Blind Date: All’s fair in love and war
Blind daters go out for a spin at the San Diego County Fair.
It’s a balmy Sunday evening at the San Diego County Fair, and the air is thick with the smell of popcorn, funnel cakes and other fried delicacies. The sounds of children squealing in delight and carnival barkers trying to entice fill the air, while techno beats blast from the roller coasters whizzing by.
There’s something magical about the fair, as anyone who grew up in San Diego knows. It’s the ultimate summer activity, a place with something for just about everyone to enjoy.
It’s also the setting for tonight’s blind date, where Kyle and Brittany, both 33, meet for the first time in an Epic Limo that picks up Kyle first in Pacific Beach, then zips up to San Marcos to pick up Brittany and then back down to Del Mar, the storied land where the surf meets the turf, as they say.
Speaking of storied, the theme of this year’s fair is “Oz-some,” as in The Wizard of Oz. Kyle and Brittany are about to be treated to a VIP fair experience unlike any they’ve ever had, but before we send them down the yellow brick road, let’s get to know them a little bit better via their pre-date interviews.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
BRITTANY: I was born and raised in Oceanside, and I currently live in San Marcos.
KYLE: I grew up in Palo Alto and currently live in Pacific Beach.
What do you do for a living?
BRITTANY: I work behind the chair as a hairstylist in my own salon suite. I’m a freelance makeup artist as well.
KYLE: Professional emailer. I started a monthly subscription box for healthy kids’ snacks. I also give paddleboarding lessons, which make for nice lunch breaks.
What’s your Instagram handle?
BRITTANY: @beautybybrittanymichele.
KYLE: @greatkidssnacks.
How long have you been single?
BRITTANY: Almost a year.
KYLE: I’ve never been married.
Currently, what dating apps can be found on your phone?
BRITTANY: Bumble, ugh.
KYLE: Righter, The League, Farmers Only, Hinge.
Where can you be found on the weekends?
BRITTANY: I usually work on Saturdays, but on the weekends, I like to get in a run or bike ride along the coast. If a good band is in town, I’ll definitely be at the show. However, I wish more weekends were spent going on camping adventures and road trips.
KYLE: Playing on the bay or lake.
What are you best at?
BRITTANY: I’m pretty darn good at staying positive, always. Also, I’m super organized and I’m never late, ever. I’m also really good at making women feel beautiful; it’s my job (how lucky am I?!).
KYLE: Pretending I am still athletic or eating anything and everything.
What do you suck at?
BRITTANY: I’m a self-admitted people pleaser. I’m working on my communication skills. Oh, and I never get my oil changed when I’m supposed to.
KYLE: Making the first move.
What are you looking for in a date, physical or otherwise?
BRITTANY: I’m looking to meet someone who lives an active lifestyle, loves dogs and is fun! Total bonus if they enjoy the outdoors and can make me laugh (like, seriously, laugh out loud!).
KYLE: Not too picky. Just an adventurous, tall, blonde girl who is athletic, intelligent, attractive, hilarious and inappropriate, while being able to wear five-inch heels without walking like Bambi.
Why do you think you’ll be a good date?
BRITTANY: I’m pretty easygoing and can find the fun in almost everything. I’m sure this will a good evening! (And if it’s not, it’s totally on him. I’m an awesome date.).
KYLE: I don’t know that I’ll be a good date. However, I have heard plenty of stories about bad dates, so I know I’ll be better than bad. Which, I guess, is good.
Describe your special brand of sex appeal in a Tweet.
BRITTANY: I don’t have Twitter!
KYLE: I leave the tweeting to the president.
Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for looks.
BRITTANY: Ehh, seven-and-a-half or eight?
KYLE: Seven.
Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for personality.
BRITTANY: Nine-and-a-half, for sureee.
KYLE: Six.
What’s your cocktail of choice?
BRITTANY: If we’re going out, dirty vodka martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. Otherwise, vodka soda with two limes. Always two limes.
