Dine out without breaking the bank
The average American spends thousands a year dining out. Luckily, saving your budget doesn't have to mean kicking the restaurant habit.
Eating in restaurants can be expensive. It's estimated that each American spends an average of $2,620 a year eating out. Roughly 93% of consumers enjoy eating out, and the restaurant industry takes in a 47% share of all food-dollar expenditures. But you don't have to spend a fortune at restaurants this year. Try these tips to help you save money while dining out.
Choose the right time of dayIf you are looking to try out the newest restaurant in town, try going for lunch instead of dinner. Or try heading there at happy hour. Dining during off-peak hours can save you money while still allowing you to try new dishes. Not only do some restaurants offer buy-one-get-one-free deals on beverages during happy hour, they also typically have specials on food. There are even apps for your mobile device, such as Savored, that advertise the discounts some restaurants offer during off-peak hours.
Look for dealsMany restaurants offer promotions through various deal-of-the-day websites. Groupon, for example, offers vouchers that can save you 50% to 90% off your meal. The trick with Groupon is making sure you use the deal before it expires. Also, if your chosen restaurant has more than one location in your city, make sure the deal you buy is valid at the location you want to visit.
There's also restaurants.com, which offers discounted gift certificates. Such gift certificates are good at a range of restaurants, though you typically may use only one certificate per restaurant per month.
Check inIf you have a smartphone, you can use social networking apps like Yelp and Foursquare to "check in" at locations. Both allow you to search for deals nearby, which may influence your dining decisions. And as an added bonus, many restaurants offer discounts to those who check in. Just mention it to your server.
If you're a frequent restaurant-goer, OpenTable is another option. OpenTable allows you to accumulate points for making (and keeping, of course) reservations through its website. Once you have accumulated 2,000 points, you are able to claim a $20 gift voucher for its network of restaurants. While most reservations earn around 100 points, you can search for some that are worth 1,000 points.
Bring your own bottleWine and other alcoholic beverages are often marked up as much as two to three times their wholesale value, meaning the restaurant is making a pretty penny on your $11 glass of pinot noir. Surprisingly, many restaurants mark up their cheapest bottles of wine the most. One method for saving on wine is by calling ahead to see if you can bring your own bottle. Some restaurants will allow you to do this, but they may charge a corkage fee. By researching the corkage fee, which can be as much as $20 per bottle, you can price out how much you'll spend on a bottle of wine.
Share a platePortions at restaurants tend to be a lot larger than anything you would consume at home. Many people find ordering a meal overwhelming because they want both an appetizer and a main course. If you're out with friends, opt for sharing both. That way you can try both items without having too much food, plus you get to share the costs when the bill arrives.
The bottom lineEating in restaurants can be costly, but if you pay attention to the small ways you can trim your bill, the cost becomes more manageable. By sharing food, scouring websites and paying attention to the time of day you go out to eat, you may be able to cut your bill by as much as half.
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The average American spends thousands a year dining out. Luckily, saving your budget doesn't have to mean kicking the restaurant habit.
Eating in restaurants can be expensive. It's estimated that each American spends an average of $2,620 a year eating out. Roughly 93% of consumers enjoy eating out, and the restaurant industry takes in a 47% share of all food-dollar expenditures. But you don't have to spend a fortune at restaurants this year. Try these tips to help you save money while dining out.
Choose the right time of dayIf you are looking to try out the newest restaurant in town, try going for lunch instead of dinner. Or try heading there at happy hour. Dining during off-peak hours can save you money while still allowing you to try new dishes. Not only do some restaurants offer buy-one-get-one-free deals on beverages during happy hour, they also typically have specials on food. There are even apps for your mobile device, such as Savored, that advertise the discounts some restaurants offer during off-peak hours.
Look for dealsMany restaurants offer promotions through various deal-of-the-day websites. Groupon, for example, offers vouchers that can save you 50% to 90% off your meal. The trick with Groupon is making sure you use the deal before it expires. Also, if your chosen restaurant has more than one location in your city, make sure the deal you buy is valid at the location you want to visit.
