The artwork is exquisite. The furniture stunning. And the food presentation divine.

But tonight, one room in the Maisonette will be turning off the lights.

It's called Dinner in the Dark, a flirty way to enjoy a fine meal. And it's one of the first soirees to be thrown by DoYouFlirt.com, an organization that aims to improve Cincinnati's image in the regional and national media.

President Vince Broerman's theory is this: The more opportunities for fun and community interaction, the more we can accomplish as a city.

"You look around at what attention Cincinnati gets in the media, and all of our heroes are not only famous, they're infamous," Broerman said. "That's not necessarily the image we want."

With DoYouFlirt.com, Broerman wants to make Cincinnati a social destination for young professionals by hosting inventive events that force people to interact.

"This whole perception that Cincinnati is full of conservative people isn't true. We let a handful of people speak for us," Broerman said. "We need to take more risks."

Enter Dinner in the Dark, an idea swiped from the hipsters in New York.

First, diners meet in a softly lit bar. They are encouraged to meet as many of the other attendees as they can. After all, they're going to have to figure out who is who later - in complete darkness.

One by one, each person is led into the dining room. They will then enjoy a $59 four-course meal, all without ever seeing the plate in front of them.

The overwhelming purpose of this saucy party, however, is to get people talking. The best way to do that, Broerman figured, is to make them a little uncomfortable. Change their perspective. Turn out the lights.

"At the first event, there were people of different genders, race, religions, all mixed up together, and they had no idea," Broerman said. "They had to judge other people based on who they were - not on what they were."

This is the first event of its kind at the Maisonette, and it comes at a crucial time. The five-star institution is considering a move to the suburbs because of a downturn in clientele at its Sixth Street location. Dinner in the Dark is one attempt to lure a younger crowd.

"We have not done anything like this before, so we really don't know what we're in for," said Lori Wurtz, director of operations at the restaurant.

Chef Bertrand Bouquin is planning a menu of goat cheese salad, scallops, lamb and chocolate mousse, plus wine with each course - all seemingly difficult to consume with the lights out.

Luckily, the servers will be wearing night-vision goggles. And they'll be giving hints about where to grab for your grub.

"Something like, 'The scallop is at 12 o'clock on the plate,' " Wurtz laughed.

And what if there are any red-wine disasters?

"We're expecting it at this point," Wurtz said.

DoYouFlirt.com held one previous Dinner in the Dark at Bella to work out the kinks. Twenty-four people attended, including Sue LaChapelle, 38, of Loveland.

"What's nice is that it was a little bit of a different crowd," LaChapelle said. "People were more adventurous and definitely fun. And it was definitely curious to figure out what you're eating."

DoYouFlirt.com wants to foster interaction at its parties, which are aimed at both single and married young professionals between the ages of 25 and 45. They will host quarterly large-scale events (more than 1,500 attendees), like "A Spring Soiree: Temptation Returns to the Garden." The mid-May party will bring the spring fling back to Ault Park.

The autumn event will be a Halloween bash. Winter will wrap up with an "Eve Before the Eve" celebration on Jan. 30.

To get involved, or just join the mailing list, go to DoYouFlirt.com

E-mail mdowns@enquirer.com