Dude - you're putting WAY too much importance on a date. It's just DATING, it's just a chance to get to know someone better, it's not a Disney Princess Romantic Interlude!!! Have fun, relax, enjoy a night out.
Now - things to watch for (yes, dating is information gathering to see if this person might be someone you would like a relationship with): - does she have a good sense of humor? (Sorry, if someone doesn't "get" the jokes they're probably not for me, your mileage may vary) - can she let loose and really laugh? (Again, something I'm looking for in a guy, you may prefer someone who doesn't guffaw loudly like me, but observe). - how much does she drink? (I'm not dissing people who enjoy social drinking - I do too - but this is also a chance to pick up on someone who may have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol) - how does she treat the waitress? (To me, it really matters how people treat others, especially people who are serving them. I've told the story before of how friends tried to set me up with their friend by inviting us both to a concert with them. But as we ate beforehand, the guy told my friend how she didn't have to leave a 20% tip - to a perfectly good waitress who had done a good job. And this guy was a chiropractor who made good money. Sorry, cheapness and lack of empathy don't work for me AT ALL).