KYLE: Tequila.
What’s a total deal-breaker on a date?
BRITTANY: I can’t handle the sloppy drunk thing. Also, someone who continually talks about previous relationships. Not sure if this even needs to be said, but bad hygiene is absolutely non-negotiable.
KYLE: Smoker.
How many people have you slept with?
BRITTANY: No comment. (My mom is going to read this, c’mon guys.)
KYLE: My mom might read this.
Fill in the blanks: I want my date to be “blank” and “blank.”
BRITTANY: Funny and smart.
KYLE: All that / a bag of chips.
Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less?
BRITTANY: Maybe a kiss, if he plays his cards right.
KYLE: Something more… High five with a butt slap.
Well, well, well. These two just might be a match made in county fair heaven. Kyle and Brittany are both 33 and they both consider themselves active, with Brittany claiming her weekends are spent running or bike-riding on the coast, and Kyle saying he likes to “play on the bay.”
And, bonus! It looks like neither of their moms are going to have to read how many people their child has slept with in print.
But Kyle also has some pretty high standards when it comes to what kind of girl he’s looking for. Right off the bat, we see that Brittany checks a few of those boxes: She’s tall, adventurous, blonde, intelligent and attractive. But, more important, can she walk properly in five-inch heels, like Kyle requests? Well, that will have to wait for another date, since Kyle and Brittany were told they’d be doing a lot of walking on this date, so Brittany left her stilettos at home.
Sorry, Kyle.
Kyle also says he’s bad at “making the first move,” which might be an issue on a date. But, despite that, he does have a very specific prediction for how the night will end (“high five with a butt slap”), so let’s see if that comes to fruition, shall we?
A pig deal
Daters eat like rabbits, then watch pigs race
You can’t go to the fair without eating something delicious (and bad for you). As such, the good folks at the San Diego County Fair have set aside a romantic table for our daters (complete with flowers and a table cloth) at Chicken Charlie’s, the famous fair food stand that is known for frying anything and everything. Since 1984, Chicken Charlie’s has been satisfying fair-goers with its ever-evolving fried food menu, which includes things like deep-fried Oreos, the triple-decker Krispy Kreme cheeseburger, bacon-wrapped pickles, ramen burritos and, new this year, deep-fried crème brûlée.
Here’s hoping Kyle and Brittany brought their appetites.
The daters are seated at their private table amidst the bustling fair crowds. They end up ordering the healthiest food you can get at the fair (at least, according to Chicken Charlie): the Maui teriyaki chicken and shrimp bowls, which are served in hollowed-out pineapples. They also get fried frog legs and indulge in some fried Oreos and crème brûlée.
After dinner, the daters are led to another classic fair activity: the pig races. The ever-popular Swifty Swine Racing Pigs event pits pig against pig in a race around Swifty Stadium. Some spectators, including Kyle and Brittany, get into the swine spirit by donning rubber pig noses while cheering on their favorite hogs. After a few races, Kyle and Brittany get to hold and take photos with Lil’ Swifty, the star of the pig races.
After the races, we separate Kyle and Brittany to get the rundown on their date.
How’s it going so far?
BRITTANY: It’s going super good. I’m having a blast, I love the fair.
KYLE: So far, so good.
At first glance, would you swipe right or left on your date?
BRITTANY: Right, for sure.
KYLE: Right.
Is this the type of person you’d normally date?
BRITTANY: (Pauses) Yes. I think so. He’s the kind of guy I have been wanting to date, and I maybe haven’t dated in the past.
KYLE: (Pauses) Yes. Besides the GU (“geographically undesirable”), yes.
How has your experience at the San Diego County Fair been?
BRITTANY: It’s been super fun. We saw the pigs and we had some fried food, we gained some weight. It’s been great.
KYLE: So far, so good. Fair stuff. Food and a pig race.
What did you order at Chicken Charlie’s?
BRITTANY: We had some teriyaki chicken, some shrimp. Some fried frog legs, which I’ve never had before. They were actually surprisingly good. Some fried crème brûlée and fried Oreos.
