Mr. Seeking Ambition: “Darling, where do you want to go for dinner?”

Me: < insert deafening silence here >

I’m just going to come right out and admit that I’m THAT person – yes, the dreaded Horrifically Indecisive Diner™. So far, this has yet to be classified as a disease with an acronym like seemingly everything else these days, but give it time. 2017 just started.

It’s somewhat comforting to know that I’m not the only one suffering from this problem. And thankfully, there’s a solution. Date Seat, a free iOS app, enables you to find the perfect restaurant in Boston for you by presenting curated options not only in areas of cuisine, but also in atmosphere and ambiance.

New Hampshire natives turned Bostonians Mike Laskowski and Jake Hajec launched Date Seat in August 2016 with the goal of making it easier to figure out the right place to take a date. They personally visited hundreds of restaurants in Boston, curating a collection that pretty much guarantees something for every palate. It was tough work, but somebody had to do it!

What sets Date Seat apart from other apps is the ability to use it by Category or to Personalize it for your tastes (pardon the pun). The Category section features multiple types of dates you might have, and when you select it, gives you a list of restaurants that fit the bill. Some of the categories include:

• 1st Date
• Classy Date
• Casual Date
• After-Work Drinks
• NFL Sundays
• Live Music
• Club
• College Bar
• Sunday Funday
• Coffee
• Dessert
• It’s Not You, It’s Me (Okay… I made this one up!)

So… there’s pretty much every type of date you can think of!

The feature I love most about Date Seat is the ability to personalize your date. You can search by price, distance, or just scroll alphabetically through all the restaurants in their database to see what grabs your fancy. Where it really gets cool, though, is the ability to use any number of filters including cuisine, neighborhood, lighting, interior décor, noise level, proximity to other tables, and many more.

I have to be honest – the noise level filter is a HUGE plus for me. Ever since my surgery to evict Murgatroyd (that would be my brain tumor, for those of you who are just tuning in), super noisy bars and restaurants have been a no-go for me. Also, it’s kind of nice to be able to hear what your date is saying. Who knew?!

And, in the spirit of full disclosure, the lighting filter is a win for me too. I often wear sunglasses indoors – again, because of Murgatroyd-related photosensitivity, not because I’m trying to get people to murmur “Is she a celebrity?” when I walk into a room, or because “Sunglasses At Night” is my theme song.¹

¹ It’s not. The theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation is my jam. I walked down the aisle at my wedding to it. #imnerdyandiknowit

Mr. Seeking Ambition and I first gave Date Seat a whirl when we were looking for a place to eat before the Boston Ballet. I plugged in some parameters (no strobe lights; no tables on top of each other) and we found our way to Sip Wine Bar & Kitchen. At the bar, I met a macaroni and cheese I formed an intensely passionate relationship with; it’s quite possibly ruined all other mac and cheeses out there for me. Bold statement, I know – but I’m standing by it.

Currently, Date Seat is only for the Boston market, but heads up to all my North Shore and New Hampshire people: they’re launching in Newburyport, MA and Portsmouth, NH this spring! Also, Android users of the world, don’t despair – your version of the app is slated to launch this summer.

Download the free iOS Date Seat app here and make sure to wear your eatin’ pants on your date!

 

 

Where’s your favorite restaurant in Boston? (Extra points if I’ll fit in with my sunglasses at night!)