There's also restaurants.com, which offers discounted gift certificates. Such gift certificates are good at a range of restaurants, though you typically may use only one certificate per restaurant per month.
Check inIf you have a smartphone, you can use social networking apps like Yelp and Foursquare to "check in" at locations. Both allow you to search for deals nearby, which may influence your dining decisions. And as an added bonus, many restaurants offer discounts to those who check in. Just mention it to your server.
If you're a frequent restaurant-goer, OpenTable is another option. OpenTable allows you to accumulate points for making (and keeping, of course) reservations through its website. Once you have accumulated 2,000 points, you are able to claim a $20 gift voucher for its network of restaurants. While most reservations earn around 100 points, you can search for some that are worth 1,000 points.
Bring your own bottleWine and other alcoholic beverages are often marked up as much as two to three times their wholesale value, meaning the restaurant is making a pretty penny on your $11 glass of pinot noir. Surprisingly, many restaurants mark up their cheapest bottles of wine the most. One method for saving on wine is by calling ahead to see if you can bring your own bottle. Some restaurants will allow you to do this, but they may charge a corkage fee. By researching the corkage fee, which can be as much as $20 per bottle, you can price out how much you'll spend on a bottle of wine.
Share a platePortions at restaurants tend to be a lot larger than anything you would consume at home. Many people find ordering a meal overwhelming because they want both an appetizer and a main course. If you're out with friends, opt for sharing both. That way you can try both items without having too much food, plus you get to share the costs when the bill arrives.
The bottom lineEating in restaurants can be costly, but if you pay attention to the small ways you can trim your bill, the cost becomes more manageable. By sharing food, scouring websites and paying attention to the time of day you go out to eat, you may be able to cut your bill by as much as half.
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The secrets to a great pie - and how to recognize them - plus a pie tasting tomorrow.
Posted: Friday,
November 22, 2013 9:00 am
Mark C. Anderson, Dave Schmalz and Kera Abraham
In the most famous scene from theAmerican Pie trilogy, James Briggs' character gets, er, intimate with a pie.
We decided to do him one better.
Earlier this holiday season I sent two of the savviest food deputies on our team to help judge two different homemade pie contests
hosted by theIndependent Marketplace pop-up dinner series.
And they got deep into some pie themselves.
In true Indy style, the judging was fun, quirky and tasty, maddeningly unorganized, and not well thought out. In American
Piestyle, it was a gloopy, awkward and even a little controversially gross. (Twenty-one judges' already-licked forks going into one pie won't
win any awards from the Health Department.)
But there were dozens of pies, glorious apple and cream and pecan and crumble and crusty and berry and rhubarb pies, so somehow, ultimately, gloriously, a powerful perspective on how great pies differentiate themselves emerged, even if diabetic shock didn't.
And what matters most to a good pie is particularly good news to know heading into the holidays, and heading into Saturday's pie tasting
at one of the area's best—if not the best—place for superior pies.
Here's what they found out. More on the Sweet Elena (393-2063) pie-tasting day special event Nov. 23 appears
below.
From Weekly staff writer David Schmalz:
Trust in the crust.
The most important rule, it turns out. Any filling, no matter how delicious, needs a great crust to call home. Fresh, flaky,
buttery.
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Posted: Friday,
November 22, 2013 9:00 am
Mark C. Anderson, Dave Schmalz and Kera Abraham
In the most famous scene from theAmerican Pie trilogy, James Briggs' character gets, er, intimate with a pie.
We decided to do him one better.
Earlier this holiday season I sent two of the savviest food deputies on our team to help judge two different homemade pie contests
hosted by theIndependent Marketplace pop-up dinner series.
And they got deep into some pie themselves.
