Tonight I was at Lombardi's on Spring St. near Soho; they claim to be the first pizzeria in America. Anyway, I was with my entourage (AKA posse in hip hop world) eating up some delicious pizza. One of the ladies at our table shared with us her latest fav restaurants called Alta, located on 10th St. Normally she enjoys the typical romantic restaurant which requires dim lighting, however, Alta is well lit and she described the restaurant having a "romantic glow." I'll take her word for it. She described the beautiful drapes and the warm feel of the restaurant, but more importantly to me, it's a tapas place. I love tapas restaurants because it's a great way to ease into a date. I was always curious as to why woman ordered the Nicoise salad or other types of rabbit food. I guess it's probably chosen because it's the easiest thing to eat if your nerves are still up. Well, tapas are great for first dates because they're not overwhelming portions, and you can mix it up and make it a fun dinner. See how she likes different dishes, not that it would be easy to infer anything based on her selections. Perhaps? Maybe she likes the spicy dishes, or hopefully she likes my personal favorite -- dates wrapped in bacon. I'll take my friend's word on Alta and take a date there.