If the purpose of dating is to get to know her then why waste money on dinner. I would rather pick her brain over a walk in the park then interview her for two hours over $60 dinner and drinks. Many of these women in the dating scene are dinner whores and will go out to dinner with you just to get a free meal. keep that money in your pocket playa!
I do that as well.... coffee shots, parks, etc. A woman who is interested in you will want to spend time with you. No matter what you do or where you go, she is cool because she genuinely enjoys your company. It's okay to take a woman out to dinner. Doesn't mean that you are being used, or that you are tricking... as long as you are not doing it to get her to like you. Never spend money for time or affection.
Also there's a difference between you inviting a woman out to dinner, and a woman asking you to take her to dinner.
If anything, you should always call the shots. Take her to dinner if you want to, at your leisure, at your expense... not because you're trying to impress her or you think it's something she would like.
There are definitely dinner whores. But you can easily spot these women because they don't want to hang with you unless you're taking them somewhere. There has to be balance. No reasonable woman would expect you to take her out all the time. But don't be a frugal b*stard.