You know, every time one of these threads comes up, I am eternally grateful for my wonderful DH and very, very thankful that I don't have to date anymore! I always feel like I won the lottery with him.
I would recommend a man play it safe and graciously pay for the first date. I would also recommend a man keep his eyes and ears open for sings of reciprocation from the woman--sometimes there's more subtle than picking up the tab, but no less valuable. I wouldn't be too inclined to stay with a women who didn't contribute her resources to the relationship.
And the sooner the world can be rid of cads who think women should be trading sexual favors for overpriced pasta and cocktails, the better! Yuck!