Dining in the Dark in San Francisco is a popular experience full of sensorial surprises that elevates your normal meal to a whole new level. As odd as the idea of a blindfolded dinner may sound, the idea behind the silky blindfold is that because you can’t rely on sight, the mouthwatering flavors and tempting aromas are intensified.
This tantalizing tasting is returning to SF on selected upcoming dates over the coming month. If you are confident in your tasting skills and are intrigued by the experience, here are five reasons why you should to go to Dining in the Dark.
1. The top quality restaurants
One of the main reasons why you should try a blindfolded dinner, if not THE reason, is the quality restaurants chosen each season. Dining in the Dark always puts flavor front and center. For this reason, the popular experience hosts its special tastings at top-tier restaurants, where the food is crafted to deliver sensational tastes and textures.
This season, you can embark on a unique, culinary journey at Copas, a California Mexican neighborhood eatery and cocktail bar. While the three-course meal is indeed a secret and only disclosed on the night of the experience, you can expect to have Copas’ Chef Julio Aguilera’s vibrant and flavor-bursting menus with an authentic fare from all across Mexico.
2. Dining in the Dark is a great first date
As fun as they can get, first dates can also be pretty nerve-wrecking. If you get date night jitters (as most of us do), you can breathe a sigh of relief. Due to its set-up, Dining in the Dark removes the standard awkwardness of the first dates.
Firstly, you have the blindfolds that give you a sense of freedom to express yourself freely. Then, there’s the actual eating part that immediately helps to break the ice. You’re both going out on a limb, trying not to spill any drinks and to correctly aim the food to your mouth. It makes for an unforgettable first date, full of laughter and good food.
3. It’s fun for the hundredth date, too
Another reason why Dining in the Dark is so fantastic, is that it’s also fit for those long-term partners that are always in the hunt for new ideas for date night. Dining in the Dark is far from ordinary, so if you get bored doing the same thing every day or every week, now you know what to do.
Besides the occasional Eureka! moment coming from nearby diners as they guess the ingredients, you basically have no distractions. No visual cues, no phones, no daily routines that sometimes make romance get second place in your relationship. You can just focus on the two of you for 90 minutes and leave all the pressures behind.
4. Pretend like you’re on a cooking show
If you’re a fan of Masterchef then you must be familiar with the infamous taste tests. What to some contestants is a terrifying part of the show, to others is another day on the job, where people get to taste good food that would inspire their menu. Similarly to the competition, although without the dread of potentially being eliminated on the next round, diners at Dining in the Dark put themselves in these contestants’ shoes and try to discern the ingredients used in each dish.
We’ve all watched the tests from home, perhaps thinking we could do better. Well, if you live in the Bay Area, now you can actually put your taste buds to the test and see how good of a palate you have. Honestly, it’s always fun to put the detective’s hat on and distinguish between the flavors and textures, so it’s another element that adds to the fun!
5. Have different kinds of conversations
Funnily enough, it’s not just the food that becomes more interesting at Dining in the Dark. Many unknown personality traits can come out when you sit in complete darkness, because you let go of your inhibitions and just take the experience as it comes. Darkness alters the way in which we relate to others and the conversation flows easily, so don’t be surprised if you find out more about your foodie companion(s).
Whether it’s for the incredible restaurants chosen each season or because it makes for a memorable date, Dining in the Dark is a unique culinary journey that will change the way you approach a food tasting. Now, all that’s left is for you to try it yourself!