I’m your age and I’ve done it several times, including with my husband.
The caveat is that you start with coffee or a drink (my husband and I arranged to play mtg and have a beer), then the conversation is so nice that you order food or move from a cafe to a restaurant.
Now that I think about it, all the good relationships I’ve been in that weren’t with friends of mine involved dinner tacked onto the first date. When I’ve dated friends, it’s a very different progression, but doesn’t really involve restaurant dates at the beginning.
I also definitely would not eat there. I don’t know why it’s assumed that you would eat dinner there after being stood up. I’d be sad and I’d want to be alone, at absolute most I’d get takeout, but there’s probably a greasier takeout that I want, but have been restraining myself from. I’d very much prefer tacos/falafel to a date restaurant meal if I’ve just been stood up.
I come from a deep blue state, but haven’t lived in the US in years and every time I get an absentee ballot, it’s too late to send it in. I still apply, but we’ll see if it comes in time
There is literally no way to reason these people out of the position they didn't reason themselves into.
Regarding this, I recently saw the counterpoint of Santa. Most people never reason themselves into believing in Santa, but they do reason themselves out of it. Obviously there’s cognitive development that happens in between in the Santa case, but a lot of people form their core political beliefs pretty young, so that may be true of politics as well.
I’m your age and I’ve done it several times, including with my husband.
The caveat is that you start with coffee or a drink (my husband and I arranged to play mtg and have a beer), then the conversation is so nice that you order food or move from a cafe to a restaurant.
Now that I think about it, all the good relationships I’ve been in that weren’t with friends of mine involved dinner tacked onto the first date. When I’ve dated friends, it’s a very different progression, but doesn’t really involve restaurant dates at the beginning.