All the answers!

To all the inquiring minds who want to know (ie. Chris) :

Dinner was at Zaytinya. That's pretty hip, right? It was very very good. The place is gorgeous: high ceilings, candlelit, and with white walls and funky decorations, like big chem-lab beakers filled with orange and yellow liquid. There was even a fireplace, which we were seated right next to so as the evening went on, more and more layers of clothing were removed. (Sort of a more upmarket version of strip poker?) I had a gin and tonic and then later the red wine came out, and it was, um, slightly higher quality than what I am used to (*cough* Bessie's Bargain Liquors *cough*), so I got a little buzzed. Not drunk! And not even the drunkest one out of the five of us, so really I was positively restrained.

And since everyone else was involved in Hardcore Business Talk, ie. gossiping about other people in the business, and it was a tapas place, I had free rein in the ordering for everyone. So we had spinach and feta cheese pastries, and these fritters with beef and currants, asparagus, eggplant stuffed with stuff, and shrimp with spices and tomatoes. Also the complimentary bread looks like a doll-sized pillow and literally emits a little puff of air when you tear into it. Very unique! I'm sure there were other high-falootin' ingredients involved, but those are the ones I recall. Anyway, we had tons of food. I definitely recommend it for a romantic night out, for those of you who also live in DC.

As for the dressing up thing, I feel I need to clear something up: I did not mean to give the impression that I am genuinely flirting with the Chicago guy. It is just for fun. (He is married.) So, I was dressing up for myself. And for the waiters. I think they appreciated it, because my gin and tonic was stroooong. Who says customer service has gone downhill?