KYLE: We got the frog legs. The shrimp and battered fish. Then we got the fried crème brûlée and fried Oreos.
What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?
BRITTANY: I feel like he’s very authoritative. He’s very in charge, which I appreciate. I like that.
KYLE: She took the tag off my pig nose. Oh, and took off her sunglasses. I had no idea who I was going out with.
Rate your date on a scale from one to 10 for looks.
BRITTANY: I would say he’s a nine. He’s a nine.
KYLE: What did I rate myself as, a six or seven? We’ll go with the same. Seven.
And for personality?
BRITTANY: I’d say he’s an eight and a half, nine.
KYLE: Probably better than mine. So, seven.
What’s your date’s most attractive physical quality?
BRITTANY: He’s really tall and he has really nice eyes.
KYLE: Her hair.
Do you want to kiss your date right now?
BRITTANY: (Laughs) If he kissed me, I wouldn’t dodge it.
KYLE: Yeah, okay.
Does your date want to kiss you?
BRITTANY: Oh, I don’t know.
KYLE: Probably.
How and when will the date end?
BRITTANY: I don’t know. He’s a little hard to read.
KYLE: When you tell us it’s over.
At this point, it’s a little hard to gauge whether Kyle and Brittany are clicking. Kyle’s a man of few words, more of the strong silent type. His dry sense of humor results in Brittany struggling to get a read on him, and we can’t help but agree. At least Kyle acknowledges that Brittany’s personality is “probably better” than his.
It appears Brittany’s location is also a bit of an issue for Kyle. She lives all the way in North County, which is “geographically undesirable,” according to P.B.-livin’ Kyle.
But, aside from that, both seem to be enjoying their time at the fair, what with the fried foods and the pig races. Let’s see if some fair rides can help bring these two closer together.
Ferris wheel of fortune
Sparks start to fly as Kyle and Brittany go for a spin
After the pig races, Kyle and Brittany are taken, via fair escorts (or “fairies,” as Kyle liked to call them), to the photo booths for a little photo fun. While the PACIFIC and fair crew wait patiently outside, Kyle and Brittany climb into a booth and proceed to strike some poses. It’s not until the photos are dispensed from the booth that we finally get to see what went down behind the curtain: Kyle and Brittany did some lip-locking in the booth and we’ve got the photographic evidence to prove it.
This date is suddenly starting to look a little more romantic.
The next order of business is the Ferris wheel, where Kyle and Brittany (plus a PACIFIC photographer or two) take a few spins. Don’t worry, we let the two of them get in a few rounds alone as well. The sun is setting and the view of the fair on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other makes for a very San Diego site, and Kyle and Brittany seem to love every minute of it.
After the ride, Kyle suddenly seems much more intent on impressing Brittany. He tries valiantly to win his fair lady a stuffed animal by shooting hoops at one of the game booths while Brittany sweetly cheers him on, but, alas, he misses every shot.
Hopefully, for Kyle’s sake, this isn’t a precursor to how this date will end.
It’s been a long day, and Kyle and Brittany need to spend some more alone time together. It’s the perfect time to take them to the Wicked Wahine, the fair’s secret rooftop speakeasy, for some tiki-inspired drinks and more stunning fair views.
It’s not easy for the average fair-goer to find the speakeasy. Directions are vague (anyone interested is told to “ask around”), but a little bird told us that bartenders throughout the fair will be able to point you in the right direction. It’s well worth the effort, as the cool spot is located above the fair and the drinks are as pretty as they are tasty.
Once they arrive at the speakeasy, Brittany and Kyle order some drinks and strike a few more poses for PACIFIC’s camera crew, including a more risqué pose in a round wicker swing. Kyle decides to take matters into his own hands and treat Brittany to that butt slap he’s been talking about.
Brittany seems delighted, and she’s even more delighted later, when Kyle unexpectedly hoists her up on his shoulders for some more photos.
