In the mood for love?

Groups for singles

Enjoy dining?
Mingle at a Single Gourmet Hawai’i event, held at area fine-dining restaurants. Membership is $100 per year, and you also pay for the cost of dinner. (Nonmembers pay a surcharge fee per event.) www.singlegourmethawaii.com, 236-1211.

The owners of The Date Doctor, Heather and David Blair, work to connect singles in Honolulu. photo: Sergio Goes

Age-40-plus:
Singles Together ‘Ohana offers singles a way to meet through discussion circles on various topics. This group, which is not affiliated with a religion, meets from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on the fourth Friday of every month at the First Unitarian Church. A $10 donation is requested. E-mail normakk@juno.com, 946-3291.

Single parents:
Parents Without Partners Hawai’i is a support group for single parents and their children and offers family or adult activities almost every weekend. Membership is $35 per year. 262-6442.

Religious organizations:
The Catholic Ministry for Single Adults offers singles, ages 30 and up, a chance to meet through social events, lectures, workshops and retreats. The group is also open to non-Catholics. No membership fees to join, but after attending the first few events, a donation of $30 is recommended.
http://mp-cc.net/singadults.html.

The First Presbyterian Church offers Singles Impact!, a free, faith-based program open to singles age 40 and over, including non-church members. The group meets almost every Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss Scripture readings and hosts monthly socials. 532-1111, www.fpchawaii.org.

New Age:
Spiritual, but not religious, Inner Fire Retreats hosts full-day singles’ events at large, private estates. Activities vary, but might include yoga and lectures. (Occasional gay retreats available, too.) $115 with meals; 255-9839, www.innerfirehawaii.com.

Singles on the net:

Hawai’i-specific:
Meet people who share your interests at free networking Web site www.ohanafriends.com. Online dating service www.hawaiisinglesnetwork.com lets you create and search member profiles, send messages and has notices of events. Free one-year trial membership; regular membership is $10 a month. 737-3435. Post a personal ad or search through others and reply, at the free site http://honolulu.craigslist.org.

More mature singles:
www.silversingles.com is a relationship service catering to seniors; memberships start at $29.85 per month.

Gay-friendly:
Visit www.gay.com and click on the "Personals" tab, where you can create and search personal ads as well as receive community news. Basic membership is free.

Nervous daters:
Singles’ site www.true.com screens all communicating members against one of the largest criminal-record databases on the Internet. The site offers e-mail and chat rooms, and a 99-question compatibility test. Free three-day trial.

Matchmakers:

It’s Just Lunch specializes in organizing lunch or post-work drinks with your hand-selected match at upscale, casual restaurants. Cost for a one-year membership is $1,500, and you receive 14 dates. 532-7300, www.itsjustlunch.com.

Introductions Hawai’i searches for your counterpart based on the profile you provide, discusses prospective matches with you to receive approval and finally, handles all of the arrangements for an initial date. Background checks are conducted on each client. Prices start at $400. 923-4333, www.matchmakinghawaii.com.

Party of Six arranges dinner dates for a group of six or two, by selecting your most compatible matches (for more on Party of Six, see Brandon Lee’s story here). Prices start at $400, and group-activity-only packages are also available. www.partyofsixhawaii.com, 536-4229.

Clients of The Date Doctor go through a two-hour, screening process, during which a personality profile is created. A nationwide or international screening weeds out any felons or anyone not legally single or anyone who has a past history of violence. Clients then go through the matchmaking process, which might include a makeover, relationship coaching and a practice date with a counselor. Membership rates vary and are customized. 596-9335, www.thedatedoctor.com.

Hobbies:

No-meat meetings:
The Vegetarian Society of Hawai’i offers free guest lectures and cooking demonstrations every month. www.vsh.org.

Paddle to my heart:
Find ocean-lovers at an O’ahu canoe club. www.ohcra.com, www.huiwaa.com.

