Bites of Boston Food Tour - the South End

The Deal:  $33 for Bites of Boston Food Tour of the South End. 

I admit, I was much more interested in the food here than the history.  However, I learned a lot.  I hear this deal is also offered fairly regularly, which is good, because I want to get another one when I have company in town.  I actually think everyone on the tour had bought the same deal.  The vouchers aren’t valid on Saturdays, though, so keep that in mind if your guests are only in the area for a limited time.

We started at The Parish Cafe II for bites of chipotle meatloaf sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Much like the owner of the cafe, I grew up with a large family that ate a lot of meatloaf - and I hated it.  Needles to say, this sandwich was far better than the meatloaf I remember from my childhood.  Next, we had bacon wrapped figs, stuffed with almonds at Orinoco Kitchen (YUM!).  The vegetarians got what I believe was a  cheese-stuffed plantain?  It also looked pretty good.  On to Flour, which was great, because my friend had just told me how awesome it was.  We got a Chunky Lola cookie, which was really good, even though it has ingredients that I ordinarily don't care for (that's the point, right?  Branching out?).  We also got fried clams from Morse Fish Company, then we got to sample two cheeses at South End Formaggio.  The cheese was amazing - I'm going back.  Finally, we wound up at the Upper Crust Pizzeria, which was delicious, as usual.  As you’re trying all these delicious things, you’re also walking around the South End, learning about the history, and the culture, and the people who live there.   I was pleasantly full at the end, but not stuffed.  There's a good amount of food, but ti's not overwhelming.

Even if you have food issues, they worked with people to get them substitutes for things they couldn’t eat.  They also send out information in advance re: what to wear, where to park, bring water, and things like that.  They have a website that makes signing up easy. 

The tour guide was friendly, interesting, and informative.  I intend to look and see what other tours they offer in other locations.  I don’t know that it would be worth spending full price, but with the discount, I had a very nice afternoon, and I felt like I really got good value.  Plus, I now know all the good places to eat in the South End!  (and even went back to try a different one yesterday.)

Cost:  $33
Value: $52
Savings:  $19.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,349.82.

Newport Dinner Train

The Deal: $99 for a Dinner Train for Two Newport Dinner Train. 

I’m going to file this one under “Not sure I actually saved any money,” but I had a lovely evening.  The deal stated that, for $99, you could get a dinner train for two people, with an ordinary price of $168 (for savings of $69).  The fine print states that this does not include gratuity - fine.  Whenever I use a Groupon, I tip on the full price of the meal.  So, you have to pay $23 on top of the voucher price (this is the amount they tell you when you book the reservation).  I bought this awhile ago, but I usually do my research in advance, and I swear I went to the website to look up the full price before buying the voucher.  After all, it’s only a deal if you’re saving money, right?

So, the Newport Dinner Train has two options - Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, or Romancing the Rails candlelit dinner for two.   The reason that I bought the deal is that I have always, always, always wanted to go to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater.  The addition of the train was really just a bonus.  The Murder Mystery Tour is currently$68.95 per person, so the total for two people would be $137.90, not the $168 printed on the website.  Again, I thought I looked into this earlier, so I’m not really sure where the discrepancy is.  Late season discount?  Maybe.  The Romancing the Rails Dinner is only $59.95 per person, so that’s $119.90 for two.  That’s only $20 more than the voucher price.
 
The people were very nice.  There was a scheduling mix-up, and they were really great about working with me to find a date that I could still go, even though it was something that was in no way their fault.  They returned phone calls and emails promptly.  They agreed to extend the vouchers through the end of October so we could still use them (that ended up not being necessary, but I appreciate the gesture).

Onto the tour.  We wound up on the romance train, instead of the Murder Mystery.  The ambiance was good.   The ribs were absolutely delicious.  I can’t speak for the chicken, because my boyfriend ate it so fast he forgot to offer me a bite, but that seems like a good sign.  The salad was simple, but something about it was very satisfying.  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but - no need.   It was delicious, and I really enjoyed it.  The green beans and mashed potatoes were also excellent.  Dessert was cheesecake with chocolate sauce.  I’m not a huge fan but, as cheesecake goes, it’s tasty.   As we were eating, we took a train along the beach at sunset - absolutely beautiful views.  We also learned about the history, economy, and geography of Rhode Island (Wait.  It’s really an island???  Seriously???)  We had a lovely evening.  I don’t know that I would recommend driving all the way to Newport to do it (even at a discount), but if you’re going to be in the area, anyway, it’s definitely something to consider for a different experience that is more interesting than just getting dinner somewhere.

