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Sirius XM Podcasts Hey everyone, Dan here.
And you know, Valentine's Day is not the only time of year when romance is in the air.
Right. Late summer on the beach. Maybe there's a bonfire.
Maybe there's a barbecue. Maybe there's a glass of wine in the evening.
Listen, you can make any time of year romantic.
And that's what we're doing here on The Sporkful. this week because in this week's reheat, we are revisiting the time that hundreds of you got in touch and trusted us to potentially find you.
A match. That's right. It's the Sporkful Dating Game. conducted this experiment during peak COVID, I do want to say.
So you're going to hear real dates that took place at a safe social distance.
There's flirting, awkward moments. And because these are Sporkful listeners we're talking about, there are also a lot of opinions about food.
It's super fun. And remember, there's an episode of The Sporkful you want to hear.
Drop me a line at hello at sporkful.com.
Thanks so much and enjoy. that is a thing you share with my mom.
It's like a great pro tip that you should compare your date to your mom on a first date, right?
Especially as like a gay man. Right, right.
Exactly, yeah. This is the spork dating game edition.
It's not for foodies. It's for lovers. I'm Dan Pashman.
Each week on our show, we obsess about food to help people find romance.
Or at least this week we do. We'll see how it goes.
Yes, it's true. We're sending two couples on blind Zoom dates.
Now, a few months ago, we put out the call for Sporkful listeners looking for love. and more than 300 of you responded from all over the world.
Then we got to matchmaking. Now, the dating apps all brag about their process.
They use complex algorithms to match you on dozens of criteria.
We basically did the opposite of that. We matched people based on where they live and what genders and ages they're looking to date.
Well, that and the fact that we know they're Sporkful fans.
After talking to dozens of potential daters, we narrowed it down to the two dates you'll hear today.
We were curious. Could listening to this porkful be the spark that ignites a grease fire of passion for two eaters?
Could this porkful be the fertile soil out of which true love grows like a voluptuous head of cabbage?
And most important, in a year or two or three, will I finally be able to officiate my first sporkful wedding?
Before I get too far ahead of myself, let's go over our ground rules.
All the dates were on Zoom because of COVID. but we still asked our daters to order from the same restaurant so they could have that shared food experience.
We paired people who live nearby so that if the date's a success, they can hang out in person if they choose.
Before the dates, we had each person record a voice message for the other person to hear.
No photos were exchanged in advance. Okay, that music means it's time to hear those pre-date messages from our first couple, Sloan and Bryant.
I'm Sloane. I am 28 years old. I live in Redondo Beach, California.
I am a model, an actress, and a personal trainer.
Yeah, my whole life is focused around sports and fitness.
Hello, Sporkful. My legal name is Brian, but friends call me Panda, among other expletives, depending on how drunk they happen to be.
I'm 28. I live in Buena Park, California, which is smack dab between LA and Orange County.
Sandeeg, I'm sorry you only exist to me during Comic-Con.
I am a 3D character artist by trade and career.
I actually played baseball in college, like on the men's team.
I was the first female to play baseball at my high school and my university.
A little bit more about myself, I've been playing bagpipes, Scottish island bagpipes, cumulatively for six years, just got my Kilt, actually, in Glasgow from McGregor and McDuff.
Been doing stand-up comedy for roughly two years.
For a time, I was performing sets out of my car window. at random people on the LA street.
I danced a lot. and definitely being a foodie around this whole area in LA and Orange County.
I'm looking for a best friend. I'm looking for someone that wants to travel the world with me and eat their way through the world. someone that is extremely active.
I am extremely active. Among my many nicknames, I'm known as the Energizer Bunny.
I'm looking for someone who's proactive, independent, accurately witty or somebody who doesn't just have a sense of humor but is actually attempting to make funny. and someone who is intimidating, hopefully.
I am excited to get a free dinner date from the Sporkful.
I love you guys. So yeah. right on. Cheers, guys.
I mean, I'm excited to check out what's going to happen with this.
Anything could happen, frankly. Thank you so much, and signing off.
