30, 2017 at 4:37 AM

      Yes it was not bad at all actually :P there's good food for the comfort! Xx

      Delete
  7. LostvestigeOctober 25, 2017 at 4:35 PM

    Wow, such decadent food. An earl grey martini sounds quite interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 30, 2017 at 4:38 AM

      It was :D the earl grey martini was really yum! Xx

      Delete
  8. roothOctober 26, 2017 at 6:43 AM

    Even if it wasn't a successful outcome, at least you had a good meal and good company out of it? The food looks delicious

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ice pandoraOctober 30, 2017 at 4:38 AM

      I totally agree ^__^ the good food definitely balance out my time and comfort there :P haha xX

      Delete

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