Cost:  $99
Estimated Value: $119.90
Estimated Savings:  $20.90.
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,330.82

New England Dessert Showcase

The Deal:  $20 for VIP Access to the New England Dessert Showcase. 

Now, this event has some pretty low reviews on Yelp, but I actually had a nice time (Note:  I did not have the problems getting in that many people reported.  There was no line).  Then again, I do understand that the VIP access really turned out not to be all that it was cracked up to be.  First, it includes admission to a kick-off party the night before and a wrap-up party the day after.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t really have an entire two days to devote to delicious desserts (although I wish I did).  Also, I didn’t appreciate being automatically subscribed to the Anthem Entertainment Newsletter when I signed up for the deal - I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have checked a box agreeing to that.  Anyway, my bigger issue was that, apparently, so many people RSVPed to the kickoff party that they split it into two locations - which means that my friends and I were separated, and the end result was that most of us chose not to go.  That’s OK, though, right?  After all, I’m still getting a bunch of delicious desserts for $20, and a VIP gift bag.

The gift bag left much to be desired.  Honestly, it was nothing but ads for other businesses, and coupons for places that aren’t convenient enough to me that I’m likely to ever go.  The one saving grace was that it also included what turned out to be a $10 gift card for Finale - and I guarantee, I can use that.  Even better - I went with a friend visiting from out of state.  They don’t have Finale in her area, so she gave me her gift card, and I wound up with $20.  Since Finale does brunch, I’m pretty happy with that.  We did also each get a raffle ticket, although I won nothing.  Had I won Red Sox box tickets, I think I would be even happier with this deal.
 
On to the event itself - dessert, dessert, dessert.  YUM!  I wish I’d brought Tupperware (of course, that may not have been allowed).  They had everything your heart could desire - fruit tortes, parfaits, chocolate-covered strawberries, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies, candy, and, my personal favorite - warm lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and candy.  YUM.  It was amazing.  Even though I managed to stuff myself ridiculously in the first hour, all things considered, $20 for a delicious brunch is not a bad deal.  Also, I enjoyed the chocolate tempering presentation from Finale’s Executive Chef, even though she ultimately used the chocolate to make peanut brittle, which I didn’t get to try.  Ah, well.  Had I paid full price for this VIP ticket, I would have been pretty disappointed (not even a drink ticket, and the drinks were expensive).  But, for $20, I had a nice time with my friends, and enjoyed a new experience, and I was happy.

Also, when the whole thing was over, they had a promotion where the first twenty people to email them with their favorite dessert received free admission to Anthem’s next event - so I now get to go to their Spa Bar Event at the end of the month at no cost.  Not bad for $20.

Cost:  $20.00
Value: $40.00
Savings:  $20.00**
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date:  $1,309.92

**This total doesn’t include the value of the Finale gift cards, so, technically, I got back the $20 that I spent on the admission.

Starbucks

The Deal:  $5 for $10 at Starbucks.** 

This may be the greatest deal I’ve ever found.  I don’t like Starbucks.  I think it’s insanely over-priced, way too busy, and the coffee tastes burnt.  It’s not good.  Worse, once Sarbucks became so popular, everyone else started charging way too much for their coffee, because they can.  I am primarily a mocha drinker, and there is something very wrong with the chocolate they use.  I’m not the only one who thinks so.  (Thanks to my best friend for pointing out that their non-chocolate drinks might not make me ill.  Unfortunately, I only like mochas and regular coffee.)  Oh, and the drinks I do like?  Have roughly 400 calories, which means that I have to choose a mocha or lunch. 

