Gentleman's Goal: Accomplished

In May I wrote an article for Primer Magazine issuing a goal for gentlemen worldwide: take a woman on a picnic within the next two weeks. Several readers responded positively to this idea, and I thought it wise to take my own advice and go on a picnic. I have recently garnered a reputation for coming up with creative dates, and the picnic goal fits perfectly in that niche.

Click the image to see the original article for Primer Magazine

In the Primer article, I gave gents two weeks to accomplish this goal. Week one was set aside for planning and preparation, week two is when the picnic was to occur. I broke the preparation into three parts: setting, tools of the trade, and menu. Unfortunately for me, I did not have a setting, the tools of the trade, or, for that matter, a woman. Luckily, these missing pieces all came together quite nicely. Shortly after the article came out, I started dating a lovely lady and told her about going to the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park to watch orchestral performances. As it turned out, the very next day she was able to score tickets to one such performance for free. The cool thing about orchestral performances is that the Mann Center allows you to bring coolers, food, chairs, alcoholic beverages, and more. Just like that, the missing pieces fell into place.



My tools of the trade were still not quite as fancy as those described in the article, but I was able to find a small cooler and disposable utensils and dishes to fit the bill. I tried my hand at the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Caprese Salad from BrokeAss Gourmet. While I was unable to find a ripe avocado, I subbed it for a cucumber and it ended up being quite tasty. We paired the meal with a delicious blush wine from Bully Hill and a baguette. In the article it is suggested to select a location that offers some privacy. The lawn section of an outdoor venue offers zero privacy, but by arriving early we were able to have plenty of time for conversation before the music kicked in.

While I deviated from the plan outlined in Primer's first Gentleman's Goal, it still ended up being a very enjoyable experience. We were able to have a picnic with a soundtrack provided by the Russian National Orchestra and screens with beautiful footage of the world's oceans and marine life. We had time for conversation, time for a meal, and time to just lie back and enjoy the music. I highly recommend not only taking your significant other out on a picnic, but checking out the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann. Both are enjoyable stand-alone dates, and together they are quite fun.