When perusing restaurant reviews, do you find yourself smacking your lips, eager to try the dishes described in such tantalizing detail?
Now, BlackboardEats makes it not only easy to do so, but friendlier on the wallet, too.
The new Web site and e-newsletter features restaurant reviews written by professionals, including the ever-popular Marcia Gagliardi at Tablehopper. Reviewers pay for their meals; they are not comped by restaurants.
Each review sent to subscribers via email is accompanied by a promotional offer such as 30 percent off your tab or a $30 prix fixe meal. When you see an offer that tempts, you have 24 hours to log into the site to receive a special passcode to access that specific offer. Once you do, you have 30 days to use it at the specific restaurant.
Recent restaurants featured include Etoile at Domain Chandon in Yountville, SPQR in San Francisco, and Baker & Banker in San Francisco.
The Food Gal will be giving away three annual memberships (valued at $20 each) to BlackboardEats so that you can check out the deals yourself.
Contest: Because BlackboardEats operates right now only in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City, entries should be limited to those who live in those areas. Enter now through midnight PST Feb. 19. The three winners will be announced on Feb. 21.
How to win?
With a name like BlackboardEats, I can’t help but wonder what your favorite thing to eat was when you were in school back in the day. Best three answers win the BlackboardEats memberships. Here’s my own answer:
“When I was in grade school, any day was a good day when the cafeteria was serving mashed potatoes with gravy. Who even knew if it was made from boxed flakes or real tubers. Still, there was something so delicious and fun about an ice cream-scoop-sized mound of mashed potatoes covered with warm, brown gravy. The next best thing? When my Mom sent me to school with a brown-bag lunch of cold, fried chicken drummettes from a Chinatown deli. I was always the envy of my friends on days like that.”