"Aerin why don't you ever write about bad experiences you have in your articles?" the boyfriend asked as we exited Suffolk Punch on Saturday evening. I'd already made up my mind that — after vowing to never become that person who only writes a review after a bad experience — I was going to write "healthy" reviews on Yelp and Google. I laughed at my boyfriend because I'd been asked that many times before. And the truth is complicated. But before I go into that, let me rewind.

This year, my birthday falls on a Wednesday. I have negative PTO time so going all out Wednesday night is most likely not going to happen. In anticipation of this unfortunate reality, I decided to spend this past weekend doing whatever it was that I wanted to do. Not that that's not a regular occurrence with me and the boyfriend, but on this occasion I can whine as much as I want (sung in Lesley Gore's voice) – or at least that's what I told myself.

When we finally woke up on Saturday, we decided to go to NoDa Company Store. Even though the flea market we wanted to go to was over, The Dumpling Lady was still serving up tasty dumplings for us to eat. We'd been talking about giving this food truck a try for quite some time so it didn't take too much to convince him it was worth the drive despite having a short window of time to also attend the Girl Tribe Pop Up Event in South End. And let me tell you: It. Was. Worth. It.

Fast forward. After shopping the pop-up boutiques in South End, we were trying to decide what we wanted to do next. We try to avoid the day-drinking train early on so we wanted to keep it low key. But as you know, it's hard to imagine how you're going to stay busy during the day on weekends — unless you're renting a bike or getting physical — without drinking. I ran through a short list of places I'd want to go in South End that may lead to a cocktail but not a day-drinking shitshow. Suffolk Punch won. I knew it wasn't necessarily our scene but thought the pace would be slow enough for us to still enjoy. I was wrong.

I'd visited the venue twice before and while it wasn't my favorite place of all time, I didn't mind grabbing a couple beers with friends in the past. The third time, however, wasn't the charm. After showing our IDs at the door and donning wristbands, we walked to the inside bar. We waited for around 15 minutes to order while other patrons and couples rotated in and out. I started to sweat. Customer service is one of the first things I always pay attention to at a nightlife venue. When we were finally greeted by a bartender, there was no warm greeting or an acknowledgement of our wait time, but the equivalent of, "Yes?" and a nod.

What made it worse? The $12 cocktails we ordered were beyond lackluster. I ordered the blonde Bloody Mary and the boo ordered a margarita. You'd think those were safe bets. But when I say I left the full Bloody Mary resting on a table outside, I mean it. The marg we shared but it was clear no love went into the making of that drink. I felt so embarrassed of making the suggestion I almost went back in to have another drink made. But the boyfriend pointed out that it would probably take 155 more minutes to even speak with someone so I relented.

*Don't be an angry black woman* I'd thought to myself when my emotions started to run high. And to my earlier point, that's where my issue with writing negative reviews lied. On the one hand, any publicity is good publicity. On the other, I was raised by parents who were constantly saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say nothin' at all."

As we walked out and he casually asked the question, I knew that my answer was embedded in that moment of "not wanting to be perceived as an angry black woman." I explained to him how I felt that sometimes it feels counterproductive to write a negative review. Half the battle is believing that half of my audience will expect me to act a certain way, think a certain way or enjoy a certain space. So, why reinforce those expectations? To which, he wholeheartedly disagreed. In fact, he felt remaining silent is almost doing the nightlife scene a disservice. Feedback is different than ignorance.

How do you deal with or approach negative experiences at bars, restaurants or venues in the Queen City? Share it with me at backtalk@clclt.com.

Myron, 28, has had the Tinder dating app on his phone off and on for the past two years.

A few months ago, he joined OkCupid, where he's had a little more luck. Recently, he matched with a girl who, early in their virtual conversation, said something like this:

"Before we go any further, I just want to get something out of the way."

Myron knew what was coming. He's had many conversations like this. Myron has cerebral palsy, which affects his motor function.

He says it's hard to describe how his daily life is affected because he's so used to it, like an article of clothing he doesn't even think about. But he does say it generally takes him longer to do things. He also uses a wheelchair.

So, he wasn't surprised when his OkCupid match asked, "Can you have sex?"

In fact, he was glad she asked.

Many people avoid having the conversation. Myron commended her for having the gumption to ask the question. He's always been open about answering others' questions, but even so, the exchange left him feeling awkward. Not because she asked or because of the topic, but because the question forced Myron to confront a stubborn reality of his dating life.