I know what you’re thinking - why would you buy this, if you hate Starbucks?  Because everyone else in the entire world loves them.  My best friend goes there at least once a day.  My boyfriend goes there all the time.  People are constantly wanting to meet at Starbucks, stop at Starbucks, etc.  Plus, I travel fairly frequently, and they’re everywhere. In my hometown, it’s the only convenient place for getting work done when necessary.  I can’t avoid the place - as much as I hate it, and as much as I make the effort to look for smaller, privately owned coffee shops I can go to instead, So, if I’m going to be forced to go to a coffee shop that I can’t stand, I might as well get the coffee for half-price.  I guarantee I'll use the $10 without even trying.  So, thank you, Living Social, I am extremely grateful.

I do have the Starbucks app on my phone, because I get gifts from other people sometimes, and this deal loaded right onto the app, no problem.  It just lists two cards now, instead of one - $10 from this deal, and $4 left from a gift I got from Christmas last year (like I said, I don't go there often).  Just need to pick the right one to make sure this $10 gets used before March, and I'm good.  Easy.  Yay for saving on (mediocre) coffee (that I have to buy, anyway)!

Cost:  $5.00
Value:  $10.00
Savings:  $5.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,289.92

** Living Social doesn’t let me link to their vouchers, and I can’t see the deal itself, so I hope you enjoy this Forbes article about it.

Davide Restaurant, the North End

The Deal:$14 for $35 at Davide Restaurant. 

I’ve been meaning to try Groupon Now for awhile now, but I usually have a place in mind when I’m going out to eat, or I’m in an area where it’s not available.  Tonight, I found myself downtown, wanting to eat out with a friend, with no idea where to go.  So, I pulled out my phone to see what I could find. Davide is on Commercial Street, near the water, so it was a nice walk on a hot summer night.

Groupon Now is an interesting idea.  You pull up deals near your physical location, and, once purchased, you have until a specified time to use them (this one happened to expire at 9:00 p.m.  I think it’s usually at closing.).  If for some reason you aren’t able to use the deal by the end of the day, Groupon automatically refunds your money.  So, you can change your mind and not lose anything.

First, and this is important - you cannot access your voucher on your phone once you get to the restaurant.  It’s in a dead zone.  Pull up the voucher first and take a screen shot so you can give them the number, because your phone won’t work there.  Mine didn’t, and this apparently happens often.  Luckily, they offered to take $35 off, and they allowed me to call with the voucher number once I got to a place that had service.  (If they hadn’t, Groupon would have refunded my $14, but that’s not the point - I chose to eat there because of the deal).

The place is downstairs, and it’s very nice.  The atmosphere is rather intimate, yet there’s peppy music playing.  It was a little incongruous, but I liked it.  Our bread was a little burnt, as was the bruschetta.  Honestly, the bruschetta tasted mostly like olive oil.  The salad was fine - but it was literally field greens with a bit of vinaigrette for $9.  I know, I know - what else do you expect from a “field greens” salad on the menu?  Some tomatoes or nuts might have been nice.  Maybe some red onions.  I don’t know. The entrée was very good, though - I got veal scaloppini with prosciutto and fontina, on a mountain of polenta (which looked like mashed potatoes, so I had a bit of surprise when I took a bite), and sautéed spinach on top.  It was all very well prepared.  I don’t know if I’d want to pay full price, but the end result was that we got a tasty meal for about half the normal cost, so this deal is definitely worth using, if you’re in the area.

Cost:  $14.00
Value:  $35.00
Savings:  $21.00
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,069.92.

Fuji Steakhouse, Redux

Groupon is re-running their deal for Fuji Steakhouse in Needham.  So, for the next 4 days you, too, have the option of buying a deal that will all you to enjoy up to $30 worth of delicious Japanese food at half price!

Click here.

FiRE + iCE in Cambridge and Boston

The Deal: FiRE + iCE: $22 for Dinner or Brunch and Dessert for Two.*

These deals also spring up periodically - sometimes for dinner, sometimes for brunch, or sometimes for either. Now, I have a group of friends that eats at FiRE + iCE once every few months, anyway. So, it was quite exciting to see that I could essentially treat one of my friends to a free meal, and try out one of the delicious desserts. Although I’ve been to FiRE + iCE roughly twenty times, I never actually tried a dessert before.