So Brian and Sloan are the same age. They're both outgoing.
They seem to have big personalities. Will it be a match?
Time to find out. You're going to hear clips from the date, which is just Brian and Sloan without me there.
And you'll hear the confessionals where I recapped with each of them separately.
All right, let's start the date. Hi, Brian. nice to meet you slow oh my gosh nice to meet you this is so crazy but um did you get sugar fish too The first thought I have when Brian comes on is, The sushi smells really good, and I just really want to start eating, if I'm totally honest.
She likes wine because there's a display of, like... wine, which to me reminded me of old frat houses I've been to where, you know, they'll stack beer cans.
Do you find Sloan attractive? Yep. His personality to me was very attractive.
I thought he was... Really easy to talk to.
Very open, confident. I like that about him.
But not... Initially, not physically what I would, I wouldn't immediately be like, ooh, I want to sleep with that guy. if I may call them self-doubts or insecurities, they don't hit me as hard as it seems for other people.
I think I make the assumption that I'm not attractive.
But I know I'm so good at these other things that I'm good to go.
What you're telling me is anything you may lack in looks you think you can make up for in charms. charm, talent abilities, like, Lord knows.
There's an unreasonable amount of confidence in knowing who I am already and being able to lean in on those strengths to hold my own in most situations, like throw me in the Met Gala and I'll be, I'll have a great time.
This isn't the Met Gala, so we'll only get to see how Brian fares on a Zoom dinner date over takeout sushi.
Sloan suggested they both order from Sugarfish.
It's a small chain of sushi spots in LA and New York.
They do omakase-style sushi, so you can order a box that comes with all different types of raw fish and accompanying sauces.
So I had a lot of friends that had posted that like, this is their new like pandemic date night and like, oh, how good it is.
So I was like, this could work. And I feel like it's a good conversation starter, like all the different types that we had.
It was good. I liked it. Brian had some negative thoughts Oh, I'm so excited for this.
Have you ever had sugarfish? I've had it once.
I have admittedly avoided it for most of my existence.
Why, why, why, why? Tell me. I recognize that they were trying to position themselves, and correct me if I'm wrong, To be like a mid-scale, but still high-quality sushi place.
Like a place you can jump in on a Wednesday night with friends.
Right. Okay. Okay. And why is that a bad thing?
It's not a bad thing, but after watching...
Jiro dreams of sushi, there was this mental switch that kicked in.
I'm like, if I'm gonna eat sushi... I'm gonna wait till I can splurge for it at specific locations instead of this chain sushi restaurant, which I'm assuming is doing a great job, but I have admittedly higher priorities.
I've never had it before, but so far the edamame is like, So when he said that, I was like, oh, like I thought this was a good choice for like a sushi date but he warmed up to it and I think he realized that I thought this was like fun to do.
So he, I feel like was a little bit more forgiving towards me.
The Sugarfish caught me off guard because, I mean, in a city with so much diverse food and not just that, but like individual chefs and artists, artistic chefs who are so hell-bent on their visions.
Like, there are other opportunities to find better sushi or, like, more story-filled sushi than Sugarfish.
But at the same time, it's not to say she's not the only one that... has stated that she likes sugarfish.
And it probably speaks more to my hoity-toityness on that front as a foodie.
Brian and Sloan both grew up in the LA area.
And early in the date, they realized that Sloan played baseball near where Brian lived.
They bond over the sandwiches from Lee's, which was a local shop when they were growing up, but has now gone nationwide.
They continue to chat about food, swapping stories of some of their favorite meals in recent years.
My digging into LA, whether it's that one time I accidentally pissed off Roy Choi on New Year's Day, And this long conversation I had with this April Jackson over at Three Little Birds over in London. oh wow so i actually lived in london so When it comes to name dropping, I could have easily like turned it back on him.
It's not, I wasn't impressed. I've worked with Megan Rapinoe and LeBron James, so...
That's cool, though. Tim Roy Choi can make us dinner because that'll really turn me on.