"Other people might have a problem with seeing me as sexual," he says. "Maybe my disability influences attractiveness."

But despite his disability and the way others see him, Myron has had a dating experience similar to most other 20-somethings: He's had crushes and desires, chemistry and missed signals.

Like everyone, he's had to adapt his sex life to his desires and capabilities, finding sex positions that work and grappling with self-consciousness and body-image issues.

Talking about his first sexual experience, Myron could be anyone on earth: "I didn't have any prior experiences that told me what to expect."

His sex education mirrored that of most other adolescent Americans: He hit puberty and figured it out, picking up on the way things worked from Robin Williams bits, movies and his friends and parents.

But despite these commonalities, Myron's is a "visible" disability, meaning that it's apparent to others. In his high school geometry class, a classmate asked whether he could feel when he peed.

Myron came right back with something to the effect of, "Can you?"

He's always preferred that people ask direct questions, because he was raised to be open to educating others about his disability. He's always wanted people to know that he and others like him are just like everyone else.

There's a false assumption that dating a person in a wheelchair or a person with a disability means that you'll have to provide care for that person, which is not the case. Myron hasn't had to grapple with this issue personally, but he says that people who require an aide or intensive day-to-day care work to keep romance and care separate.

Myron addresses another assumption, too: "Don't automatically assume that we can't have sex, because you would be assuming wrong."

He wants others to be as interested in getting to know him as they are in getting to know others.

"It's ok to be curious," he says. "I want people to always feel like they can ask a question."

Myron knows that asking can be uncomfortable. In fact, most of the time, when awkward questions arise, he doesn't feel any discomfort about the topic.

He's been answering questions his whole life. Instead, he feels awkward because he knows the other person is uncomfortable. That's how he felt when his OkCupid match quizzed him about his capabilities. After answering her questions, their conversation fizzled.

"I'm disheartened with how the experience on the dating sites has gone," he says. "I guess people are superficial."

But Myron hasn't given up yet. Like millions of other dating app users, he's going to keep swiping, with the hope that love—real, deep, curious, sexual, transcendent love—is just around the corner.

"I'm just going to continue being open," he says, "and we'll go from there."

On Sunday I woke up around 3 p.m. Give me a break, Saturday was a late night that turned into an early morning.

It happens.

I checked my email and saw something from my P.I.C. It was an invite for a birthday celebration in the coming weeks. I scrolled down to see the location and I had to rub my eyes: HT Wine Bar Myers Park. I scrolled back up, squinting with crusty eyes thinking I must've read wrong.

Nope, I began reading the email and noted "...[we] are throwing a little joint get together for our birthdays this year at the best bar on earth, the Harris Teeter wine bar — the plan is to start the party there and then move somewhere for some dinner/continued drinks. $5 wine flights on Saturday should have everyone in the right mindset."

I chuckled about the invite with the boyfriend. Not because it was a stretch for my P.I.C. to suggest a pregame at a local grocer, but because it felt like the icing on the cake as we continue to get older.

That's when I realized, my Friday started out with that same damn icing. Gasp. After a long work week, I was so excited about getting off work that I didn't care where the night led.

That's despite the fact that I'd bought tickets for me and the boo to SoFar Sounds Charlotte's second-year anniversary show. Before you knew it, there was no longer the question of, "Are we going to go to the show or not?"

We opted instead for a visit to the NoDa Company Store.

Self-described as a "multi-faceted space for wine, local beer and bar snacks, plus art, exhibitions and live music," NoDa Company Store has quickly become one of my favorite places to hang out or work remote.

Often times, when the doors are wide open and the warm breeze is blowing through the common space, it feels like I'm sitting on my grandma's porch with a glass of lemonade — but instead I'm usually holding the signature Company Store sangria.

The boyfriend had sent me a screenshot of their post before I left the office. The caption read: "#TGIF because we have ALL the NoDa-Colada waiting for you." It was absolutely the perfect day for maxin' and relaxin' on the swings in the butterfly garden or the updated deck and patio area.

Not to mention, I was recently reminded that they'd completed renovations inside the bottle shop. Needless to say, I was sold.

We located a parking space and walked up to the familiar, homey spot. The boo thang ordered each of us a frosty piña colada and we sat down.