For those of you who haven’t been there, the beauty of FiRE + iCE is that you get to eat as much as you want. There’s a salad bar, and then there’s a bunch of meat, vegetables, pasta, etc. You grab a plate, fill it up, then choose one or more sauces from the sauce bar (my personal favorite is the mesquite barbecue sauce). You take your bowl of yumminess and your container of sauce to a giant round bar with a huge grill in the middle.** Then, you get to watch them make your food. They chop it up, throw it around, and create a delicious meal right there in front of you while you chat with your friends. For just $16.99, you can eat as much as you want. So, two meals for $22, plus dessert is a pretty good deal. I hear rumors that there’s some sort of other menu, but I’ve never actually investigated. I usually start with a giant spinach salad heaped with steak and bacon, then move on to fish tacos. They bring rice and tortillas to the table, so don’t get too confused when trying to figure out how to eat your delightful mound of meat and veggies (there’s also tofu, and burgers).

After going over the dessert menu, I thought the easiest to share would be the fondue. It was wonderful - lots of fun. We got this lovely molten dark chocolate pot, surrounded by pound cake, brownies, strawberries, marshmallows, bananas…. I can’t even remember it all. I feel like there may have been pineapple, but I don’t eat pineapple, so I could be wrong. What I do remember was that pound cake dipped in chocolate is delicious. The whole table was really excited when this dessert showed up (I got lots of fondue forks). We had fun with a group (obviously, most of the group had to pay for their own dinner), but this would also be a good deal to split on a date, or just with a friend.

---------
* My apologies. I purchased this one before Buy With Me was taken over by Gilt City, so I actually can’t find a working link to show you what the deal was. That means you’ll have to just take my word for it that it said what I say it does.
** If you have food allergies, they’ll take your food and cook it in the back on a different grill.

Cost: $22
Estimated Value: $42.97 (based on the dessert I ordered).
Estimated Savings: $20.97
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,042.12.

Villa Franchesca in the North End

The Deal: $15 for $30 Worth of Upscale Italian Dinner Cuisine at Villa Francesca in the North End.

I’ve seen deals from Villa Francesca posted at regular intervals, so you may have a shot at still getting one. It’s not valid on Saturday nights, though, so plan ahead. Also… of all the deals that I have used, and I have used quite a few (you may have noticed), this was the only one where I really feel like we received a lower quality of service. It was as if the waitress assumed that, because I had a discount, I was cheap and therefore not willing to tip well. I hate when people look at me, assume I’m not going to tip well, and then give me bad service accordingly. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, because I really don’t want to tip you 20%+ when you’ve made me feel like I’m not really good enough for you to be bringing me food. The restaurant was empty, so that has nothing to do with it. I really felt that the waitress was friendlier before hearing that we had a Groupon. She was astonished when we ordered coffee following the meal, as if anyone who buys Groupons isn’t going to spend a penny over the value. It’s a discounted coupon, not a maximum spending limit.

Now, if you just want a good Italian meal in the North End, Villa Francesca is delicious (of course, I’ve never had a bad Italian meal in the North End). The menu is interesting, and everything was perfectly prepared. I like that they refuse to cook filet mignon more thoroughly than medium (it’s even on the menu). The menu is a little pricy, so I wouldn't be likely to go there without some sort of deal. I would just say that, if you have a deal, maybe you don’t want to tell the waitstaff that until the end of the meal.

Oh, and this has nothing to do with anything, but I appreciate that you can make reservations online.

Cost: $15
Value: $30
Savings: $15
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $1,000.15.

Ken's Steakhouse in Framingham

The Deal: $20 for $40 credit at Ken’s Steakhouse.

I have always wanted to try Ken’s Steakhouse. I’m always very curious when I see the salad dressing at the grocery store (because it’s a steakhouse, not a salad place). I’ve tried the sauces. Everything is good. And I’ve heard really good things about it. So, when this deal popped up, I was really excited. Not surprisingly, the deal sold out quickly. I’m just glad I grabbed it when I did.

