In the age of Groupons and Meetups, new venture Grubwithus provides a combination of the two. Started in Chicago by two friends, Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano, the venture has expanded to San Francisco and New York, with a D.C. site to launch soon. The concept is simple. View a list of menus and sign up for a prix-fixe family-style meal. Your dining companions will be a random mix of those who sign up. (But they do display who has already signed up for the meal, so you can avoid that nasty confrontation with an ex, or masochistically create an awkward family-style meal for everyone involved)

The project modernizes a trend that has already taken hold for awhile, previously relegated to underground email chains and word-of-mouth. The deals provide an interesting way to try a large number of items on the menu, as well as to meet new people. Also, the first person to reserve will receive 10-20% off their meal, the price goes up as more diners sign up for each meal.