Yeah. So, where is your favorite food destination?
Apart from LA, just because we're very privileged here.
Is it really? LA is really your favorite?
It's so not my favorite. I'm seventh generation Angelina, interestingly enough.
Wow. I know. I'm still married to this idea of tacos, sweat, and gasoline with LA, but...
I think most of my interests presently are pushing into stuff that are is much, I would think, is more obscure.
Like, I know there's a big push on the Filipino food front.
I think that the problem with The LA food scene, there always has to be something amplified, like a gastronomic, foam that's been infused with lavender and put on top of this. piece of sashimi.
And you're just like, okay, so like it's foam on fish.
The thing that turns you off about food in LA essentially is when it feels like it's trying too hard.
Exactly. Which also seems to be the issue you're running into with Brian.
Dan, are you my new therapist? Can we do this once a week?
Sure, my rates are very reasonable. Huh, this is an interesting connection you're making.
I guess you're right. I think, yeah, the LA food scene, tries too hard and maybe in a lot, in some ways, no offense to Brian, again, great guy.
But I think you're right. There were a lot of moments where it was just kind of like, I just don't care.
If you can see behind me, me and my mom backpacked through Italy for a month last October and pretty much ate and drank our way through. all of Italy, so I've done a lot of eating.
Yeah, I know, it was pretty epic. Um, I've been a lot of eating.
Uh, she clearly has... and eaten her way through the world in a remarkably different way from me Her conversation about her trips through Italy... and other Western European countries.
Those are narratives I've heard before from other friends.
And I'm only saying that in contrast against me, which...
Like my immediate travel plan or relatively immediate travel plans before quarantine hit was to go to Kenya. or Nigeria to get a handle on Afrobeat Dance there and also Eat My Way Through you know whatever jollof rice happens to mean back in that country among other things but that's from what I would assume is a fundamentally different perception of what people my age would prioritize as travel.
You felt like the choice of sugarfish was a little bit like... kind of middle of the road, not that interesting to you compared to other types of sushi.
And then, Also kind of similar thing with the travel and places she's gone versus where you would be interested in going is that it felt a little bit kind of... middle of the road.
Right, as a first instinct. But I would want to still qualify by saying that I am probably underserving and underestimating the... possibilities and adventures that those locations provide.
Sloan talks about her trip to Italy with her mom for several more minutes.
Until... I'll keep the story short because I feel like it's going on and on.
It has been, but I like listening. Oh, thank you.
And then finished in Rome. In that statement, I didn't see it as flirty.
I just thought of it as like really thoughtful.
Brian, when you said, yeah, the story has been going on for a while, but I liked listening.
Was that flirting? Is that what you were going for?
Deliberately, yes. I have yet to admit that most of the time I'm going out of my way to make sure the other person's being listened, like by me.
In my limited emotional intelligence, I know that I'm Like a selfish person, I'm very good about pontificating myself and having a large ego.
I need to make the effort on my end to make sure the other person's heard that they get the space because I know I can steamroll very quickly and I can be verbose as you've seen throughout this conversation.
Mexican spicy, I would describe it as it just hurts you.
And then Korean spicy tends to be like a BDSM, like they'll slap you, but there's like a little sugar at the end. it's a little aftercare at least okay so then getting to spanish food So I'm Korean American, but at least for Korean food, it feels like a genuine to me, a description of what Korean culture is to some degree, where there is this intensity of emotion and anger and I would hope that framing it in a speediest sound, but there is a sweetness at the end.
It's indicative of not just Korean food, but how the people I ethnically identify with are coming from Sloan, what did you think of Brian's BDSM joke comparing Korean food to BDSM?
I did not hear that. He said that? Yeah, yeah.
Oh, I missed that completely. I'm glad I did.
That's a pretty big statement for a first date.
Yeah, that's a big step for a first time meeting someone.
So, are Sloan and Bryan a match? Will they choose to see each other again?
Later in the show, we hear the final moments of their date and get answers to those questions.
But before that, we'll go on a date with couple number two.
