Keke Palmer and "Hot Ones" host Sean Evans are fueling the chatter they could be an item .. 'cause they went out on a cozy 'lil date night in New York City!

Check it out -- the pair was seen chatting away at Brooklyn's upscale Italian eatery, Lucali, Friday evening. An eyewitness tells us the pair dined for more than 90 minutes and were super "locked in" on their conversation ... pointing to their outing being more than a quick bite between pals.

They didn't show any PDA, we're told ... but according to our source, Sean seemed "smitten" over Keke.

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ICYMI, fans started shipping the duo after they shared a kiss on Sean's "Hot Ones" podcast last fall. And, Keke recently had Sean on her "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer" podcast, where she introduced him as a "potential future suitor" ... and flirty banter ensued.

Perhaps Sean's moved on from "potential future suitor" to "suitor" ... we'll stay tuned.

We've reached out to both Keke and Sean's teams ... so far, no word back.