You and your date should get bagels. Full stop. This is especially true for first dates, but also holds up for second dates, third dates, or even the obligatory date your spouse of 30 years insists on one Sunday per month. Bagels are the perfect food to share with someone you love (or want to love).

Let’s get lunch

Unless you like to torture yourself, there’s no reason you need to endure the high-pressure environment of a dinner date. Although we often see them on TV, we all know that a lighter setting is far more comfortable when you’re meeting someone for the first time. Being out and about while the sun is shining is a far more relaxed situation than spilling spaghetti sauce on your dress shirt in some candlelit corner. Casual is key! You also have a great time window for excuses if you want to shorten the date. If you find you’ve made a serious error and have asked the wrong person out… You only have to endure an hour or so before you can escape to your “evening plans”! The opposite also is true: if the date happens to be a hit, you have the time to turn it into a whole-day adventure.

Buy me a bagel

Besides the fact that the coziness of a bagel shop provides an ideal setting for some pleasant conversation, bagels simply make a fantastic date food. First, literally everyone loves bagels. Second, you can learn quite a bit about someone by what kind of bagel they eat. The bagel sandwich is a very important medium for expressing one’s personality and innermost desires. It is simple, easy to eat, not likely to make a mess… and cheap, too! You can easily get bagels to go—and nothing beats enjoying nice weather with a date in the park.

Hot bagel date tips

It’s important to choose a quality bagel spot—preferably one with fresh, handmade bagels. Order some coffee, too, to get your small talk flowing! If there is a lapse in conversation, try launching into the history of the bagel. It’s sure to captivate and impress. Besides these things… you have to rely on your charm. Good luck! Do everything within your power not to turn into this lovely guy. And make sure to check for poppy seeds in your teeth.