MyBlogSpark~ A Surprise Dinner!

Well~ I suppose that this could apply as a Frugal Friday post in some ways, and not so much in others... ;)

I have enjoyed trying out various products and reviewing them, so I thought that signing up with MyBlogspark.com would be a good idea. Imagine my surprise when I received the following email:

"Dinner’s on us, you deserve it! As a thank you for being a member of the MyBlogSpark network, we would like to treat you and a guest to a night out.
You and a guest are invited to a special dinner at Myers + Chang in Boston where you will have the chance to meet other local members of the MyBlogSpark network. The exclusive dining experience includes a special four-course dinner and drinks for two (limit of one alcoholic drink per person) as well as a $50 gift card to cover any incidental costs such as transportation or parking. Guests must be 21 years of age or older."

I mean... really?? I hadn't had the chance to review anything for them yet, and they were taking me out to dinner??? That's awfully nice! :)

I invited my friend and next door neighbor to come with me for a "Girls' Night Out", since our hubbies were willing to get kiddos to and from their various activities. Then it was time to RSVP and  mapquest the directions to Myers & Chang.

Most of our "Adventures" related to actually GETTING to our location... (Who knew that there is a "U-turn" on the Mass Pike in Cambridge for those who mistakenly got on in Boston because the signs are seriously lacking!!!) but thankfully parking was a breeze, and we ended up less than a block away. :)

When we arrived at Myers & Chang, we were welcomed by members of MyBlogSpark, and given a seat at a table near the window. the table was set with a cute silver fortune-cookie place card, holding our special menu choices. The waiter took our drink orders (WOW! House-made Sodas... lychee-vanilla  was far and away my favorite, although the mint lime rickey was good as well ~ @ $5 a pop, this would be the part that is NOT so frugal... but oh the yumminess!).

We started with mama chang's pork dumplings, followed by wok-roasted lemongrass mussels and thai ginger chicken salad with rice vermicelli. We then had a choice of about 8 entrees. We decided to go with the Shrimp Lo Mein and the Orange Chicken.

All during dinner there was a film crew roaming and videoing various tables and diners (And their dinners). They didn't stop at our table, but it was fun to watch.

Finally, round about dessert time (coconut cream pie with lime whipped cream and chocolate and cocoa nib terrine with vietnamese coffee sauce), the MyBlogSpark folks started handing out fortune cookies~ and therein lay the second surprise~ our entrees were not crafted by Myers & Chang (I have to admit to having been surprised by the "Typical-ness" of the options, but didn't really think about it at the time), but were frozen Wanchai Ferry dinners! Hello! I didn't expect that curve ball! I have to say that while the sauces were rather more sweet than spicy, overall the dishes were very good, and I wouldn't have guessed that they were frozen dinner kits. I am pretty sure that my boys would enjoy the orange chicken, and the shrimp lo mein was VERY good (the shrimp was delightfully tasty and tender, if just a little saltier than I like), and would be a hit with the other seafood lovers in my house.

We WERE interviewed after the surprise was revealed to find out what our reactions were... fun~ fun~ Hope I don't end up on TV in a Wanchai Ferry commercial!

As we left the restaurant we were each given little plastic chinese take out containers in which were enclosed coupons for 3 free Wanchai Ferry dinners. I contemplated doing a give-away for these on my blog, but my DH convinced me that he would like to have the opportunity to try the shrimp lo mein as well, so we're keeping them to feed the family one night. However, if YOU are interested in trying them out, I have noticed a number of coupon sites with printable Wanchai Ferry coupons. Check it out the next time you're in the mood for Chinese at home! :) (Hence the frugal aspect of this post)

Disclosure of Material Connection: MyBlogSpark provided the dining experience, $50 gift card, coupons, and  the  fortune cookie place card holders. I was not required to post or to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."