Traditionally, piña coladas are made with rum, but it's my understanding that NoDa Company Store doesn't have a liquor license — similar to other bottle shops in the area.

As we slurped at the bottom of the cup, we both agreed that we had a good buzz going. What magic is this? No rum, and yet, we were still buzzing? Naturally, I ordered another one #noselfcontrol.

We enjoyed the warm vibes of spring (I say this despite the chill that followed just a few short days later) while a live band performed on the patio of the restaurant adjacent to us.

I was having a great time but my eyes started to get heavy. It wasn't because I was bored, but because I was content. And that's when I realized that "pregaming" at a grocery store or bottle shop wasn't a terrible idea.

In fact, it would make for an earlier night without the haunting expectation that you're going to be drunk bickering or hungover the next day.

To be completely honest, I intend on having a handful of early Friday and Saturday nights this coming season. I'm going to finish work, make arrangements to Uber to a bottle shop of sorts for early evening drinking and call it an evening before the real "freaks come out at night."

Well, that's the plan, anyway.

If you're interested in escaping your usual and engaging in the same, you have more than a handful of options to choose from: NoDa Company Store, Harris Teeter wine bar, Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop, Salud Beer Shop and Brawley's Beverage.

And of course, who can forget about the Common Market. Even though they got rid of my favorite location in South End, I don't think the one in Plaza Midwood is that bad – though plenty of others would disagree.

But I digress, here's to trying something new this weekend in the Q.C.

Despite my having gone to Charleston this past weekend for a wedding, I still managed to check off a new restaurant-slash-nightlife vibe in the Queen City before I left. If you read my article last week, you may remember I decided that my summer bucket list was going to be focused on eating my way through the Q.C.

We were both sick, but my sweetie pie still suggested we plan a date night before the weekend's festivities. *Swoons* Can we say #mcm? We often play the, "Where do you want to go? No, where do you want to go?" game that looks something like the scene out of The Notebook when Ryan Gosling is begging Rachel McAdams what she wants — heart-wrenching, I know. But this time, I asked him to just pick the spot.

An hour before he was going to pick me up, he asked if I was open to O-Ku Sushi. Um, anyone who knows me and my mom knows that we were probably Japanese in another life. In other words, I responded with what was essentially, "I do."

Located in the Atherton Mill shopping center in South End, O-Ku Sushi opened in September of 2016. My goodness, I still can't believe I hadn't eaten there yet! Per usual, I went to straight to the website to look at the menu. Currently, there are two other locations in Charleston and Atlanta, but three more are on the way: Washington, D.C., Raleigh and Nashville.

Below the locations, there was a blurb that read: O-Ku Sushi celebrates authentic Asian cuisine with a southern approach through a menu that focuses on unique ingredients and sophisticated presentations. Suddenly I remembered looking at the menu before and having the convo about going to try it a few months prior – a single piece of nigiri?

We went late enough that we didn't have to worry too much about parking, thank goodness. Upon entry, we immediately noticed the dim lighting and décor. It could've been the sinus pressure, but it almost felt like we were walking into a forest – at least I can say there were branch-like accents that stuck out of the columns in front of us.

As soon as we sat down we grabbed our menus. (I almost had to pull out my geriatric moves and turn on my flash because of the low lighting. #awkward) I'm not going to lie, we have the tendency to be indecisive when it comes to narrowing down our choices when the menu is fairly large. We even asked for suggestions from our waiter and were that couple that didn't even take his advice. *insert awkward giggle*

What we did know is that we wanted sake. Hell, I needed sake to take my mind off the fact that my head felt larger than life due to a sinus infection. Each of us got a 6 oz. bottle of Snow Maiden sake and that was plenty – I wouldn't suggest getting the bottle at these price points unless you have a larger party.

After maybe three trips back to the table, we were finally ready to place an order:

South End Shrimp: Apparently, this chef specialty is a local favorite.

Lobster Temaki: I told y'all I love me some lobstah!

Yellowtail nigiri and tuna nigiri: Self-explanatory, but it's worth noting the sushi chef adds a tiny deco or accoutrement on top of the nigiri – so cute!

Salmon and lemon roll: A light and refreshing makimono roll.

At the conclusion of our meals, I love to sit back and chat about whether or not a restaurant met our expectations. No, we're not food critics. However, we each love and appreciate food enough that we probably should be. I'll speak for myself when I say, the food was good. That's not to say there was anything wrong or, at the other extreme, anything that I'd die for – but I must note, the fresh fish that they're known for is some of the best I've ever had.