Stick around. Hope you're hungry because it's time for some ads.
I've told you a lot about the behind the scenes of the making of my cookbook, Anything's Possible, but I think there's one detail I left out. and that is that I tested every single recipe in that book on my Samsung range.
I have had a Samsung range for more than 10 years and it is high quality and reliable.
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But recently, I got my first look at a whole new line of Samsung bespoke appliances.
They have the bespoke AI induction range.
We've talked about induction on this show.
This thing heated a pot of water. I've never seen water boil so fast.
The oven has a built-in smart oven camera so you can monitor your meal from your phone.
And like I said, I love my Samsung range and oven.
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If you heard our recent episode in which I ate my way across Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then you know.
How much fun I had. You know how delicious it was.
The soul food at Big Mike's, the coffee, an incredible brunch at Croissant's Bistro in And the fish and quail and duck at Rivertown Bistro.
And when you go to Myrtle Beach, you can soak in the sunshine along 60 miles of beaches.
You can take a dip in the ocean. Dine on fresh seafood.
Get post beach ice cream. Sip colorful cocktails by the pool. and then listen to live music outside Myrtle Beach's many beach bars.
Now I know what you're thinking. But Dan, I've already planned my summer.
I already have my summer trips. All worked out.
How can I squeeze in Myrtle Beach? Well, I'll tell you how.
Make your summer longer. That's the beauty of Myrtle Beach.
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You may recall last year we did an episode of The Sporkful called When is a Taco Legally a Sandwich?
And our guests in that episode were Josh Scherer and Nicole Eneati from the podcast, A Hot Dog is a Sandwich.
And one of my messages to you in that episode was that you should be listening to their podcast.
You probably know Josh and Nicole from the YouTube channels Mythical Kitchen and Good Mythical Morning.
Well, on their podcast, A Hot Dog is a Sandwich, they discuss hilariously controversial culinary quandaries.
If you love Love the sporkful. Check out a hot dog is a sandwich.
I think you're going to love it, too. Follow and listen to A Hot Dog is a Sandwich wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you. Welcome back to The Sporkful.
I'm Dan Pashman, and I have some major pasta-related news for everybody.
The folks at Spolini and I are teaming up with Cravings by Chrissy Teigen for the launch of her four new... pasta sauces, which include spicy Thai basil marinara, corn and truffle, creamy tomato, and spicy miso alfredo.
Oh man, I wanna try that one. And get this, there's a special limited edition pack of sauces that comes with one of my Sfolini pasta shapes.
Quattrotini! That's the shape that Chrissy picked.
No big deal. Get the set at Cravings.com or check out the link in the show description.
Make sure you get one before they're gone.
Now back to the sporkful dating game. Let's meet our second couple.
My name is Mickey. I use he, him pronouns.
I am a 28-year-old program data manager for a housing nonprofit. in Seattle.
Hi, my name is Will. I am 24. I work full-time as a software engineer at Google.
Existing on the larger side and being gay, I've always felt undateable.
The gay world centers around body image, and that's very apparent by the labels that we give each other.
So in 2020, I decided to lose weight and I've lost about 120 pounds through dieting and working out.
One of my big quarantine projects has been building this big hydroponic farm in my really small apartment.
I am what you might call a plant gay. I do like the idea that in the apocalypse, I would be able to grow food.
I think humor and an inquisitive mind are my top two characteristics in a date.
Whenever I'm on a first date, I want to get into the nitty gritty of something ASAP.
Are we living in a simulation? Controversial food opinions.
I do not understand the appeal to mochi donuts.
And I will not entertain a debate about this, but Filipino brunch is the best brunch ever.
I think that mashed potatoes are an abomination.
I think they are baby food, and I think that anybody who has adult teeth has no business eating them.
I haven't been on a date since 2018, so thanks to the Sparkful for setting me up.
I am excited to make Dan officiate my wedding.
Will and Mickey both live in Seattle. They met for a Zoom date the week before Thanksgiving.
Mickey was actually quarantining in a hotel room so he could see his family for the holiday.