I had my first taste of chateaubriand on a cruise I took with my best friend in 2003. It immediately became, hands-down, my favorite steak. I haven’t seen it on a menu since (or in a grocery store). I'm sure it's out there, but apparently my normal places aren't quite swanky enough. So, imagine my delight and amazement when I sat down at Ken’s, and - there it was!! Right there, just waiting for me to try it. It was cooked perfectly, and it just melted in my mouth. The waiter was friendly and helpful - I let him talk me into trying their signature salad dressing (I’m not a big fan of lemon), and it was wonderful. I’m so glad I did. He helped my friend pick out her entree, and she said that it was one of the best meals she’s ever had. Oh, and at the end of the meal, when we were fighting over which of us got to take the last bit of bread home, he brought us an entire new loaf.

The bottom line - this was one of the best meals I've ever had, and it only cost me $20.00. My mouth is watering just remembering it.

Cost: $20
Value: $40
Savings: $20
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $985.25

Fuji Steakhouse in Needham

The Deal: $15 for $30 Toward Hibachi Dinner Fare and Sushi for Two .

This one is another lesson in reading the fine print - and one that I likey wouldn’t have purchased if I’d been paying more attention. So, fair warning! You have to read all of the terms and conditions of the deal, even if it looks obvious from the headline (and from knowing what the restaurant serves).

Fuji Steakhouse is my friend’s favorite sushi restaurant. So, when I saw this deal posted a few days before Christmas, I was excited. I could take her out, have a nice meal, and save a few bucks. Win! Unfortunately, actually redeeming the deal required two separate trips. I failed to notice that the deal was only for the hibachi, not sushi (probably because, as you can plainly see, the headline says “Hibachi and Sushi”). When the waitress pointed out that the teeny print does say “hibachi bar only,” we were already sitting at the sushi bar, and there was a line out the door for the hibachi, and we were hungry, so we weren’t feeling compelled to move. But I wasn’t really happy at the idea that they would advertise a deal on sushi that you couldn’t really get.

We went back for hibachi a couple of week later. It was good hibachi (and my first experience with hibachi). Watching them make the food and flip eggs and stuff was really cool. The waitress kept my water glass full. Since we had just left the gym, that was a good thing. This is also another place where most of the entrees are expensive enough that it’s very easy to spend more than the price of the deal. So, keep an eye on what you’re ordering, because $30 goes fast here.

Cost: $15
Value: $30
Savings: $15
Total Estimated Deal Savings, to Date: $965.25

Petit Robert Bistro

The Deal: $20 for $40 at Petit Robert Bistro in Brighton. On top of that, Gilt City gave me a deal since it was my first purchase, and they had some other special going on, so I wound up paying only $10.

The best thing about this deal is that they offer them all the time. I get emailed deals from Petit Robert Bistro probably about once a month, from the various sites that offer them. There are also sometimes options - I believe you can get more than 50% off on some deals, if you pay more. So, keep an eye out. You can probably easily get a deal for this place, and you won't have to wait for someone to repost it on a resale site. The worst thing about this deal is the parking - if you aren't able to take the B line, and you're not willing to pay for valet, be prepared for the possibility of having to walk for awhile (unless you happen to have a Brighton resident's parking sticker).

The other thing to be careful about at this place is that it's very easy to exceed the $40 face value on the voucher, as several entrees are more than $20. But, if you're determined, you can get a flavorful and enjoyable meal, within the limits of the voucher (but you probably shouldn't order a $30 bottle of wine, like we did).

The menu is smell, but even a picky eater such as myself was able to find plenty to eat. I agonized over the choices. I actually was planning to work on my new year's resolution to try new things, since I figure that part of the joy of half price dining is to try things I wouldn't ordinarily eat but, alas, I couldn't quite bring myself to eat calf's liver. Maybe next time. For some reason, the menu made me think that the dishes didn't come with any sides - maybe this is a personal problem. So, we ordered a side of mini Brussel sprouts (the optional cream sauce is not necessary, but it is delicious). The waiter was friendly, funny, and helpful. The atmosphere was cozy and romantic. That means that I was pleasantly surprised to find that I received mashed potatoes and veggies with my meal. We had leftovers, which doesn't often happen with me and French food. I'd love to go back (but I don't think it's right to buy a Groupon for the same place every few weeks, since the idea for me is to try new places).

Cost: $10
Value: $40
Savings: $30
Total Estimated Deal Savings: $600

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