In true Indy style, the judging was fun, quirky and tasty, maddeningly unorganized, and not well thought out. In American
Piestyle, it was a gloopy, awkward and even a little controversially gross. (Twenty-one judges' already-licked forks going into one pie won't
win any awards from the Health Department.)
But there were dozens of pies, glorious apple and cream and pecan and crumble and crusty and berry and rhubarb pies, so somehow, ultimately, gloriously, a powerful perspective on how great pies differentiate themselves emerged, even if diabetic shock didn't.
And what matters most to a good pie is particularly good news to know heading into the holidays, and heading into Saturday's pie tasting
at one of the area's best—if not the best—place for superior pies.
Here's what they found out. More on the Sweet Elena (393-2063) pie-tasting day special event Nov. 23 appears
below.
From Weekly staff writer David Schmalz:
Trust in the crust.
The most important rule, it turns out. Any filling, no matter how delicious, needs a great crust to call home. Fresh, flaky,
buttery.
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New Lucky Pho Noodle House gets good start in Marina.
Posted: Wednesday,
November 20, 2013 9:16 am Mark C. Anderson | 1 comment
The menu at new Pho Lucky NoodleHouse (883-8003) in Marina reveals its
priorities quickly.
At the top of the center trifold appear five types of beef used in Vietnamese pho, complete with pictures and translations: tái (rare steak), nam (well-done flank), chin (well-done brisket),gan (tendon) and bo vien (meat ball).
Below those appear 12 different beef noodle phos, flanked by a dozen more noodle and rice dishes and five different types of egg and spring rolls. The phos go $5.95-$6.25 for small and $6.95-$7.25 for large. (You'll want the large.) In fact, nothing on the menu is more than $7.25.
The place is family run and nestles next to CVS and Save Mart on Reservation Road, in a strip mall spot that has seen its share of restaurants. This one looks like a keeper at first blush though, thanks to the cute, warm but simple atmosphere, including a mural of hang gliders over Marina Dunes.
Service is sweet—our server offered free hot tea while our takeout was assembled. The order was fastidiously packaged to allow us to assemble the pho and noodles at home. Only demerit: Styrofoam.
The vegetarian spring rolls ($4.25) epitomized the basic satisfying crunch of sprouts and tofu you look for.
The grilled shrimp and pork combo proved similarly sturdy, with tender, lightly spiced slices of pig (with standard fatty corners) and well-crisped small prawns over vermicelli noodles and chopped greens, a good serving for $7.25. The large vegetarian pho ($6.95) offered similar straightforward Vietnamese value.
The rare steak-flank-meatball pho was the highlight of the visit—more accurately, it was the pho's broth, a harmonious swirl of buttery umami that deepened with the addition of the different cuts of meat and the softening noodles and found that special Southeast Asian complexity and texture with the mound of mint, jalapeño, sprouts and Thai basil.
Cozy comfort on a rainy night.
Drinks include fresh lemonade ($1.95), salty plum sodas ($2.50), grass jelly drinks ($1.50) Thai tea ($2.50), Vietnamese-style coffees ($2.50-$2.95) plus shakes ranging from avocado to jack fruit to mango ($2.95 each).
Pho Lucky is open 9am-9pm except Wednesdays.
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Posted: Wednesday,
November 20, 2013 9:16 am Mark C. Anderson | 1 comment
The menu at new Pho Lucky NoodleHouse (883-8003) in Marina reveals its
priorities quickly.
At the top of the center trifold appear five types of beef used in Vietnamese pho, complete with pictures and translations: tái (rare steak), nam (well-done flank), chin (well-done brisket),gan (tendon) and bo vien (meat ball).
Below those appear 12 different beef noodle phos, flanked by a dozen more noodle and rice dishes and five different types of egg and spring rolls. The phos go $5.95-$6.25 for small and $6.95-$7.25 for large. (You'll want the large.) In fact, nothing on the menu is more than $7.25.
