I assured my date that everything would be alright, that this would be fun. Of course, I had no idea what it would be like, but I figured, how hard could it be? Even Bret Michaels did it on Rock of Love.

We headed into the new Opaque V Lounge in Santa Monica and were met by a spacious, stylish club and bar. Soft techno music played as we walked across a dance floor toward the hostess who directed us to have a seat. We were asked to order here before being led to the dining room. (At least we wouldn't have to order in the dark, too).

Putting my hand on his shoulder, our waiter Robert, who is blind, led us into the dark dining room. Not dimly lit, but completely and utterly dark without a speck of light getting in. The first sensation was one of excitement; I've been to haunted houses before, I know what it is like to feel around in darkness for the exit. This quickly gave way to a brief moment of bewilderment upon realizing this was not a short visit, but rather a three course meal that lasts at least an hour and a half! The feeling was disconcerting to say the least.

Robert led us to our table, where I very clumsily groped for my seat and managed to sit down. It is definitely not a place for the paranoid, as we were completely devoid of being able to get our bearings, and the waiter tended to approach silently. The temptation to eat with my hands was very strong, but I resisted and instead proceeded to stab at the plate in hopes of getting lucky. It was a routine I would repeat throughout the night.

We began talking about the obvious topics: the sensation of blindness; how weird it is to have your eyes open but not see anything; searching around for a missing knife; sticking a hand in the bread basket only to come out with ‘butter fingers,' much to the delight of Robert. But after several minutes, we were able to settle into normal conversation.

When fortunate enough to secure a piece of Ahi on my fork, I was struck by how much I could savor the flavor. I don't think I had a heightened sense of taste as a result of losing my sense of sight, but I believe the relentless darkness forced me to focus on the mechanics of eating.

At $99 a person, plus wine, you are paying as much for the experience as for the food. While the fare was good, one would most likely scoff at paying that much at any normal restaurant. However, Dining in the Dark was a unique experience, impossible to replicate on your own, and thus well worth it for the adventurous eater.

We made it through dessert spill-free and feeling a bit proud of ourselves. Robert led us back out of darkness and into the world of the seeing, relinquishing his role as our crutch in the dining room, a role which can't be very common in his everyday life. Emerging from the lounge, I realized the only thing really missing at dinner was the ability to look across the table at my beautiful date, and I appreciated my sight all the more.

THE DETAILS: Opaque Dining in the Dark
V Lounge
2020 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica 90403
310. 546.7619

Story by Chris Boyd.

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