Tasty LA Singles Dining Network is not just a singles web site where singles pick out the most likely candidates for dating and correspond with them. The difference offered by Tasty LA is that members get to have a continual series of “first dates” at very nice restaurants. And for those who might just want socializing and food, it’s a good way to meet people while sampling the cuisine of some of Los Angeles’ notable gourmet eateries.
Singles dinners take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Each dinner party is composed of three women and three men.
According to the web site: “This size group is perfect for generating conversation allowing our single Los Angeles guests to really get to know one another without the pressure of one-on-one dating.”
Tasty LA’s online registration system keeps track of the logistics. For example, it makes sure that there are no “repeats” with the guests at each dinner. Certainly, diners can register for as many dinners as they want to, but the system remembers a person’s past dining history and matches them up with new people for each restaurant “date.”
While registration on the site is required, membership is not obligatory. However, members receive discounts on the fee for each dinner and upgraded members get to view advance profiles of the other diners at upcoming dinners. Basic memberships are free.
Upgraded membership is $12 for one month, $27 for three months, and $36 for six months. Registration requires a fee of $16 per dinner ( less for upgraded members) and attending a dinner requires a diner to pay for her/his own food and drink.
Diners are also required to enter a date of birth when registering. The system will designate the age groups for which a diner can register, as Tasty LA has found that people of particular age groups are more compatible. To be sure, the age groups have some overlap, so an individual in her/his fifties can be allowed to attend dinners with people in the 50s-60s as well as the 40s-50s age groups.
Some upcoming restaurant venues include West, the restaurant at the Hotel Angelino (in the former Holiday Inn tower off the 405 in Brentwood). West offers Italian cuisine with such dishes as burrata cheese crostini, Dijon-encrusted rack of lamb, and “chocolate cake with a molten caramel center.”
Also on the Westside, Casa Sanchez, located on Centinela Avenue, is a Mexican restaurant that features “tacos dorados de pollo” (golden-browned chicken tacos), and scallop and shrimp ceviche.
“Even if there’s no love connection,” says Lynn Richard, who organizes Tasty LA, “you’ll still have a wonderful time. You’ll order off the menu and receive separate checks for your purchases. Our website allows you to view the profiles of those registered for each dinner, tracks who you’ve dined with so you meet new people every time, and then let’s you send a private message to those you’ve dined with afterward.”
For more information, visit www.tastydiningnetworks.com
LYNNE BRONSTEIN
Mirror Contributing Writerlynne@smmirror.com
