We set up two students, Chloe Corner and Wyatt Hilkene, on a blind date. Location: Opa, a modern Greek restaurant. OK, so the date wasn’t totally blind: we found out they are in the same Spanish class, though never really spoke before their date. Will a little amour be on the menu for these two singles?
The brave singles Chloe Corner, a Philly native and Tabard sophomore, describes herself as “a crazy late–teen looking to party and get into some post–drink debauchery.” She’s looking for a tall, dark and handsome man who's willing to buy the drinks and make the 5 a.m. walk of shame.
Wyatt Hilkene hails from Kansas and is Beta President Emeritus. He’s a senior who enjoys the “the finer, frattier things in life.” He says that he doesn’t really have a type per se: “I think every girl has unique qualities that make her attractive in her own way. That being said, blonde–haired, blue–eyed and bustacious."
First Impressions Chloe Corner: Spanish 130 frat star — he held the door for me and paid for the cab. Boom! Wyatt Hilkene: To be honest, going into a blind date you kind of expect the worst (swamp monsters, she–demons and the like). Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and excited about the date after meeting up.
The Place CC: Good environment for a quasi–blind date… Small, not too quiet, Greco–modern decor and a great drink selection. It has windows that open almost floor to ceiling. In the back of the room, it’s a cozier scene. Everything is close and intimate, so a good setting for a small group or for a large group to rent out. WH: The restaurant was pretty sleek and had a clean decor. Most importantly, its bar was sizable, which I respect in any restaurant.
The Service CC: The wait staff was really nice and accommodating, not too slow, suggested things for us to get on the menu. WH: Our waitress was very helpful with our order and perfectly friendly.
The Food CC: We ordered pita with hummus and tzatziki sauce ($12), zucchini chips ($12), spinach croquettes ($8), octopus platter ($14), calamari ($10), mini–gyros ($9) and some kind of feta cheese pastry called a “zimi” ($6), which was sub–par compared to the other dishes. The majority of the dishes tasted 10 times better (a tough accomplishment) with tzatziki. WH: The dining experience was similar to tapas–style. Our food came out whenever it was ready, so we had a bunch of different flavors available. This allowed us to get creative at one point, crafting a mind–blowing pita sandwich complete with calamari, octopus and topped with tzatziki. When we ate it, it was as if Poseidon was smiling down at us from above. For dessert, we ordered some loukoumades (fried donut balls) with chocolate dipping sauce ($8) and baklava ($8). We did some damage.
The Conversation CC: The convo flowed well from the beginning, especially once we were into the meal. We bonded over our Spanish 130 experiences and general misbehavior. WH: Chloe was great. Cool, calm and collected. She told hilarious stories and was entertaining the whole night. Our conversation flowed similar to our bottle of Rose ($46); easily and plentiful. And yes, I said rose.
Seconds? CC: I can’t wait to go back! It's definitely better than my usual Greek Lady Chicken Platter. WH: Yeah — I’d definitely go back.
We meant the date… CC: I would consider us to be taste–bud compatible, and we got along really well, so there could be another date in the future. WH: Of course, I had an awesome time with her and I’d love to go out again.
