Eden Grinshpan and Ido Niv-Ron.
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When a Toronto-born foodie first met her future husband, she wasn't sure if it was a date or just a friendly hang out. A few hours later, both were hearing wedding bells
Who: Eden Grinshpan, 31, restaurateur and host of Top Chef Canada. Ido Niv-Ron, 36, vice-president at Wibbitz.
Relationship status: Married since 2013.
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Matchmaker, matchmaker
Eden: Seven years ago I was at a bar in Tel Aviv. I started talking to these two women and when I told them I lived in New York, they said they had a friend who lived there who I had to meet. I was definitely a little tipsy and I said, sure. Ido added me as a friend on Facebook the day after. We started messaging and eventually I said, "Are we going to hang out?"
Ido: I wasn't really thinking of this in terms of a date, but when I walked into the bar and saw Eden I was just totally taken aback. In her Facebook profile picture she was floating in the Dead Sea with her face covered in mud, so it was a surprise.
Eden: For me too, it was like when the movie goes into slow motion. It was one of those epic dates. He would go to the bathroom and I would tell the bartender, this is the best date I've ever been on!
On the fast track to forever
Ido: The very next day, I shut down all of my dating accounts. There were no apps at the time – OK Cupid and J. Date. I had also been seeing a couple of girls – softly seeing them. And I broke those relationships off.
Eden: He called the next day and asked me for lunch and I was busy, and then dinner, and I was busy. He told me, okay, I am here and I am waiting to spend time with you, so you just let me know.
Ido: I was never a guy with a lot of game. I always prided myself on being transparent with women. I would always tell women, I'm not looking for anything serious right now. I wasn't in the mindset that I was looking for my wife. And then I met her. I was not looking for something serious when we met. I had go to Israel for work two weeks later. When I got home, I proposed.
Eden: I was like, "What's your last name again? Yeah, I'll marry you."
The couple who cooks together
Eden: Food has always been a bond for us. We used to eat out a lot. With a one-year-old, our date nights are a bit more having a glass of wine and watching a movie at home but we love that too.
Ido: It helps living with a chef. I was always into food, but after meeting Eden, I am into food.
Eden: Ido has an amazing palate. Especially as I'm getting ready to open my restaurant he is my trusted taste tester. When I get his thumbs up, I know I've got something good.