The place is family run and nestles next to CVS and Save Mart on Reservation Road, in a strip mall spot that has seen its share of restaurants. This one looks like a keeper at first blush though, thanks to the cute, warm but simple atmosphere, including a mural of hang gliders over Marina Dunes.
Service is sweet—our server offered free hot tea while our takeout was assembled. The order was fastidiously packaged to allow us to assemble the pho and noodles at home. Only demerit: Styrofoam.
The vegetarian spring rolls ($4.25) epitomized the basic satisfying crunch of sprouts and tofu you look for.
The grilled shrimp and pork combo proved similarly sturdy, with tender, lightly spiced slices of pig (with standard fatty corners) and well-crisped small prawns over vermicelli noodles and chopped greens, a good serving for $7.25. The large vegetarian pho ($6.95) offered similar straightforward Vietnamese value.
The rare steak-flank-meatball pho was the highlight of the visit—more accurately, it was the pho's broth, a harmonious swirl of buttery umami that deepened with the addition of the different cuts of meat and the softening noodles and found that special Southeast Asian complexity and texture with the mound of mint, jalapeño, sprouts and Thai basil.
Cozy comfort on a rainy night.
Drinks include fresh lemonade ($1.95), salty plum sodas ($2.50), grass jelly drinks ($1.50) Thai tea ($2.50), Vietnamese-style coffees ($2.50-$2.95) plus shakes ranging from avocado to jack fruit to mango ($2.95 each).
Pho Lucky is open 9am-9pm except Wednesdays.
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Introducing two intriguing restaurants in two very prominent spots.
Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2013 12:00 am
Mark C. Anderson | 0 comments
Sometimes, when I sleep, I dream. Sometimes, when I dream, I dream of artichokes.
Sometimes, when I dream of artichokes, I hear Exec Chef Alfonso Martinez’s voice.
“It’s the only vegetable in the world that has this flavor, color, texture… especially when fresh,” Martinez says. “There are substitutes for
other vegetables, but not for artichoke.
“It’s like truffle, saffron or caviar, only not as expensive. I love that kind of talk because I could eat artichokes with every meal, because I
plant them more than any other item in my yard and because I believe artichoke should be the official county food – in addition to
retaining its unofficial title as the state food. (Sorry, avocado.)
But it gets better, since he’s pairing that enthusiasm – and a farm-fresh, sustainable ethic learned over a decade and a half working with
local sourcing leader Dory Ford at Monterey Bay Aquarium and Ventana Inn andCindy Pawlcyn at Mustards Grill – with arguably the preeminent artichoke experts of the area.
In the historic and spacious spot across from Cannery Row Brewing Company and Sly McFly’s, where there was once El Mariachi and
its wonderfully dangerous and much-missed mechanialc bull (and not much else) is now Giant Artichoke (643-9524), a classy cousin to
the Castroville landmark (633-3501).
The menu parallels the original spot’s, so it is similarly vast across breakfast, lunch and dinner, with diner specials, down-home deals, a Wikipedia primer on artichokes and one crucial difference.
Those similarities include jalapeño-and-artichoke dip ($8.50), artichoke eggs Benedict ($10), meat-free artichoke burgers ($11), artichokes pizzas ($8), artichoke and angel hair pasta ($12.50), artichoke omelets ($11), artichoke flautas ($5.50) and, not least, some of the best
deep-fried artichoke hearts in the area, thanks to a tempura-like lightness in the batter ($6.50/half order; $11/full). I’ve
driven visiting family to Castroville to try them.
The crucial difference: Martinez. He was last seen resuscitating landmark but lethargic Rappa’s Seafood Restaurant (372-7562) at the
end of Fisherman’s Wharf. But that ended at least partly thanks to the unpublished but pending sale of
Rappa’s to the Gilbert’s restaurant family, who also owns Rappa’s neighbor Abalonetti (373-1851) and Beach House at Lovers Point
(375-2345).
