The Pre-Dance Dinner Drill

It's time to bust out your fancy clothes: Homecoming (and other such formal dances) are just around the corner! Even though dances are supposed to be fun, they can also be pretty stressful. First, you have to worry about finding a date. Then you have to decide what to wear. There's that whole picture taking fiasco with all the parents swarming around and directing you to "look like you like each other!"

But one of the most stressful parts of the evening can be figuring out what to order at pre-dance dinner. You don't want to order something that will leave remnants in your teeth, but you also need to eat enough to keep your stomach from rumbling midway through the slow dance. We know, it's tough. So we came up with a menu of potential dishes for your consideration. Bon appetit!

Fettucine Alfredo
Pros: You've had this dish before, so you know that you'll like it. Since it's mainly cream colored, you don't have to worry about getting a red pasta sauce on your shirt (or dress). And it's wayyyy filling enough to keep the tummy-rumbling quiet.
Cons: This dish might actually be too filling and rich. When the DJ puts on "Boom Boom Pow," you're going to want to jam. But about 30 seconds in, you have to "go get a drink of water" cause you're suffering from a painful sidecramp. Ohhh, too much cream sauce.

House Salad
Pros: A salad will definitely not weigh you down during the dance. The house salad is a particularly safe choice, since you'll be able to recognize all the ingredients: Lettuce, check. Tomatoes, check. Italian dressing, check.
Cons: Aside from the fact that you'll probably be starving about an hour into the dance, you will be left with a tiny Italian dressing stain on the front of your outfit. Actually, that stain sort of looks like a heart. Awww...still not cool.

Stuffed Chicken
Pros: This is a great-tasting, well-balanced meal. Bonus points if it's served with some sort of delicious potato side dish. Together, the chicken and potato combo will give you the protein and carbs necessary to keep you dancing all night long. And did we mention this dish is really tasty?
Cons: See that green stuff in the middle of the chicken? It's spinach. Spinach is a date's worst friend. It finds its way into the crevices of your teeth and never leaves. Then, your date has to say, "Uhh, you, uh, there's something stuck in your teeth." AWKWARD! Stay away from spinach. And broccoli. Or at least make a quick pit stop in the restroom to check your teeth before you leave the restaurant.

Linguine with shrimp in a light sauce
Pros: The only green stuff you'll find here is probably garnish, which you can delicately place on the side of your dish. And even though this dish includes pasta, the sauce won't weigh you down like the alfredo. To top it off, venturing into the seafood category will make you seem really sophisticated.
Cons: You know what makes a light sauce taste good? Garlic. You know what makes your mouth smell like garlic for the rest of the night? Garlic. If you're planning on smooching with your date, you should stay far, far away from this dish. (However, if you think your date is "just a friend" and your date thinks things could get hot and heavy, this may be the way to go.)

Pad See-Yew
Pros: Your date is probably pretty cool if, instead of the typical Italian or American-style restaurant, he or she went with the more exotic choice of Thai food. This dish sounded good when the server described it to you: noodles in a not-too-spicy sauce and the vegetarian option of tofu (though you'll probably go with the shrimp—it's more sophisticated).
Cons: If you're a picky eater, you might not like something this adventurous. Quick tip: Stash a Snickers in your bag!

Do you have a pre-dance dinner favorite? Any tried-and-true dishes to recommend? Any absolute no-no's?

Related Post: Homecoming Song Alternatives