<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Hi Fellow Listers! My thanks to the many of you who reponded to my query about how to handle first date. I got some great advice, and some important things to keep in mind: The most common reccommendation was to tell my date up front if we plan a meal; many people also said that if he couldn't handle it, he wasn't someone I wanted to pursue a relationship with anyway. (Great point). It might even help to screen out unthoughtful men, and I was reminded that my health is more important than the feelings of my date. Of course this does not mean giving gory details, and I should not give "celiac 101" unlesss he seems genuinely interested. This was closest to what I was thinking, and it was great to hear that others had taken this route and been successful. A close second was the compromise position, eat at restaurants I know are safe (have a few in mind to suggest), call ahead and speak with the chef, or order plain foods, and say nothing. The only part about this I didn't like was saying nothing...celiac is a big, albeit not controlling part of my life,a nd I think it should be mentioned. But knowing a couple of sdafe places to suggest is a great idea. Other suggestions that lages far behind the top 2 included: Go to a restaurant, then excuse myself to the restroom and give my card to the waitress (I don't think this one is for me) Go for coffee for a first date-I like this, puts the focus on conversation, not food, and if it's a lousy date it's over faster! Choose non-food options for a first date-museums, concerts, etc-I liked this one too. One of the reasons I'm now single is that my ex was unwilling to do these things, so i might as well start doing them with dates! Say only "I have allegies", which I though resonable for a first foray into the topic, or "I'm allergic to wheat" which I found too limited. Invite him to my place for dinner: this is ok for a later date, but in this day and age, first dates happen in public places, at least for me (I'm from NY) Eat before the date and then just have a salad: Sorry, to me this was chickening out, and I don't want my first impression to be that I am one of those women who picks at food. MAy work for others. Someone suggested that I go back and read the thread on b usiness dinners-good advice, and did contribute some advice to it-guess I should try listening to myself sometimes! Some people suggested that the topic of sprue can be a good icebreaker, or a way to find out if he is at all health-conscious. Good point, although as a former Drakes Cakes semi-addict I don't want someone who thinks they have no redeeming values (C'mon, they tasted great!). Best line of advice: If you don't treat the situation as awkward, chances are your date won't feel awkward either! So off I go into the wild world of dating, armed with good advice from fellow listers...I hope this is helpful to all the others who posted their concerns of the same topic to me. Happy dating to all of us! MArne in NJ