Martinez will be given room to add finer dining elements to the menu that descends – and shortens – with nightfall and explores creative new artichoke incarnations. Think artichoke-stuffed salmon, artichoke ravioli and steaks with artichoke butter.
The fresh paint and new floor upgrades are dramatic, opening up a big, airy, oceanview space. It all makes for a godsend not just for artichoke lovers, but an anchor spot on Cannery Row.
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Posted: Thursday, November 14, 2013 12:00 am
Mark C. Anderson | 0 comments
Sometimes, when I sleep, I dream. Sometimes, when I dream, I dream of artichokes.
Sometimes, when I dream of artichokes, I hear Exec Chef Alfonso Martinez’s voice.
“It’s the only vegetable in the world that has this flavor, color, texture… especially when fresh,” Martinez says. “There are substitutes for
other vegetables, but not for artichoke.
“It’s like truffle, saffron or caviar, only not as expensive. I love that kind of talk because I could eat artichokes with every meal, because I
plant them more than any other item in my yard and because I believe artichoke should be the official county food – in addition to
retaining its unofficial title as the state food. (Sorry, avocado.)
But it gets better, since he’s pairing that enthusiasm – and a farm-fresh, sustainable ethic learned over a decade and a half working with
local sourcing leader Dory Ford at Monterey Bay Aquarium and Ventana Inn andCindy Pawlcyn at Mustards Grill – with arguably the preeminent artichoke experts of the area.
In the historic and spacious spot across from Cannery Row Brewing Company and Sly McFly’s, where there was once El Mariachi and
its wonderfully dangerous and much-missed mechanialc bull (and not much else) is now Giant Artichoke (643-9524), a classy cousin to
the Castroville landmark (633-3501).
The menu parallels the original spot’s, so it is similarly vast across breakfast, lunch and dinner, with diner specials, down-home deals, a Wikipedia primer on artichokes and one crucial difference.
Those similarities include jalapeño-and-artichoke dip ($8.50), artichoke eggs Benedict ($10), meat-free artichoke burgers ($11), artichokes pizzas ($8), artichoke and angel hair pasta ($12.50), artichoke omelets ($11), artichoke flautas ($5.50) and, not least, some of the best
deep-fried artichoke hearts in the area, thanks to a tempura-like lightness in the batter ($6.50/half order; $11/full). I’ve
driven visiting family to Castroville to try them.
The crucial difference: Martinez. He was last seen resuscitating landmark but lethargic Rappa’s Seafood Restaurant (372-7562) at the
end of Fisherman’s Wharf. But that ended at least partly thanks to the unpublished but pending sale of
Rappa’s to the Gilbert’s restaurant family, who also owns Rappa’s neighbor Abalonetti (373-1851) and Beach House at Lovers Point
(375-2345).
Martinez will be given room to add finer dining elements to the menu that descends – and shortens – with nightfall and explores creative new artichoke incarnations. Think artichoke-stuffed salmon, artichoke ravioli and steaks with artichoke butter.
The fresh paint and new floor upgrades are dramatic, opening up a big, airy, oceanview space. It all makes for a godsend not just for artichoke lovers, but an anchor spot on Cannery Row.
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Another iconic building in downtown Pacific Grove, meanwhile, is receiving its own
linchpin.
Lowercase, higher-flavor jeninni kitchen + wine bar (920-2662)
combines well-traveled-and-trained Spanish/Mediterranean-leaning
chef Jeffrey Weiss – bring on the fried chickpeas ($6), smoked lamb mollete sandwiches with pickles and yogurt ($12) and brick-seared chicken ($21) – with a lounge-like Holman building space and adventurous wines.
