Gettin' Some

The Radical Date

by Tami Fertig

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You were an obedient child. You'd never dream of sticking it to the man. So how are you going to get that cutie-pie anarchist boy stuck on you?

Main Event: Chris Mercogliano is all about rejecting authority — over kids, that is. Since 1973, he's been teaching at New York's Albany Free School, where students have no mandatory classes, grades, exams or homework. The object of your affection will totally go for this unorthodox institution, which Mercogliano will talk more about when he visits Molly's with his new book, In Defense of Childhood: Protecting Kids' Inner Wildness (Beacon Press, $24.95). Fri., Nov. 2, 3 p.m., free, Molly's Bookstore, 1010 S. Ninth St., 215-923-3367, www.mollysbooks.com.

Drinks: Suggest a bike ride to West Philly's Fiume, the collectively owned, radical-friendly bar above Abyssinia. It's quiet most Fridays, so order some local brews (Yards, Flying Fish, Dogfish Head and so on) at ridiculously cheap prices and get cozy. In case of awkward silences, there's chess, pool tables and a bookshelf full of activist-y reading material. Fiume, 229 S. 45th St., second floor above Abyssinia, www.myspace.com/fiume.

Dinner: Once tipsy, head downstairs to the Ethiopian restaurant below. Share the vegetarian combination, which consists of six stomach-expanding dishes featuring lentils, string beans, collard greens, split peas and chickpeas in yummy spicy sauce — placed in plops on a giant plate. You eat with your hands, so you two will almost definitely be "accidentally" bumping into each other's fingers. FYI: Abyssinia also serves brunch on the weekend, if you're still hanging out in the morning (wink, wink). Abyssinia, 229 S. 45th St., 215-387-2424.