Second Date? Chuck E. Cheese!

By Scott Smith in Miscellaneous on Mar 27, 2006 9:21PM

The people of Chicago have spoken. And apparently, we think a few rounds of Dance Dance Revolution is perfect for getting our swerve on.

We saw this press release over at ABC7 listing some of the winners of AOL City Guide Chicago’s “City’s Best 2006” poll. While we quibbled with some of the choices (Home Run Inn for Best Pizza?), the choice of ESPN Zone as the “best spot for first dates” floored us. Sure, if the date’s not going well you can always head to the bathroom and watch some TV. And yes, there’s not a woman alive who doesn’t feel her neck flush when someone utters those magic words, “Wanna play skee-ball?” But, really: ESPN Zone? Chicagoist once went on a first date there with two other couples and let’s just say it’s still an evening that’s referred to as “Black Friday” by all concerned.

Perhaps someone agreed with us. A quick check of the AOL website in question reveals that ESPN Zone is nowhere to be found on the list of good first-date spots. Instead, it’s dotted with pricier places like Blue Water Grill and Pops for Champagnes that offer classier ambience, if fewer air-hockey tables. So maybe cooler heads prevailed.

Now, if you’re looking for a place to dump someone then maybe ESPN Zone is where it’s at. According to this article in the Sun-Times, dumping someone in a restaurant may prevent a huge scene. Plus, it’s harder for the people around you to hear the dumpee call you a douchebag when there’s a Final Four game on in the background.