I didn't hesitate to jump on board as this website sounded right up my alley! The potential of landing dinner invitations on the company if I surpassed certain thresholds of contributions in advance of the beta launch was also a motivating factor. While contributing I discovered you can follow other users in their dining adventures and not unlike the Facebook concept we all know and love, like their reviews and photos. Some of the more unique features also caught my attention. For example, once you review 6 or more dishes at a certain restaurant you become a "Maitre'd". If you post about a certain number of food specific items or ingredients you become a "Gourmand of ...." (currently I am the #1 Gourmand of cocktails, surprise surprise and yes, you can review restaurant specific cocktails, too!) 
Tasted Menu is officially launching to the public in mid-October (any day now!) but if you want to request a user name in advance, head to the site and use "Daisy" as your invite code. Then you can check out the dish ratings and reviews from our recent dinner at Blue Inc, and contribute reviews of your own if you feel so inclined!!
Not that long ago I posted about my lunch at Blue Inc. This time around, I met Alex, Bianca and Rachel for dinner. The bar and restaurant were packed on a Tuesday evening, the atmosphere was loud and lively compared to last time, a quiet and subdued Friday afternoon. We were seated promptly for our reservation at 8pm. I started with a Fat Boyz Margarita.
Bianca chose the Anorexic Model and Rachel went with Cheffy. We rated our drinks based on the sites standard 10 point scale. 
Which drink received a rating of 8.0 and which one a 6.2? Only one way to find out...
We started by ordering two dishes off the bar menu to share. The Fresh Made Scallion Pancakes received an average rating of 5.8 and the Spicy Tuna Tacos clocked in with a 5.4. 
The Scallion Pancakes were lackluster and we agreed there was no spice whatsoever in the tacos. Both plates were somewhat of a disappointment overall.
Bianca chose the Anorexic Model and Rachel went with Cheffy. We rated our drinks based on the sites standard 10 point scale. 
Which drink received a rating of 8.0 and which one a 6.2? Only one way to find out...
We started by ordering two dishes off the bar menu to share. The Fresh Made Scallion Pancakes received an average rating of 5.8 and the Spicy Tuna Tacos clocked in with a 5.4. 
The Scallion Pancakes were lackluster and we agreed there was no spice whatsoever in the tacos. Both plates were somewhat of a disappointment overall. 
For our main courses Alex sampled two dishes off the appetizer menu, the Pan Seared Scallops and the Hand Rolled Sage Gnocchi. 
The rest of us ordered traditional entrees and very much enjoyed them! Rachel got the Cabernet Braised Shortribs.
Bianca chowed on the Pan Roasted Natural Statler Chicken.
I went with the Honey & Hoisin Duck Glazed Confit.
For dessert, everyone except me ordered a Liquid Nitrogen Milkshake. Since I had already partook in those shenanigans when I was in for lunch, I opted for the Butterscotch Fondant with strawberries and black truffle ice cream. 
I appreciated the opportunity to dine at Blue Inc. once again. While the bar bites were lackluster, the dinner entrees showcased much more creativity and skill. I should also mention, I am under no obligation to blog about Tasted Menu, I am doing so because I think it is an amazing website that the like minded Boston food scene will appreciate! The concept is innovative and the content is informative while the design is user friendly and the site itself very efficient.
If you've already had a chance to check out Tasted Menu, what did you think?
If you've already had a chance to check out Tasted Menu, what did you think?
Tasted Menu definitely sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteTasted Menu is definitely a lot of fun! Its fun to play around and see all the different dishes :)
ReplyDeleteThe gnocchi looks fabulous. I should probably get over there fast just for a milkshake.
ReplyDeleteThe gnocchi looks fabulous. I should probably get over there fast just for a milkshake.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post, Daisy! We can't wait to publicly launch, and in the meantime are excited about getting beta invites into the hands of your readers...none of whom, I hope, stand a chance at taking your spot as top-ranked Gourmand of Cocktails ; ).
ReplyDeleteIt sounds interesting. I got an invite a while ago but let the time get away from me and never ended up checking it out. I should do that.
ReplyDeleteThe gnocchi and short ribs look really good.
I like what I've seen from Tasted Menu so far - seems like a great resource!
ReplyDeletethis site sounds realy cool! the food sounds yummy..i'm off to see how it all rated :) never heard of that restaurant either!
ReplyDeletePs: yes, i too, cannot believe my weddings are (finally) done!!
the website sounds like a great idea. I never know what to order at a new restaurant.
ReplyDeleteoh man, scallops are one of my favorite things to eat on this planet! i like the idea behind the site. it's such a bummer when you order something and it just doesn't live up to your expectations--and i'm not one to really send stuff back.
ReplyDeleteTasted Menu sounds really interesting. What a fun group of dining companions too! :)
ReplyDeleteI think tasted menu is a very cool idea! i need to use it a bit more, but so far so good :)
ReplyDelete