American Express Dish

If you have an AmEx card, and are not signed up as a "Tastemaker," get your behind to a computer and sign up quickly!!

American Express Dish- New York City

I got a random email a while back inviting me to sign up--I don't know how I was targeted (Ash didn't get the email), but maybe they have some sort of she-only-charges-on-food-related-stuff radar, and figured I would enjoy the program. Which, I do!

Essentially it's a review site, and it currently only includes two cities--NYC and San Francisco. You sign up and can leave and read reviews on your favorite restaurants. My favorite part is that they have a "what to order" question, where you can list any menu items that are particularly good. For the restaurants I've been to, it's been on target for the most part.

However, I don't tell you to join solely because of the reviews. I LOVE discounts, and currently they have an amazing promotion going on. There are about 30 restaurants participating, and if you book a reservation through American Express Dish at one of them between now and Oct. 10th, AmEx will refund 20% of your bill on your next credit card statement. (There are a few that are 25% as well). On top of that, within 8-10 weeks you will receive a $50 AmEx gift card!! So, say your meal is $80 for two people (these are pretty pricey places), with 20% off you would actually pay $64 once you receive your statement, and $14 once you receive your $50 gift card!

You can only get one $50 gift card per cardmember, but I believe you can use as many of the percentage discounts as you'd like if it's within the time period, and the restaurant is participating.

The nice thing is that once you sign up with your AmEx card, you don't have to fill out any paperwork or anything. You just make the reservation through the AmEx Dish site, and then it is automatically taken care of on your credit card statement. (You pay full price in the restaurant, but AmEx will credit your statement.) Note: Be sure to sign up with the AmEx card you charge most often at restaurants, otherwise the site won't track it! You must charge the credit card you sign up with.

I highly recommend the program. I also find myself getting random emails from them on various promotions and cool new restaurants, so you have nothing to lose, it's free! Then again, it only works if you have an AmEx card. (Shameless plug--if you don't, American Express is AWESOME.)

Ash and I will be trying Cesca on Monday night (75th & Amsterdam), and we may take advantage of a few others. However, good reservation times are running out, so sign up and make them quickly!