Okay, let's start the date. Hey, Mickey.
Nice to meet you. It's nice to meet you, too.
How's it going? It's going well. How are you?
I'm doing well. I don't know if... So Will, what did you do to prepare for this date?
Yeah, okay, so there were two things. One was, this is kind of silly, but I have like a towel hanging from my... my oven handle.
And it's always just kind of bunched up and thrown on there.
And I very specifically went and folded it and had it hanging directly kind of up and down. so that it looked like my life was together because this towel It's like folded on my oven handle correctly.
Right. Then the other thing was I tilted the camera specifically so that I have this ukulele hanging on the wall next to my desk, and I wanted that in frame, because I was prepared to pull it down and serenade him.
Mickey, did you by any chance notice the ukulele?
I did. I wanted to ask about the ukulele, but it seemed like we had bigger topics. speak about.
And did you notice the towel that was hanging on the oven handle?
I didn't. And how much thought are you putting into what's in your camera shot?
I actually... did not think about this at all.
I'm at a hotel, and I did not pack anything.
My comfort, outfit is a tank and shorts, and so all I have is a jacket.
And I didn't think about it. I forgot that this is an actual day and Zoom is You know, when I have meetings, I usually turn my camera off and I forgot that you can't do that on a date.
So Will is a planner. Mickey, not so much.
Also, Will's 24, he's more in a post-college phase, just starting his career.
Mickey's in his late 20s, so he's been working for longer now.
But as the day gets going, they seem to be hitting it off.
I've never been like super into makeup, but one of the things that has been, especially on Zoom, I feel like my brows show up and so, I have like a copious amount of like, I've given myself a very strong brow.
If you can, you know, Did you get a picture?
They look really good. And actually, one of the first things I notice is the brow.
So I'm going to show up to this first day and I'm just going to fish for compliments the entire time.
Yeah, I do like your brows. Mickey and Will ordered from Din Tai Fung.
It's an international chain known for a type of Xiaolongbao from a region of eastern China.
What did you order? I got some veggie noodles And also I was like, I don't know what Sporkful's budget is, but I'd love some boba tea.
Nice. What about you? I got the Over the Moon bundle, the savory, like, four-pack.
Mm-hmm. but I mostly was interested in the crafting kit, because I'm like, what is this crafting kit?
That's dope. Wait, so what do you craft?
I don't know. Okay, you got an activity item too.
That's new. Yes. I'm definitely a big kid where it's like, If there's an activity with a meal, I love that.
What is like a food compatibility deal breaker? smacking, like when people smack, you know, like Like that?
And that's why I'm like paranoid to eat right now, because I'm like, I don't want you hearing this.
That is a thing you share with my mom. It's like a great pro tip that you should compare your date to your mom on a first date. right um especially as like a gay man right right exactly yeah i um I say it only because I feel like... Are you intentionally comparing Mickey to your mom there?
Is there a sort of forethought in that? I think it really was just such a, I'm not strategizing with this.
It's like, this is literally my mom, and so I have to tell you this.
I think that after I say it, I'm like, oh yeah, it's a little bit strange to... compare your date to your mom.
But I have a great relationship with my mom, so nothing but a compliment.
Okay, I do have a prepared question for you.
Yes! What do you do since you don't like mashed potatoes?
What do you do for Thanksgiving? Okay, so before I answer, I just feel like I have to get a read.
How do you feel about mashed potatoes? I feel like your answer should come first.
Okay, well, this feels like a trap, first of all.
Yeah, I mean, I would say it's very simple.
The plan that I have, and I've gotten my family on board, there might still be a small thing of mashed potatoes there.
But the thing I'm gonna make is crispy smashed potatoes where you like boil them a little bit and then you smash them and then you kind of like bake them a little bit more. and they get like really crispy and yet they're still like pretty fluffy on the inside.
That's amazing. That's amazing. You have to tell me how you feel about mashed potatoes now.
I love mashed potatoes. I love the texture.
I'm kind of insulted you call it baby food.