It’s at this point that the PACIFIC crew decides it’s time to leave our fair daters alone for the evening. We call them the next day to find out how things went.
How did everything go last night?
BRITTANY: Last night was really, really fun. The fair was beautiful and I had a great time. It was really pretty, and being up in the speakeasy and the Ferris wheel and everything, it was really pretty from up there.
KYLE: It was good. We had a good time, stayed for another drink and then had a bit of an adventure trying to find our car, but it worked out.
Where did you go and what did you do for the rest of the evening after the fair?
BRITTANY: We had one more drink and then we headed home. Separately. (Laughs) I mean, I went back to my house and he went home. You know what I mean.
KYLE: We took the car back up to her place and dropped her off, and then I came back home.
Did you guys exchange numbers?
BRITTANY: We exchanged phone numbers.
KYLE: Yes.
Hook up?
BRITTANY: Well, he did walk me to my door and kiss me goodnight. He was a little bit more of a gentleman than he came off. I mean, he had an air of borderline arrogance, almost, but I think he was just a tough cookie to crack. I told him he was hard to read.
KYLE: Nope, just a kiss.
What’s the funniest thing that happened during the date?
BRITTANY: When he put me on his shoulders. He hoisted me up and put me on his shoulders. And also people asking us if we were getting married at the fair. That was pretty funny, too.
KYLE: I guess that was just the whole putting her on my shoulders.
What was the best part of the date and why?
BRITTANY: I think the speakeasy, because by then we were more relaxed and he was talking a bit more with me, not at me.
KYLE: I guess it was at the end, at the speakeasy, where we just got to kind of sit down and talk without cameras in our face.
What was the worst part of the date and why?
BRITTANY: Well, when we pulled up, he told me he doesn’t like the fair, so that was kind of awkward. But then he said he had fun at the end, so maybe he just wasn’t going with the right people.
KYLE: Missing all those shots playing basketball. That was embarrassing.
Will there be a second date? Why or why not?
BRITTANY: I don’t know the, ball’s in his court. If he asked me out again, I would go. But he did kind of have an issue, he didn’t understand where North County was. He’s in his P.B. bubble. I think he thought he was in another country, so that might be an issue for him. It’s not an issue for me, but we’ll see.
KYLE: I think so. I think she’s going to come down [to P.B.] and we’re going to go paddleboarding.
Do you have any dating tips for your date?
BRITTANY: One thing is he didn’t really ask me much about myself. He didn’t really ask me any questions. He didn’t laugh very much. He’s hard to read.
KYLE: I don’t think so. I mean, it wasn’t a bad date.
Any final thoughts, parting words, shout-outs or anything else to add?
BRITTANY: Thanks to PACIFIC magazine, it was such a fun experience and he was a really cool guy, so thank you for letting me go.
KYLE: No, I’ve got nothing to add.
Oh, Kyle and Brittany. Just when we thought this date might be a bust, Kyle busted out his moves and swept Brittany off her feet — literally. And just when we thought Kyle was a little too cool for school (and for blind dates), we find out that he’s actually more of a gentleman than he let on and he even walked Brittany to her door and gave her a sweet kiss goodnight at the end of their date.
Although a second date isn’t a guarantee (Brittany says the ball’s in his court, and we know how that went for Kyle when he was shooting hoops at the fair), but we do hope these two manage to put their geographical differences aside (Brittany lives in San Marcos, not over the rainbow) and go out on another date. If paddleboarding doesn’t work out, maybe they can go somewhere Brittany can wear those five-inch heels Kyle seemed so intent on.
Hey, they’re not ruby slippers, but Kyle and Brittany’s story could still get that happy ending like Dorothy did at the end of The Wizard of Oz.
Editor’s Note: Daters’ answers may have been edited for length and clarity.
Special thanks to and promotional consideration from:
Epic Limo
858.270.LIMO (5466), epiclimo.com
San Diego County Fair
858.755.1161, sdfair.com
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