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Eating Out with Coupons

Eating Out with Coupons

Riccardo Costa (August 1, 2012)

A few months ago I decided to embark on an adventure of eating in
places that were offering discounted coupons or deals on sites like:
groupon, LivingSocial, kgbdeals, bloomspot, giltcity and
restaurants.com.

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 A few months ago I decided to embark on an adventure of eating in
places that were offering discounted coupons or deals on sites like:
groupon, LivingSocial, kgbdeals, bloomspot, giltcity and
restaurants.com. I must say that my criteria for choosing a restaurant


was that it was offering a discount of at least 50% and a tempting menu for two people.
 On average, the overall experience has been positive, with some peaks
of excellence . Dominating this category are three completely
different restaurants: Amity Hall, Euzkadi and Casa Havana. The first
one offered for only $20 two big and juicy stuffed burgers and two
beers. You could choose from the regular menu (and not one made for
the coupons) and the service rendered was excellent. To my taste Amity
Hall offers the best stuffed burgers in town. My lamb burger stuffed with feta cheese and
topped with tzatziki was to die for. It melts in your mouth and you can
distinctively taste  each ingredient. So there is no need to add ketchup or
mayo to this full flavored hamburger accompanied by a slightly sweet
soft roll. Euzkadi, a Basque tapas restaurant, is unique in its
genre. In an atmosphere that is lively and vibrant, they serve fresh
fruit sangria and tapas for all tastes: seafood, meat and vegetarian. The Goatcheese
and honey croquettes are delicious, lightly fried and not greasy. The grilled squid is without a
doubt the best I ever had outside of the Mediterranean. It was as delicate as butter,
tender, not chewy. It reminded me of eating squid in Sicily, freshly picked
from the sea. I went back to Euzkadi just to try this dish again and had a blissful encore.
Casa Havana is a simple family style Cuban restaurant with a well trained service staff that advises you of their tasteful specialties: Chuletas En Salsa, Chicharron de pollo and the superb
tostones. Affordable with a unique atmosphere and food, it's a place where you can
hang out with friends, eat and have a good time. In the middle of the eating establishment
list stand restaurants like French-American Alouette offering a good
deal with a coupon but the food is just okay. However, it's definitely worth going to
with a discount coupon to have a nice average steak. At the bottom of the list is the
renowned Fatty ‘Cue on Carmine street where my coupon was $60 worthy and the
tapas (or dishes but the size of tapas) go for $20 up and they are
so small that you can barely have a bite in two. They suggest you
order at least 5 tapas if you “want to eat” and not just taste food.
Their specialty 1/2 Pound Deep-Fried Bacon is way too fatty and tastes
more like tripe. It is a must have for lovers of fatty bacon, but I'm  just
not one of them. Service is knowledgeable and martinis are original and
excellent. Although I had a coupon, I spent $60 and more. The last one on
the list is Yo in Yo Out, a French restaurant in East Harlem; I was
told by the waiter what I could order meaning only certain dishes from the
menu, but  then he said the dish I ordered would have shrimps instead of
lobster, an acceptable compromise. She brought a cheese platter with slices
that looked like cheese crust sliced as thin as a sheet of paper and in minuscule
triangular shapes. The crepes were good but the arugula and the mix salad
garnish didn’t really add anything to the dish.
I believe now more restaurants should use the coupon discount systems
to attract new customers, but at the same time they need to offer the same variety
of food and quality they serve to non-coupon clients. The point is to
promote the place in a favorable way. However, if you serve boring food
or tasting portions, diners aren't likely to be return customers.

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