I just need to make it clear, Mickey. This is not a normative statement.
So like let's say hypothetically the two of you ended up together for an extended period.
You had to do like holidays together, Thanksgiving together.
Would you give up mashed potatoes for love, Mickey?
I feel like... Mashed potatoes has its place, and I feel like love is about compromises.
So if that means not having it for Thanksgiving, I would advocate for that to be part of Christmas or some other holiday.
Will, it seems like the two of you have very different perspectives on potatoes.
Is this an issue? Maybe, it might be. Differences on opinion on potato texture is probably a bigger, more likely to be a deal breaker than a lot of other foodstuffs.
And let's say the two of you were together for the long haul and you started celebrating Thanksgiving together.
How would you handle this potato situation?
So, what... I would always hope that whoever I'm close with sees the light, so to speak.
That's always going to be, you know. the hope deep down.
I think probably you do end up having a mashed potato dish and having some kind of crispier potato dish.
As you heard, Mickey hasn't been on a date in two years since before he lost all that weight.
He told us he has trouble meeting guys in Seattle.
He says people there are very body conscious and with the pandemic, it's become nearly impossible.
And as he tells Will... I don't do small talk well, so that's probably why I haven't been on a date forever.
I'm very much in the same camp that like, I'm gonna like try to get us debating something or like try to get us like hashing something out.
Are you familiar with the whole like, are we living in a simulation kind of theory?
Like, is that kind of like the Truman Show kind of concept thing?
Mickey and Will spend a lot of the date debating philosophical questions.
Given that we're experiencing something that looks like reality, it is more likely that we are in one of those things that has already been simulated than us being enlightened.
They go back and forth until... So you said, I think you called it a plant.
Yeah, yeah. And I'm sad that you didn't say plant daddy because I wanted plant daddy to be on this podcast.
Podcast? Plant daddy. Okay, for the next several minutes, I'm just gonna say plant daddy on repeat.
So we'll have to grab some of that out of here, right?
Plant daddy. Plant daddy. You grow cabbage.
Is that what you said? Cabbage? I grew a lot of lettuce.
Lettuce. Some arugula, a lot of cilantro, some mushrooms actually.
Wow, that's like next level, though. Because people, when they say plant daddy, it's like plants, not... agriculture.
The plants down below, they have like this automated pump that comes on and like kind of sprays water over the roots that are like kept in this separate chamber.
So that's like, I'm good at taking care of those, but then the mushrooms are literally sitting It's very attractive that he can grow.
I can't grow anything. I kill succulents.
The fact that he can take care of so many things is very attractive.
Yeah. and that he can grow his own food is attractive too.
So can Will's strong brows and impressive plants win Mickey over?
Or is the mashed potato divide more than they can bridge?
Before we find out, let's return to our first couple.
Brian and Sloane spent about an hour talking.
Let's see how their date ended. Brian, this has been really fun.
No matter what happens, like we may like, never meet again.
It's just fun to talk to someone new, you know?
Yeah. You're making it sound like there's a timestamp on this.
I feel like eventually I'm going to need to hang up because my computer's going to die.
Because you can't plug it in. Oh, I need to go get the charger and stuff.
I can wait. But no, get your charger if you need to.
I can wait. Let me finish my... I think at that moment, I started to realize that that was the soft exit. but it would take as the date went on several more times for me to get the message.
It seems like you're sending some pretty clear signals that that you're ready to wrap things up, and I'm not sure that he's hearing them.
Uh, yes. I was ready to wrap it up. finished my sushi and um he tried to ask for your number but then you were hesitant to give it Yeah, I gave it to him.
I'm not good at saying no, Dan. I'm just not.
Would you want to see him again for a date?
No. I'm going to be totally upfront. I fairly recently got out of a relationship and I... thought that I was ready to get back into the dating scene.
I had a lot of fun. By the end of it, I kind of just recognized that We weren't really vibing as like romantically.
Brian, has there been any communication between you and Sloan since the date?
Yeah, I texted her. Two days after formally asking, really, I'd love to take you out if you're down for it.
