Yeah going out for special occasions is always fun when it's affordable, but home cooking, especially if you do it together is by far a better date experience, at least for me. It has multiple purposes really, and can be a fun teaching moment or just a fun moment just being shared with each other messing up the dinner or nailing it and being super proud. I'm also the type of person who likes doing picnics, a lot of my first few dates involves making something and bringing a bottle of wine to the park or somewhere scenic and just vibin at our pace. Restaurants serve their purpose though, but I cannot get down on going out constantly for it to be a "date" date.