New survey reveals Valentine’s Day dining and dating habits

A new Valentine’s Day survey by OpenTable takes a closer look at the habits of Valentine’s Day lovers who like to go out for a romantic meal.

A weekend affair

Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, and while 51 percent of respondents in the OpenTable survey said they will be dining out on Thursday, 36 percent said they will be having their romantic Valentine’s dinner Friday the 15th, Saturday the 16th or Sunday the 17th. Sometimes a babysitter on Valentine’s Day evening is difficult to come by on a school night, and with work Friday morning, staying out late for an intimate dinner might be out of the question.

Put the brakes on love

Listen here, girl. If your first date with someone is on Valentine’s Day, you’d better run. According to the OpenTable survey, 42 percent of participants said dining on this romantic night is reserved for couples dating at least a month or two, and 37 percent said you should be dating your boo for at least three months. While 21 percent said it was fine to have your first date on Valentine’s Day, the majority find it to be too soon.

Dining room PDA

Cupid’s arrow seems to have good aim on Valentine’s Day, especially in restaurants. According to OpenTable’s survey, 71 percent of diners say only some PDA is appropriate on the most romantic day of the year and 21 percent say sharing love and affection in public is what Valentine’s Day is all about. Most like to save the lovin’ for when they get home, while others like to build up the romance before they enter the bedroom.

Dinner date no-no’s

Unless you are on a date with Siri, being on your phone is not suitable dating behavior. Not to anyone’s surprise, 56 percent of women and 61 percent of men who took the OpenTable survey say talking and texting at the table is the biggest dining faux pas a date can commit. The second biggest no-no is being rude to the waiter or waitress. So if your pasta doesn’t have enough cheese, calm down — it’ll be OK. Taking your frustrations out on your server isn’t fair, especially since they have to work on Valentine’s Day.

Sexiness in the kitchen

If you and your valentine are bored with dining out, you could always spice things up at home with an intimate home-cooked meal. V-Day is all about the heart, so make sure to use some heart-healthy recipes. For chef inspiration, you could always look to Bobby Flay or Amanda Cohen, two of the hottest celebrity chefs, according to OpenTable’s survey. You could be yelling, “BAM!” in the kitchen and in the bedroom.

Don’t forget flowers!

Make sure you get those flowers ordered for that special someone. According to OrganicBouquet.com, the majority of orders are placed on Feb. 11. Being a steward to the environment is definitely a sexy trait, so make sure you are gifting flowers that are grown in eco-friendly sustainable environments!