She said no on account of her having just left a relationship recently and then reiterated again that I'm a very cool guy.
How did that feel? The cool guy's expected.
She's not the only one to have said that, and...
I already believe that since 1992. just out of relationship thing is understandable.
I mean, I've had that issue in the past before.
Yeah. Well, I guess we're 0 for 1, but I'm holding out some hope for Will and Mickey.
Their date went for two hours. Let's join back up with them as they say their goodbyes.
Well, hey, I kind of have to go to the bathroom and it has been a hot minute, but this has been really fun.
Are you an Insta? I am. Sweet, you wanna drop your handle?
I will. Can I preface that? It's even my tagline.
It's like, 10% thirst pose. 20% comedy and like 70% sad poetry.
Okay. So, giving you that. I will certainly not hold it against you.
But yeah, this was super weird, but also super fun.
It was nice meeting you. It was nice to meet you as well.
This was fun. Thanks for being my date. Peace out, friend.
See ya. Bye. So at the end of the date, Will signs off by saying, peace out, friend.
Did you hear that? What do you make of that?
It kind of affirms what I was feeling as well.
I think we can have great conversations.
I don't know. I don't know where we would be as romantic partners.
Also, I think just the fact that he asked for my Instagram Handle just shows that there is a clear distinction between how old we are.
Maybe if the zombie apocalypse happens and I need someone to grow food, it's another conversation.
Oh, man, I really thought this day was going well.
But Mickey tells me it was missing that spark.
I think Will is very charming. He's very intellectual.
I'm not sure if the chemistry to be a romantic partner is there.
I did feel, after the experience, fairly deeply connected and it felt like I don't know, it felt like we had become friends.
It was really fun to meet a new person. He's super pleasant.
Nothing was super awkward. I know you said that the two of you started following each other on Instagram.
Have you messaged each other? Has there been any communication?
We've shared a couple of responses to one another's stories.
I think like an emoji here or there. Do you want to see him again?
Um, that's a good question. I think I think probably not.
It does just feel like we're in somewhat different parts of life.
Oh well, 0 for 2. I blame Zoom, at least partly.
I mean, I haven't been on a Zoom date, but I just have to imagine the whole thing feels weird.
It's harder to make a connection. Maybe we'll do this again after the pandemic when we can pair people up to date in person.
I'm going to officiate a wedding come hell or high water.
Also, I want you to find love. It's both really.
This show is produced by me along with senior producer Emma Morgenstern and producer Andres O'Hara.
Our editor is Tracy Samuelson. The show is mixed by Jared O'Connell.
Music help from Black Label Music. The Sporkful is a production of Stitcher.
Our executive producers are Peter Clowney and Daisy Rosario.
Until next time, I'm Dan Pashman. And I'm Stephanie in Cincinnati, Ohio, reminding you to eat more, eat better, and eat more better.
Thank you. This reheat was produced by...
The team that produces the Sporkful today includes me, along with managing producer Emma Morgenstern, And senior producer Andres O'Hara.
Our engineer is Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful is a production of Stitcher Studios.
Our executive producer is Camille Stanley.
And hey, did you know you can listen to The Sporkful on the SiriusXM app?
Yes, the SiriusXM app. It has... All your favorite podcasts plus over 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era.
Plus, live sports coverage. Does your podcasting app have that?
And there's interviews with A-list stars and so much more.
It's everything you want. in a podcast app and music app all rolled into one.
And right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to SiriusXM.com slash Sporkful.
Until next time, I'm Dan Pashman. Possibility means you have a chance.
Passion opens the door to all possibilities.
When I feel like anything's possible, I feel kinda giddy.
I want to be an astronaut. Be an artist.
Be an actress. To visit another country.
All I need is a backpack and a pair of shoes and I'll find a way.
I'm able to do anything I set my mind to.
I've never felt like more things are possible than right now.
In the right shoes, anything's possible.
DSW, countless shoes at brag-worthy prices.
Imagine the possibilities.
