Date Plate on Food Network

I’ve recently discovered Date Plate on Food Network. You can think of it as a cross between reality tv and a cooking show ;).

What do you get when you take 2 eligible bachelors (or bachelorettes), give each a $50 shopping budget, and ask them to plan and cook a romantic meal in hopes of winning over a blind date? Date Plate challenges two food-savvy contestants to do just that.

So, these two guys start the show by watching a short video clip of the date-girl that they’ll be cooking for. The clip typically doesn’t reveal her likes or dislikes in food, so the guys have to base their menu off their hunches from the video.

From there, each guy is paired with a professional chef and they go to the supermarket together to spend their allotted $50. The chefs are allowed to make small suggestions but the menu ideas (and cooking) are up to the guys. After the supermarket, they go the kitchen of a real restaurant to cook the meals (which is always empty, leading me to think that maybe the show is filmed on a night the restaurant is closed anyway).

After two hours cooking time, the dishes are served at the same time to the girl (presumably to give her the chance to try them back-and forth). And, after the main dish, their desserts are brought out. At the end of the show, the girl has to pick which guy she likes best based only on the meals he’s cooked for her.

If you like reality tv and cooking shows (or one of the two), you might just enjoy Date Plate. The show airs Wednesdays at 9:30pm/8:30c and 12:30am/11:30c on Food Network.