Typically running from October through mid-December, Cuffing Season is the time of year when you either lock down that winter boo…or you don’t. In Venice, we have beautiful weather all year, so there is a little less pressure to make sure you have someone to watch Netflix with before frostbite warnings set in. With holiday parties and family gatherings knocking on your e-vite door, winter requires a more “Facebook official” make out partner. Neither your boss nor your mom wants to meet someone-you’ve-only-been-on-
Here is what happens when you are uncuffed. I went home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and was asked at least seven times by my kindergarten-age cousin whether I had a boyfriend. You know what? Five-year-olds don’t really understand the intricacies of “I’ve been on some really incredible dates and met some great men, but still looking for that next level human.”
For those who are ready to lock it down in Venice, need to prove to grandma that you’re “doing okay…really!” and/or want to ring in 2018 with a guaranteed midnight someone, here are a few of my favorite places and ways to accidentally on purpose flirt in our oceanside town.
- Bars:
- Zinque: They have an awesome happy hour from 4 – 7 pm. The lighting is low, and the clientele is typically pretty attractive. In a way that always stuns me for such a low-key place where I work on my laptop during the day, there is always-always some fancy car I’ve never seen before parked out front.
- Wabi Sabi: I love sitting in the front and looking out over the busy sidewalk traffic. I have got to believe that someone in the history of this restaurant has met a hottie by making eye contact from window seat to Abbey. At the very least, this would be a scene in my Hallmark Holiday movie.
- Errands:
- Erewhon: I feel like I keep writing about this place, but I have known multiple acquaintances who spend their free time trying to make eye contact on this patio.
- Coffee:
- Personally, I’ve noticed that Deus Ex Machina has a pretty even man: woman ratio if that’s a thing that matters to you. Intelligentsia seems to skew a little more woman to man. And Blue Bottle doesn’t really have seating, so your best bet would be to linger over the sugar and cream station.
You’ve got about two weeks to make this happen. Get to it!
For me, I’m going home to Chicago with a ring next year. I don’t want to disappoint my cousin Gavin’s first grade class. Although he tells me that I’ll have to kiss somebody, which he also tells me is gross.
