We are so excited to release the new version of our iOS app. Version 2.0 is by the far the biggest and greatest update to date, with a stunning new layout and the introduction of our one-click payment option, BiteBuy^TM. In fact, by comparison with version 1.4, we probably shouldn’t even call it an update, more like a brand new app. We’re so proud of the latest version, and we can’t wait to hear your feedback.

Perhaps, the biggest change you’ll probably notice is the layout. It is bold, extremely user-friendly, and quite frankly, we think its just plain beautiful. The new grid view brings you eye-catching photos with a streamlined layout, making for a more enjoyable and unique way to view deals. In addition to the grid view, we have redesigned the list and map views, so however you prefer to find great dining deals, your eyes and your stomach will be thanking you.

Additionally, as a part of our new layout, our improved filters allow you to not only browse by cuisine, but also to select and deselect only the cuisines you want to see.

Now for the big exciting stuff, so don’t let the nice colors and pretty pictures distract you.

BiteBuy^TM is an amazing new feature to the BiteHunter app, and will change the way you purchase dining deals. What so special about BiteBuy^TM, is that it is a one-click purchasing option for dining deals. As America’s top dining deal aggregator, we don’t just stop at finding you all the dining deals across the country, but we strive to make your deal hunting as stress free and easy as possible.

With BiteBuy^TM, there is no more trying to remember usernames and passwords, or filling in those never-ending forms. You’re free to browse all the dining deals across the country and purchase any of them with just the tap of the finger. Best of all, you never have to leave the BiteHunter app.

Save your billing information or account information for dozens of providers (including Groupon, Living Social, Gilt City, Travel Zoo, Restaurant.com, etc.) to make purchasing deals a breeze. If you choose to enter your credit card, rest assured your information is kept safe with bank-grade security.

There are just so many updates and new amazing features to put into words, that you just have to experience it for yourself. Follow this link to Download the BiteHunter app and see for yourself.

Here’s a fun recipe we came up with this week. Use this nice and easy pizza recipe this weekend to wow your date, or impress your kids; either way it’s a tasty meal with very little work.

Most people are afraid to make bread/dough. It seems very daunting at first, but with a little know-how, its quickly becomes as easy as riding a bike. The first, and most important thing when making bread/dough is patience. If you can master that, you can master bread. Take a look at the recipe and try not to over think it. A little common sense, some patience, and you’ll be a master in no time.

Pizza Dough Recipe
(Makes 2 Small sheet pan size pizzas)
2 ½ Cups Flour (All-Purpose)
1 teaspoon Salt
~1 ½ cups Warm Water (About 110 degrees F)
1 teaspoon Sugar
½ package Yeast (Active Dry)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Original-Style Pizza
(Makes 1 pizza)
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce (Pomodoro is our favorite)

½ pound Fresh Mozzarella cheese (cut into ¼ inch slices)
¼ cup Fresh Basil (sliced thin)

Arugula and Shrimp Pizza (Dairy-Free)
(Makes 1 pizza)
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce (Pomodoro is our favorite)

2-3 cups Arugula
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Combine all ingredients

8-10 shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
Combine all ingredients and cook in pan lightly coated with olive oil, until cooked through. Allow to cool. 

Directions

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Give it a gentle stir and allow it to sit for about 5-10 min in a warm part of the kitchen.

2. In a electric mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.

3. Add the water/yeast mixture to the flour/salt, along with the olive oil, and mix with the dough hook in the electric mixer. This mixing process can take from 5-15 minutes depending on your mixer. We are looking for a very developed and tough dough (You may need a little more water depending on your flour. We don’t want flour left inside the bowl, everything should be absorbed into the dough. Add water in small increments, if needed!!).

a. An electric mixer is not necessary, but definitely helps. I mean, people did make bread for some time without an electric mixer. Use your hands to mix the two together in a large bowl. You are going to want to mix very very well. If you think its combined well, keep mixing!!! We want a very tough, rigid dough for this recipe. It is definitely a work out when doing this by hand.

4. Use a little olive oil to coat the dough and the inside of the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to double in size (about an hour or so). The patience part ☺.

5. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape them into discs. Let them sit another 10-15 minutes covered on parchment paper lined sheet pans. (Don’t worry if it sticks a bit, it will come right off after baking, and this way definitely beats rolling dough out on a floured surface. What a mess!!)

6. Using your hands, shape the dough into any shape you want. We made rectangles, because it’s easier to cut into even slices (If it starts getting sticky, moisten you hands with a little water, this makes working with dough a little easier.) Try to get the dough quite flat, as it will rise when baking.

7. Take a fork and gently use to poke little holes all over the dough. This will keep big air bubble from rising between the parchment paper and the pizza.