Mountain high:
The Sierra Club O’ahu offers various outings, ranging from beach cleanups and invasive-species removal, to hiking and trail building. Suggested donation is $5 per outing. Memberships are also available. www.hi.sierraclub.org/Oahu/oahu.html LikeHike is a gay hiking group that meets on designated Sundays. Hikers wanting to join the group for the first time must call Ed at 455-8193 (only before 9 p.m. HST) or e-mail likehike@earthlink.net. www.gayhawaii.com/likehike. Led by Humane Society volunteers, Paws on the Path allows hikers to bring along their dogs. Hikes are usually scheduled for the last Saturday of every month. www.hawaiianhumane.org, 946-2187, ext. 217.

Flex your intellect:
The Contemporary Fiction Reading Group discusses a current book selection every last Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m, at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Kahala Mall. 737-3323. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa is a membership program for people over age 50. Classes and single-session workshops include titles such as "Opera for Beginners" and "Fundamentals of Nutrition." Classes have about 15 to 25 people each. 956-8224, or visit www.all.hawaii.edu.

Budding chefs:
Gourmet Cooking Hawai’i offers cooking classes taught at many of Hawai’i’s top restaurants by the chefs themselves. $95 per class. www.gourmetcookinghawaii.com, 735-7788.

The light fantastic:
Try the fox trot or the merengue–no partner required–at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. 944-0606, www.dancinginhawaii.com.

Must love dogs:
Let your fur-ball friend introduce you to some other humans at an off-leash dog park, such as the McInerny Dog Park at the Hawaiian Humane Society, 2700 Wai’alae Ave., 946-2187; the Bark Park at Diamond Head Rd. and 18th Ave., www.barkpark-honolulu.org; the Moanalua Dog Park at Moanalua Community Park, off Pu’uloa Rd., www.moanaluadogpark.org; and the Mililani Dog Park, at Mililani Mauka District Park at Park & Ride, 95-1069 Ukuwai St. Visit www.hawaiihumane.org for park hours and a list of leashed
dog parks.

Caffeine and culture:
Coffee Talk has a friendly, social vibe and offers live entertainment weekly. 3601 Wai’alae Ave., 737-7444. Covenant Books and Coffee is a Christian-oriented bookstore and café that serves breakfast, lunch and an early dinner too. 1142 12th Ave., 732-4600, www.covenantbooksandcoffee.com/cafe.html.

Gay community:
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand weekly events and live DJs. 134 Kapahulu Ave. (Second floor of Waikiki Grand Hotel), 923-0669, www.hulas.com.

Nightlife:

Chinatown’s Bar 35 lounge has a great beer selection, tasty little pizzas for snacking on and an outdoor courtyard complete with a modern design and frequent elbow-to-elbow crowds. 35 N. Hotel St., 537-3535. At Next Door, located at 43 N. Hotel St., you’ll find movies, or DJs and musicians for dancing. For event listings, call 548-6398 or visit www.whoisnextdoor.com. Hale Noa is a mellow spot where you can sip on some ‘awa while exploring the art gallery. 766 Kapahulu Ave., 735-4292. Formaggio is a wine bar with over two dozen wines by the glass and nightly entertainment. 2919 Kapi’olani Blvd., 739-7719. Mercury, when there isn’t a music event, is a laid-back bar. Comfortable couches make for the perfect conversational setting. 537-3080, 1154 Fort Street Mall.

Fun date ideas:

Sunset on the Beach is held on intermittent weekends. Events start at 4 p.m.; grab some dinner at the food booths and enjoy the entertainment until the movie starts, visit www.waikikiimprovement.com.

Hanauma Bay remains open until 10 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month. Be sure to bring a flashlight, regardless if you’re going to snorkel or picnic, as there are no lights on the beach. Free admission for residents; bring your ID for proof. www.hanaumabayhawaii.org, 396-4229.

The Honolulu Zoo has a two-hour, guided "Twilight Tour" every Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Visit the nocturnal animals, such as the lions and hippos. $12 admission fee for residents of Hawai’i; bring your ID. www.honoluluzoo.org, 971-7171.

Honolulu’s Downtown Gallery Walk, First Friday, is on the first Friday of the month. Enjoy refreshments and entertainment from 5 to 9 p.m.