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CNN Live At Daybreak

Dinner After Dark, in the Dark

Aired November 25, 2003 - 05:58   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Eating dinner by candlelight may be romantic, but it does not compare to what can happen while dining in complete darkness.
Our Jeanne Moos put on night vision goggles for this report on dinner after dark and in the dark.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Our night vision lens may make this look like rescuing Jessica Lynch. But what's being rescued here are actually cod fish and duck.

(on camera): What do you think it is that you're eating?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's roast beef, maybe.

MOOS (voice-over): Hard to tell when you're dining in the dark. Pitch black if you're not wearing night vision goggles like the waiters.

JAMES TOBIN, WAITER, SUBA: I think a lot of people kind of forget that some people in the room can't see them.

MOOS: Just when you thought manners didn't matter, no knives allowed in this dining room -- groping for a glass, groping other diners. This $89, five course meal at a restaurant called Suba is part tasting event, part way to meet people.

JEROME CHASQUES, PRESIDENT, COSMO PARTY: The very worst thing is that people tend to speak very loud when they are in the dark.

MOOS: Jerome Chasques dreamed up dining in the dark. Even waiters with their goggles can't see colors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is red wine and this is white wine.

MOOS: Which he accidentally spilled on someone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got me on my lower back.

MOOS (on camera): Sorry about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all right.

MOOS (voice-over): Diners mingle beforehand at the bar with lights on. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you need to go to the bathroom, please raise your hands.

MOOS: They're not kidding. What looks like a light on the waiter's goggles is just a night vision effect. The diners can't see a thing. It was so dark, they mistook me for a waiter and had me clean up a spill. There was even some innocent fondling.

(on camera): Oh, that's my battery pack, yes. But it's very close to my butt, so watch it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Truth or dare. OK, here we go. I dare you to test the one next to you. Man or woman -- are we ready?

MOOS (voice-over): Never fear, Madonna wasn't here.

And then there was light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was you!

MOOS (on camera): No, it was you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, dessert.

MOOS (voice-over): The dessert course was by candlelight.

(on camera): Let's see what you look like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 6'5," blond, blue-eyed.

MOOS (voice-over): They say the dark intensifies the taste.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't know if it was fish or chicken or what, but somebody said it was duck and we had no idea. But it was good. I thought it was mushrooms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I'm going to get some sandwiches, but I had a very nice time.

MOOS: At least you'll never know if there's a fly in your soup. Dining in the dark makes any date blind.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 25, 2003 - 05:58   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Eating dinner by candlelight may be romantic, but it does not compare to what can happen while dining in complete darkness.
Our Jeanne Moos put on night vision goggles for this report on dinner after dark and in the dark.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Our night vision lens may make this look like rescuing Jessica Lynch. But what's being rescued here are actually cod fish and duck.

(on camera): What do you think it is that you're eating?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's roast beef, maybe.

MOOS (voice-over): Hard to tell when you're dining in the dark. Pitch black if you're not wearing night vision goggles like the waiters.

JAMES TOBIN, WAITER, SUBA: I think a lot of people kind of forget that some people in the room can't see them.

MOOS: Just when you thought manners didn't matter, no knives allowed in this dining room -- groping for a glass, groping other diners. This $89, five course meal at a restaurant called Suba is part tasting event, part way to meet people.

JEROME CHASQUES, PRESIDENT, COSMO PARTY: The very worst thing is that people tend to speak very loud when they are in the dark.

MOOS: Jerome Chasques dreamed up dining in the dark. Even waiters with their goggles can't see colors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is red wine and this is white wine.

MOOS: Which he accidentally spilled on someone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got me on my lower back.

MOOS (on camera): Sorry about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's all right.

MOOS (voice-over): Diners mingle beforehand at the bar with lights on. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you need to go to the bathroom, please raise your hands.

MOOS: They're not kidding. What looks like a light on the waiter's goggles is just a night vision effect. The diners can't see a thing. It was so dark, they mistook me for a waiter and had me clean up a spill. There was even some innocent fondling.

(on camera): Oh, that's my battery pack, yes. But it's very close to my butt, so watch it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Truth or dare. OK, here we go. I dare you to test the one next to you. Man or woman -- are we ready?

MOOS (voice-over): Never fear, Madonna wasn't here.

And then there was light.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was you!

MOOS (on camera): No, it was you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, dessert.

MOOS (voice-over): The dessert course was by candlelight.

(on camera): Let's see what you look like.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm 6'5," blond, blue-eyed.

MOOS (voice-over): They say the dark intensifies the taste.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We didn't know if it was fish or chicken or what, but somebody said it was duck and we had no idea. But it was good. I thought it was mushrooms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, I'm going to get some sandwiches, but I had a very nice time.

MOOS: At least you'll never know if there's a fly in your soup. Dining in the dark makes any date blind.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com