8. Spoon some sauce onto the dough and cover evenly. Leave some space at the edges to allow for a crust.

9. Place the sliced mozzarella evenly over the pizza.

10. Bake until the cheese has melted and slighty bubbly. About 8-12 minutes.

11. Allow to cool slightly. Add some fresh sliced basil and cut before slicing.

**For the Shrimp and Arugula Pizza (Dairy Free), omit step 9, and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the arugula and shrimp.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!! And don’t forget to let us know what you think!!

Check it out!!! Our new website is up and running, and boy are we excited. As we are focusing more intensely on our mobile application, we have decided to completely redesign our webpage to reflect our focus and dedication to mobile. Please check it out: http://www.bitehunter.com. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

We would also like to take this opportunity to tell you that we will be launching a really new and exciting version of our app in the next couple of weeks. Trust us, you’re not going to want to miss out on this update; it’s a game changer.

We are happy to share that we have recently redone our Facebook cover page for timeline. Let us know what you think and please Like us on Facebook. And if you don’t, Like us anyway

When you think of the big apple, a couple of foods come to mind: Pizza, bagels, cheesecake, hotdogs, and a pastrami sandwich. But, as it is NYC, there’s always a large debate on who does it best.

Bagels are perhaps one of the most popular and best associated foods of New York.  But where to start? With so many stores spread across the city, it’s a hard choice, but here at BiteHunter, we have to say the best bagel in town comes from Ess-a-Bagel. With two locations in Manhattan, it’s worth the visit. Great whitefish salad, pickles, and spread too. Basically, your quintessential New York deli.

Cheesecake is another favorite, and honestly there’s really no better option than Two Little Red Hens, in our opinion. The cheesecake is out of this world. Smooth, silky, and, in real New York-style, huge. Make sure to get there early enough, because we aren’t the only ones that know how good their cheesecake is.

Pizza, in New York, is a very personal thing and there is a very heated debate about who’s is the best. We’re gonna go out on a limb and say that Di Fara Pizza, in Brooklyn, is the best, but having said that, we know others will simply disagree and say places like Kesté, of Manhattan, or Zero Otto Nove, in the Bronx.

Hotdogs are an institution in New York, and they say you’ve never had a true New York experience, unless you’ve had a NYC street hotdog, While some are not as adventurous, when it comes to street-meat, you can still get the same experience, actually better, at Gray’s Papaya. Mustard and sauerkraut are favorite toppings here at BiteHunter, but experiment and find your favorite.

Pastrami Sandwiches are just trouble. Honestly, it’s Carnegie Deli or Katz’s Deli. This is a really personal question amongst New Yorkers. We, at BiteHunter, personally go with Katz’s, and it’s so so so amazingly good, and right around the corner is The Pickle Guys and Doughnut Plant. Just too good to be true.

Got something better, let us know. We’re always up for trying the next best thing!!

Boring old bread. Is there really much use for it other than holding my sandwich together? It might surprise you, but bread belongs up there with salt, pepper, potatoes, etc. While we normally consider bread the final product of flour, water, and heat, it’s actually one of the ingredients in many of our beloved recipes.  Just take a look at these dishes to see what we mean:

• Mac & Cheese – C’mon, what’s a good Mac & Cheese without a breadcrumb topping??
• French Toast – Need we say more.
• Stuffing – Would it really be Thanksgiving without stuffing?
• Tempura – Spice up your shrimp and veggies.
• Toast Sandwich – Don’t worry, you read that correctly. It turns out that the toast sandwich has been popular for over 150 years.  A simple sandwich of buttered toast in between two slices of bread was invented, in England, in the mid-Victorian era. Recently it has been making a comeback with the recessed economy, and is now the ‘cheapest meal’ in the UK. See the whole article here from the BBC.
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal- Brings back so many childhood memories.
• Crab Cakes – From the inside to outside, bread makes this a memorable treat.
• Grilled Cheese – “That’s just a sandwich,” you say. Well is it? Is it really?
• Garlic Bread – The original Vampire-remedy.
• Eggplant Parmesan – And yeah you can make a sandwich with that, too.

We can keep going. But you get the point. Bread is a staple food group, as well as a staple ingredient. We’re always curious to hear the next new toast craze. Let us know what your favorite or new creation is.

BiteHunter is listed in the OnMedia 100 Top Private Companies for 2012, and featured alongside Twitter, FaceBook, Tumblr, Shazam, and Yelp. We are extremely proud and humbled to be featured amongst such industry giants and so excited to have been awarded this honor. Please follow the link below to see the full article at AlwaysOn.

“Announcing the 2012 OnMedia 100 Top Private Companies”