São Martinho with friends
Chestnuts, jeropiga and good company. Everyone weighs in, and MiBA finds the place for the whole group.
Start a gatheringOn the 11th of November, Portugal roasts chestnuts. São Martinho is the feast of the new wine and the magusto: a paper cone of hot chestnuts, a glass of jeropiga or água-pé, and, with luck, the short spell of sunshine people call the summer of São Martinho. It comes round on the same date whatever the day of the week, so it is often a weeknight dinner, and the group still has to agree on one place.
A tasca or a restaurant
Some friends want a noisy tasca with paper tablecloths and a jug of wine; others would rather sit down to a proper dinner. Each friend answers on their own, saying what they feel like eating, the vibe they’re after and whether it’s a wine or beer kind of night. MiBA weighs it all, so the pick suits the group rather than whoever spoke first in the chat.
The day is fixed, the hour isn’t
The 11th is the 11th, so the real questions are the hour and the area. Pick dinner, offer the 11th and perhaps the weekend around it, then choose the hour and the area. Each friend says which days don’t work, without explaining why, and MiBA picks from the days that are left. Send one link wherever the group already talks.
Budgets and diets, kept to yourself
Everyone says what they’d like to spend, and places over the group’s budget are left out. A place someone ruled out is never suggested. Budgets and no’s stay private. Dietary needs are saved on each friend’s account, and places that show they cater to them come first. MiBA says so when it couldn’t confirm one, so the friend who skips the chouriço knows what to ask.
Vote, book, roast
MiBA ranks the places that suit the whole group, you put up to five on a shortlist, and everyone votes. You get a link or a phone number to book, and everyone hears where and when. If chestnuts at the end of the meal matter, ask about them when you book. Then raise a glass of the new wine to the saint who shared his cloak.
Starting a gathering is free. Everyone signs in to answer and vote, and MiBA remembers their name and dietary needs for next time.