Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Maia Chong and Lisa Kim, Erwin Burns and Jess Constable, Matt and Kristen Machczynski, Ronnie Taylor and Mandy Flint.
(Editor's note: Voting has ended. Metromix is auditing the results of the poll to determine the two couples that will become the Dessert Flirts. Check back Wednesday to meet the winners.)
Who’s got serious sugar cravings? These couples do. We put the call out for readers with sweet teeth, and more than 120 couples thought they had the stuff to score a spot on Metromix’s new Reader Review crew, the Dessert Flirts.
Metromix staff selected the four finalists, but the rest is up to you. We put the pairs to task at popular sweet spot Margie’s Candies. Read more about the sweethearts here. The top two couples will get their sugar fix every week in February as our Dessert Flirts.
Matt Machczynski, 33,
and Kristen, 27
Team name: Captain Sprinkles and the Human Flan
Neighborhood: Old Town
Status: Married
History teacher Kristen and computer guru Matt make quite the colorful couple (Seriously, check out the hair!). Their "anti-proposal" story proves how food-obsessed they are: Matt popped the question while watching "Iron Chef" in bed. Though they’re still talking about the drool-worthy Key lime dessert they ate three years ago at Spring, they’re just as obsessed with cheap sweets like Costco sheet cake.
Their take on Margie’s: "Meeting the competition was similar to the decor at Margie’s: slightly awkward, yet overwhelmingly comfortable. Sundaes were the dessert du jour [for everyone else], except [we had] a butterscotch milkshake and giant vanilla waffle cone complete with sprinkles and whipped cream. Margie’s is a good place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon or late night after a concert. However, it’s not particularly romantic unless you’re into doilies."
Ronnie Taylor, 27
Mandy Flint, 30
Team name: The Sweetheart Sundaes
Neighborhood: West Town
Status: Newly engaged
These lovebirds have quite a sweet-studded past: They met while working for Schwan’s Bakery in Atlanta and recently moved to Chicago to take jobs together as product developers for Sara Lee. Ronnie won brownie points when he surprised Mandy for her 30th birthday with a Mexican cocoa cake from Bleeding Heart Bakery crafted to look like the facade of Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans, the site of their first kiss.
Their take on Margie’s: "Greeted on the corner by a giant ice cream cone, which certainly had no chance of melting, we stepped into a world of diner classics and confectionary delights. Find special touches like handmade honeycomb pieces and pourable hot fudge, plus more contemporary twists such as the decadent truffle cake a la mode. We indulged in an English toffee sundae with all the fixin’s and found Margie’s a great place to share some sweets with your sweetie."
Erwin Burns, 22
Jess Constable, 23
Team name: Hot Cocoa and Whipped Cream
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Status: Dating
The newest couple of the group (they’ve been dating for one year) moved to Chicago in the summer of 2007 after graduating from the University of Michigan. Jess is a jewelry designer (her collection includes a necklace shaped like a tiny fortune cookie) and Erwin works as a production assistant and admits to raiding the office candy drawer daily for a sugar fix. According to Erwin, every Friday Jess makes "the best cookies this side of Lake Michigan" for him and his coworkers.
Their take on Margie’s: "Margie’s has quirky hometown appeal, from the mammoth, antique chandelier to oversized clamshell sundae bowls. Massive sundaes served with gravy boats of warm chocolate fudge and crispy wafers are well-priced and perfect to share. With deep, leather booths and quick service, this 1920s parlor is great for an afternoon double date."
Lisa Kim, 21
Maia Chong, 21
Team name: The Ridiculously Tasty Duo
Neighborhood: The Loop
Status: Dating
Both Art Institute students and resident advisers, Maia and Lisa met in art history class and have been dating for two years. While Lisa’s a self-proclaimed foodie (with the Food & Wine magazine subscription to prove it), Maia claims her decision to move to Chicago was clinched by the fact that, thanks to Blommer Chocolate Company, the city perpetually smells like chocolate.
Their take on Margie’s: "The pleasantly low-brow diner atmosphere is great for a first date, or any date thereafter. The Hawaiian sundae we ordered might be better described as a heaping mound of coconut ice cream served with two gravy boats of goodies: pineapple chunks and hot fudge. Don’t be surprised if table conversation is reduced to little more than spurts of ‘mmm’ and ‘ahh' .
Click here to check out more photos of the Dessert Flirts finalists.
[ Metromix Reader Review crew finalists are determined through an application and interview process conducted by Metromix staff. Metromix reserves the right to audit the poll results and declare the winners. ]
metromix@tribune.com