The debut seasonal menu at 542 Lighthouse Ave., a sexy and short one-pager, buttresses a nice range of Spanish style tastes with a
glossary of Iberian and Middle Eastern food terms on the bottom. A warm calamari salad with mussels and white beans ($12), seafood charcuterie plate ($15), pumpkin risotto ($16) and persimmon pudding flan cake ($7) leap out, as do smoked trout and egg soup ($8)
and lamb meatball ($10) specials. Or I might just eat the seasonal sides – Brussels sprouts with pickled raisins and chorizo sauce, roasted lemon potatoes, mustard greens with fried capers and eggplant fries with Turkish pepper ($8 each) – all day. Or just stick with the hams
of the month, like November’s Benton’s from Madisonville, Tenn., as Weiss is literally writing a book on charcuterie.
The high-quality and diverse wine list ($19-$170/bottle) borrows from owner/operator and longtime local general manager and sommelier Thamin Saleh’s ample insights, and draws obscure tastes from the Iberian Peninsula and California. It includes a half-dozen wines by the glass and plenty of discoveries, but will need a well-versed wait staff – or better yet, a charismatic somm – to hand-sell to a majority who will be unfamiliar with its finds. I tried a lean, light but full Domains Sainte-Eugénie, the first time I’ve ever tried a Corbières. Interesting – and tasty – stuff.
That same approach appears on the plate from the start with house market pickles ($8), including taragon-flavored kolhrabi and earthy mushrooms, which bode well for the type of different, interesting flavors that awaken the mouth with acidity, umami and spice.
“Experiencing different flavors at prices you can afford,” Saleh says. “And are fun to eat.”
Also different: later hours. (It’ll be open 5pm to as late as midnight pending attendance.) A limited menu – pickles, cheeses, charcuterie, a marguez sandwich, a salad – will go with the wines, housemade sodas and local beers and draw industry peeps and epicurious souls alike. Like Salah says, “Just a nice spot to hang out.”
linchpin.
Lowercase, higher-flavor jeninni kitchen + wine bar (920-2662)
combines well-traveled-and-trained Spanish/Mediterranean-leaning
chef Jeffrey Weiss – bring on the fried chickpeas ($6), smoked lamb mollete sandwiches with pickles and yogurt ($12) and brick-seared chicken ($21) – with a lounge-like Holman building space and adventurous wines.
The debut seasonal menu at 542 Lighthouse Ave., a sexy and short one-pager, buttresses a nice range of Spanish style tastes with a
glossary of Iberian and Middle Eastern food terms on the bottom. A warm calamari salad with mussels and white beans ($12), seafood charcuterie plate ($15), pumpkin risotto ($16) and persimmon pudding flan cake ($7) leap out, as do smoked trout and egg soup ($8)
and lamb meatball ($10) specials. Or I might just eat the seasonal sides – Brussels sprouts with pickled raisins and chorizo sauce, roasted lemon potatoes, mustard greens with fried capers and eggplant fries with Turkish pepper ($8 each) – all day. Or just stick with the hams
of the month, like November’s Benton’s from Madisonville, Tenn., as Weiss is literally writing a book on charcuterie.
The high-quality and diverse wine list ($19-$170/bottle) borrows from owner/operator and longtime local general manager and sommelier Thamin Saleh’s ample insights, and draws obscure tastes from the Iberian Peninsula and California. It includes a half-dozen wines by the glass and plenty of discoveries, but will need a well-versed wait staff – or better yet, a charismatic somm – to hand-sell to a majority who will be unfamiliar with its finds. I tried a lean, light but full Domains Sainte-Eugénie, the first time I’ve ever tried a Corbières. Interesting – and tasty – stuff.
That same approach appears on the plate from the start with house market pickles ($8), including taragon-flavored kolhrabi and earthy mushrooms, which bode well for the type of different, interesting flavors that awaken the mouth with acidity, umami and spice.
“Experiencing different flavors at prices you can afford,” Saleh says. “And are fun to eat.”
Also different: later hours. (It’ll be open 5pm to as late as midnight pending attendance.) A limited menu – pickles, cheeses, charcuterie, a marguez sandwich, a salad – will go with the wines, housemade sodas and local beers and draw industry peeps and epicurious souls alike. Like Salah says, “Just a nice spot to hang out.”