Nevertheless, I would argue, O-Ku Sushi is more of a place I would go for an "experience." The wait staff was attentive and polite. The space itself cultivates a good vibe and energy that lends itself to great conversation. There are a multitude of menu options, including omakase — a meal consisting of dishes selected by the chef that's described as an "artistic and creative multi-course tasting." (Weighing in at $100 per person, I'd save that for a super special occasion.)

Overall, O-Ku Sushi didn't disappoint. As Shirley Nash of Cornelius would say, I still left feeling "fat and sassy." On to the next dining/date night/nightlife experience.

Has spring officially sprung? You'd think so with the 80-degree weather we've experienced this week in the Queen City. But something deep down tells me that the cool nights of winter haven't given up just yet. Especially when I'm scrolling through my timeline and see my N.Y. friends posting pics of snow still coming down, while my weather app warns of a rapid drop in temperatures coming over the weekend. Nevertheless, the excitement of the upcoming summer is hard for me to contain.

Each year I set out to explore new nightlife venues or local adventures, a summertime bucket list if you will. But you know how that goes. Just like New Year's resolutions, they rarely get done. Before I know it, I look up and the summer nights are getting shorter and not even half the items on my summer bucket list are complete.

And while this year and summer I've committed to actually doing things like finding something to do that doesn't involve day drinking or putting my muscles (no need to LOL) to work on the rock climbing wall at the USNWC, I found a much more manageable summer bucket list for #summer2018.

As I walked my familiar route Uptown, I happened to notice new signage right before the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets: Eddie V's. Covered by fencing and signs of construction, I thought to myself, "Yeah, that's new. I wonder if it's open yet." A sucker for good seafood, my mouth started watering thinking about twin lobster tails and lots of butter. That's when the idea came to me. Instead of setting lofty goals that requires me making a commitment to social interaction, I'm going to eat my way through the Queen City this summer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to keep you looped in on the latest additions to the nightlife scene. But I'm also going to convince the boyfriend to plan regular date night adventures we haven't been on yet. (It won't be that hard to convince him, he loves great food too!)

Here's a preliminary list of places I'm putting on my list:

Kindred: My boyfriend has suggested a couple different times that we spend a day in Davidson. Just a short 40-minute ride from the center of the city (don't even try during rush hour, though), Davidson provides Charlotteans a great option for a day trip. In addition to the fact that it's a small town with a charming disposition, Davidson is also home to Kindred. I've heard excellent things about the menu options at this chef-driven restaurant. I can't wait to try the ravioli but my adventurous heart keeps eyeing the Squid Ink Conchiglie – eek!

Haberdish: We've been saying for months that we were going to go to Haberdish. It's right next door to our Crepe Cellar in NoDa, the first date night spot we ventured to. However, every time we say we're going to set aside a day during the week, something comes up. Known for serving Southern staples like fried chicken, okra and biscuits, I'm interested to find out whether or not Haberdish can hold its own when compared to Mert's or Price's or, dare I say, the Shell gas station. I would be doing them a disservice if I didn't at least try their fried chicken, but I also need to see what's going on with the cast iron NC trout.

Eddie V's Prime Seafood Restaurant: Like I said earlier, I have a ridiculous affinity for seafood. To the point where I'm often extremely critical of popular (read: expensive) seafood spots in the Charlotte area. However, I'm willing to give anything a try. Twin lobster tails and lobster bisque? Sign me up. Take a look at the menu for yourself and tell me seafood lovers won't get excited. Also check the prices ... this is a situation where you might want to split the check.

Zeppelin: Let's be real. Date night always goes right when you combine small plates with handcrafted cocktails. And to my understanding, that's what awaits me at Zeppelin. My boyfriend told me about it first, but we haven't stopped in yet. I took a look at their Instagram and um, yes, I can't wait to give this intimate spot a try. What's going to be on my plate? Well, we usually end up doing quite a few small plates, which fills us up. But I also want to give that dry aged crispy duck a try.

Let's be honest, great food and strong drinks will always facilitate a great nightlife experience in the Queen City. Before you settle for a fast food pregame, grab your hottie and hit a restaurant you've never tried. Want to get in on my bucket list? Follow me on Instagram at @omgclt_ or shoot me an email at backtalk@clclt.com!