Taberna de Haro in Brookline

The Deal: $20 Dining Credit at Taberno De Haro. Chef's choice of Tapa during the meal, plus a $10 gift card to be used during the next visit.

I admit - I misread this deal before I bought it. I saw "tapas," and I got so excited that I didn't realize that I wasn't paying $10 for $20 worth of food. When I realized my mistake, I was a little disappointed - I almost didn't go to use it. Still, I had already paid, the place is easily accessible on the Green Line, and the menu looked good, so I called a couple of friends and headed on over to see what it was like. This was actually my first-ever tapas experience.

From what I hear, a tapas restaurant typically involves a lot of small, cheap plates with different things on them. As a result, I got a bit of sticker shock when I looked at some of the menu items. Taberna de Haro does have some small plates, which are fairly cheap, but they also have some more meal-sized portions. The waitress was very nice when we asked her about the portion size - she didn't try to make us feel either cheap or stupid. The higher dollar items are, as might be anticipated, able to be eaten as a full meal. This was good to know because, otherwise, the four of us may have just ordered 4 or 5 plates each, instead of 2 or 3. The nice thing about this type of place is that, as a picky eater, I get to try all sorts of different things that I otherwise wouldn't. I'm starting to learn that I may not be quite as picky as I think I am.

After some deliberation, we feasted on well-prepared, flavorful Spanish treats, such as: warm goat cheese with extra virgin olive oil and oregano on bread; sauteed spinach with garlic, pine nuts, and golden raisins; potatoes fried with hot sauce; grilled marinated pork loin, fried eggs, and French fries; and roaded duck breast with a sherry vinegar reduction and watercress. The "free" tapa with the meal was a sort of broccoli and cheese quiche (there was another option, but I don't remember what it was) - and it was completely delicious. YUM!

Overall, my total for the meal came in right around the $20 face value of the Groupon (although, I'm not a fan of sangria, so I didn't drink). This place is in Brookline, tucked away a bit. Had I not seen the deal, I wouldn't have gone in the first place (and my belly would be sad). I still have my $10 gift card, and I can't wait to go back.

Cost: $20.
Estimated Value: $40
Estimated Savings: $20
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $570