Bargain Biatch

Eat (a little) Drink (at lot) And Be Very Merry

What’s with tapas?  And no this isn’t Seinfeld rerun.  I just really don’t get tapas.  Perhaps my palate isn’t sophisticated enough to appreciate the small tasty bites.  They just confuse me and I always end up eating a full meal afterwards anyway.  But if you’re into eating little bit of food, take a trip to Spain by way of Harlem, well Spanish Harlem and stop in to Mi Florditia.  They have some excellent cheap and filling small plates, but really the draw for me is delicious Mofongos that gut busting football or carbs stuffed with meat (Puerco por favor) They also serve a delicious Spanish style breakfast like juevos con yucca and every kind of Spanish omelet imaginable.

 

Now for some drinking.  Zagat the foodie institution that back in the day before Internet searches was everyone’s dining bible is looking to branch out (stay alive). They’re trying to reclaim their “major playa” status by launching a wine guide.  It’s basically a wine of the month club curated by Zagat and as a sort of membership drive, they’re offering a great introductory deal where you’ll get 12 bottles of selected reds for only  $69.99 plus $19.99 for shipping…really, can’t we just call it $70 and another 20 bucks to deliver?  And they’re throwing is four free wine glasses when you place your order.  I think of it as the Gevalia Coffee promo for winos so it’s a good deal and although wines are shipped monthly, you can cancel, of delay or shipment once you’ve scored the original promo but do read the find print

Best Fall Deals for Foodies, and Drunks

First a quick review of a new Restaurant find, Benoit.  It’s an Alain Ducasse eatery that opened a year ago on my birthday and is third in an international chain.  Benoit isn’t about frills and re-interpretations but serves up classic French food.  And it delivers.  Straight forward Boeuf Bourguignon, escargots, French onion soup. All the standards done very well.  And you can’t miss with the $35 prix fix, with prime choices from the regular menu.

 

If you’re not feeling your inner Francophile, hop over to Bar Bao for some Asian fusion food.  The upper west side eatery is offering a Sunday only three course $28 prix fixe dinner.

 

Or drink for a penny (sort of).  Now through Thanksgiving at chow down on some high end steak at Dylan Prime. BYOB and corkage fee is just a penny.

 

And finally what better way to spend your weekend (besides in bed watching football) than enjoying a bottomless brunch. At the restaurant and bar Sunburnt Cow for $18 you’ll get an entrée and can drink till….well you can’t anymore.  Then at the their watering hole Bondi Bar treat yourself to “Double Happiness”.  For 20 bucks you have as many cocktails as you can quaff for two hours.  I think it’s up to you to decided which two hours you want to pickle your liver but try to go for something after noon.  But no judgment.

 

Holland On The Hudson

This is apparently Dutch Week. Who Knew?   The event is staged to commemorate the 400 year anniversary of when Henry Hudson Sailed into town to “Manna-hata.”   So get out your clogs, buy some tulips, eat off some delftware, or just, smoke some weed.  And after trying to create your own little stateside smoke shop you get the munchies, take advantage of a special Prix Fixe Amsterdam menu.  Participating restaurants are offering a taste of Amsterdam for $24, about 60 Dutch Guilders and what was once the purchase price of Manhattan.  NYC is also hosting a series of cultural events.  Check the Holland on the Hudson website for a full listing that includes lifestyle, travel (free bike rentals), art and expertise.  Most events are free or nearly gratis so embrace your inner little (stoned) Dutch girl

End of Summer: Last Chance Dining Deals

Sigh, summer’s almost over but it’s not too late to wring out the last food bargains.  This is your last chance to take advantage to restaurant week/summer menu.  Not all restaurants have extended the $24 lunch or $35 deal but check the site to see who’s still budget friendly.  And try to get a look at the prix fixe menu to make sure they’re not doing a bait and switch by dishing up a cheap imitation of their regular fare.  And nothing says summer like a lobster boil and with gigantic crustaceans on sale for $4.99 per lb at Fairway, you and your friends can feast for like $20.  And if you want some turf with your surf, filet mignon is the same price.  And a few words of caution, the lobsters are between 3-4 lbs and so make sure you have a very large pot so you don’t have to wrangle it in the water.  And I know from experience that said lobster is not trying to take a REALLY HOT bath and will put up a bit of a fight. Best to keep it in the fridge where it gets lethargic and then take it out a the last minute.  Sorry! Yumm!   

Suck Crayfish Heads For $10 at Ikea

Not planning on driving to your beach house this weekend/spending hours in traffic trying not to kill your kids? Come to Brooklyn Ikea and for $10 you’ll be served plates of boiled crayfish and other delicious sweetish dishes.  August is traditionally the time for the “kräftskiva” (crayfish party) one the most loved and celebrated Swedish festivals.

Yeah I knew that.  Anyway today from 6-8:30 you can toss the cutlery aside and suck the heads of tiny lobsters. Check the website for ticket info and more dates just in case you’ve already booked a hot dog evening contest for tonight.

And go early and may as well take stroll through the store.  Even though assembly of anything you buy requires more patience and understanding of Swedish diagrams than I have, IKEA has lowered their prices so at least I can splurge for so Valium to de-stress after the fact.

I Love Restaurant Week, Now Give Me Some More!

Food Glorious Food! Even though I’m fairly certain that the shit economy will push restaurants to extend Restaurant Week through the end of summer, I’m greedy and want to gobble up as many discount meals as possible.  Last week I hit two spots and both sated my inner glutton gourmand.  First I made a reservation at The Sea Grill. I’d already checked the menu to make sure they weren’t trying to pawn off fried porgies and whiting as part of their regular fare.  My meal was exceptional and kept with the high standards for all three courses.  Over the weekend I was in Times Square with millions of tourists, all gawking, walking slowing and taking pictures of absolutely everything. To escape the sweaty poorly dressed masses, I ejected myself from the throng and escaped into Blue Fin.  And although the lower level was noisy the delicious food quickly obscured the din.  And to go with their restaurant menu, Blue Fine was offering several choices of perfectly acceptable wine for $35 a bottle.

Celebrate Summer With Restaurant Week

Yeah horary, once again it’s restaurant week.  The bi-annual food fest that requires us to pick through discounted but often dumbed down versions of high-end eateries regular menus.  But thankfully not every participating establishment has cheaped out and some are serving up authentic versions of their fine fair.  Before you reserve, check out the restaurant’s website to get and idea about what they’re dishing up.  Dinner is $35 and includes some top chef restaurants.  And if you can do lunch. At $25 it’s a steal, and particularly good if you’re between “situations” and can spend hours in the middle of the day checking out the want ads eating good cheap food. And the best thing is that since the economy remains in the crapper and restaurants are desperate to put fill tables, restaurant week will likely sprawl into restaurant summer with specials running through Labor Day.

Three Good Dining Deals

A teeny tiny round up of three good dining deals.  First a sugar rush of small sweet treats at Three Tarts Bakery at Chelsea markets. Known for their irresistible mini tarts and petit fours, you can indulge yourself for a couple of bucks with $1 marshmallows, $1.50 lemon curd tarts and small portions of Economy Crunch, a caramel and dark chocolate popcorn that satisfies the sugar and salt cravings $3 for 2.5 ounces. Then there’s Govid Armstrong’s new eatery Table 8 which recently opened in the new Cooper Square Hotel.  And while $20 plus entrees aren’t so easy on the wallet, you can make your own tasting menu ordering from the “Salt Bar” and Small Accents” section of the menu where delicious small dishes go for $4. Then back to my hood, literally since I used to live inches away from what is now Char 4.  For the Wednesday night only BBQ special they’ll pile your plate with 3 smoked meats….carnivores rule!!!!  Then add in a gut busting 2 side dishes, a beer and a shot for $22.  Sounds like my Wednesdays are gonna be booked till summers end.

Eatin Cheap In The Hood..Brooklyn That Is

As New York Restaurant week’s rolls on and on…and some have even rolled back their regular prices, today is the start Brooklyn Restaurant Week.  From now till April 2 over 200 BKYN restaurants are offering a three course dining deal for $23. It’s borough wide so from Bay Ridge Brooklyn Heights you can at some of the best neighborhood tables for the price of a week’s worth of Lattes.  Can’t say I’m all that familiar with some (any) of the outer borough spots but some of my favorites like Al Di La and Rose Water in Park Slope, The Farm On Adderley in Ditmas Park and The River Café (for lunch only) are all on board. And if you need to pinch your pennies even tighter, a smattering of places are making it 2 for $23.  But go early or make a reservation.  I remember last year participating restaurants were mobbed and I swear I saw hordes of the Bridge and Tunnel crowd who had schlepped in to check out “trendy” Brooklyn.  

Cheap Eats…..By Their Guest For Less

Not just for restaurant week/year, but BR Guest eateries are serious about extending an invitation to dine with them.  Here are a few of the their specials that will have you eating well without taking a bite out of your wallet.

 $12.95 Vento Sunday & Monday Night Specials! 
Every Sunday and Monday night at Vento enjoy a pizza or pasta and a glass of house wine or 12oz beer for only $12.95!

$24.07 Lunch and $35 Dinner Prix-Fixe Menus!
All NYC B.R. Guest Restaurants are offering a special 3-course prix-fixe menu Monday through Friday for $24.07 at lunch and $35 at dinner.

 

Visit their website for a list of their restaurant and the seasonal, weekly changing menus.