Two Days Left of Half-Price Wine at Grimaldi's

Through the end of the month, Grimaldi's Pizzeria is offering half priced daily wine. You can also check out their featured pizza and cheesecake combo of the month: their famous Bruschetta pizza - white pizza topped with diced Roma tomatoes, chopped basil and grated parmesan. Make sure to leave room for the new Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake - rich and smooth Bailey's Cream cheesecake topped with whipped cream, in an Oreo cookie crust. Sounds like a good date night.

Cheap Sushi Deal for Deep Sushi!

This one is from the Cut & Paste Via Travelzoo Division, but will get you some freaking good sushi for half off at Deep Sushi:

The Dallas Observer says that "a passion for creative sushi is evident" when you first walk in the door at Deep Sushi, a hip Deep Ellum spot that earns a 4-star rating from Citysearch users. With this exclusive Local Deal, two people can savor a Japanese dinner for $35, regularly $76.

Step inside the "urban chic" interior praised by D Magazine and choose your own three-course sushi experience from the extensive menu, such as:

• Any combination of soups, salads or appetizers, such as the shrimp and vegetable tempura paired with two Deep Sushi house salads (up to $18 total)
• A choice of any two entrees or three sushi and sashimi roll options. Try the fire-grilled beef tenderloin with vegetables or the teppanyaki scallops; or pick the Deep Sushi platter with a variety of fresh sushi and sashimi, paired with the Spirit of Texas roll (tuna, crab, cucumber and jalapeno) along with a Stripe T roll (salmon, crab, scallion and ginger, wrapped in cucumber) (up to $52 total)
• Any shared dessert, like the "divine" fried banana tempura with red bean ice cream praised by D Magazine

Click here to get yours.

Be a Food Truck VIP for Half Price!

We all know I'm a huge fan of food trucks. I think today's Living Social Deal might have been designed for me. It's VIP, it's cheap (relatively) and it's benefiting a good cause. Check it ou:


It has indeed been drier all summer than a slab of Texas toast with no butter, but other parts of the world are facing an even drier spell. Today's deal for a VIP ticket from Ten for 10: Water for Africa is a unique way to give the world water crisis a kick in the pants while sampling some of Dallas's finest fare. Just $50 gets you a VIP ticket to the Food Truck Smackdown at Sunset Lounge on Friday, October 21, where a caravan's worth of local cuisine goes head to head to gain your favor (a $100 value). With your ticket, you'll enjoy a private happy hour, a goody bag full of treats, a preview of the night's events, a sampling of each food truck's dishes, live musical entertainment, and the chance to vote for your favorite truck. Get swept up in this flood of foodie fun and philanthropy before it dries up.


Get your deal here!

Date Night Deal: Celebration Restaurant for only $35

This one is from the Cut & Paste via Travelzoo Division, but I'm thinking of getting this one for a nice laid back date night with the Sig-O. Check out this deal:


Experience the traditional Southern flavors of Celebration Restaurant, just off Lovers Lane in Greenway Parks. Southern Living says the restaurant serves some of the "tastiest" food in the city, and the magazine names Celebration Restaurant to its Secrets of the South's Best Diners list. With this deal, two people can select any two entrees, two desserts and two glasses of wine for $35.

Normally $69, this meal includes generously portioned Southern cuisine influenced by Texas flavors. All of the entrees includehomemade bread, three fresh vegetables served family style and a choice of homemade soup, salad or fresh fruit. Choose from the following:

• Any two entrees, such as the grilled salmon with fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic and olive oil; or pot roast cooked with carrots and onions and then served with horseradish sauce

• Any two desserts, like banana pudding with fresh whipped cream or a homemade brownie sundae with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and walnuts

• Any two glasses of wine from the restaurant's list

Celebration Restaurant features an expansive patio with a wood-burning fireplace; outdoor dining is available year-round. Snag this one before it's gone!

Steak Dinner for Two Deal - Rafain Brazilian Dinner for 2 for Only $50

From the Cut and Paste via Travelzoo Department:

For $50, indulge in an unlimited feast for two people, including wine, at Rafain Brazilian Steakhouse, regularly $104. Grilled over open charcoal pits, the roasted meat is delivered and carved tableside by the restaurant's gaucho chefs. The all-you-can-eat experience includes:

• A selection from 16 different types of meat including beef, chicken, pork, lamb and sausage
• Access to the salad bar featuring more than 45 different items, such as crisp asparagus, smoked salmon and a variety of cheese
• Unlimited visits to the dessert bar featuring items like N.Y. cheesecake, pecan pie and Brazilian flan

Complement dinner with two glasses of wine, also included in this deal. The Rafain family opened their first steakhouse in 1959 in Southern Brazil and have been operating restaurants ever since. Get this great date night deal here.

Al is Like a Friend with Benefits - $20 Worth at All Biernat's

A-List Event at Randy Whites- Half of 2 Meat Plate!

Today's A-List Event:

Randy White's Hall of Fame Barbeque
Wednesday June 29, 2011
9225 Preston Rd. Frisco, TX 972.377.0540
OR
19089 LBJ Frwy. Mesquite, TX 972.354.1780

This offer entitles you to 50% Off Any Two Meat Plate for Lunch or Dinner. Dine in only. Not valid with other offers, specials or in conjunction with A-List Certificates. No need to print this certificate just assert your A-List prowess to receive this offer.

Offer Valid: June 29, 2011

Half of Seafood and It's Great! At Eddie V's

The Offer:
If you like your oysters and lobster fresh off the docks and your steaks USDA prime and center-cut, then follow your taste buds to Eddie V's. This stellar spot offers the finest cuts and the freshest flavors around.

With today's $25 for $50 offer, you can dive into Eddie V's delicious shellfish, crisp salads, inventive appetizers, and satisfying seafood and steak plates at a fraction of the cost. Come to this popular restaurant and experience dining at its finest! Click here to get your certificate today.

Get Medieval for Half Off for Being a Mavs Fan

We all know I love to make fun of dorks who dress up. I love it even more when I can do it for cheap. Well, here's an opportunity to eat with your hands, get horse dust in your food and make fun of dorks who dress up. Enjoy!

Dinner at Decanter for 50% Off

You know I'm a fan of Decanter in Bishop Arts for their $15 brunch (including mimosas, yum). Pegasus News has put together a deal for a 3 course dinner for 2, including wine pairings for only $40. That's a 50% discount. Click here to take advantage of this deal so you can wine and dine your Sig-O, because, quite frankly, you need to.

Sushi for Less at NAAN

You could be in deep trouble if you plan another dud date. Don't sink into old habits with the same old restaurants when you can catch deep-sea delights for half the price with today's deal: For $25, get $50 worth of food and non-alcoholic drinks from NAAN Sushi in Uptown.

This upscale Japanese restaurant earned four stars from Zagat and offers a menu of fresh sashimi and nigiri from yellowtail to squid, as well as stunning sushi rolls (the NAAN Special combines crab, salmon, and tuna with mango, asparagus, and lettuce). Or, dive right into cooked entrées like miso seabass or salmon teriyaki. If your date isn't impressed by the meal this deal reels in, there are other fish in the sea... and at NAAN. Click here to get your $50 certificate at NAAN for only $25.

Dinner Date with Free Drinks at Allen Wickers Pub - $25

You want to watch the Mavs. Sig-O wants to go out on a date. Here's the perfect compromise for only $25! First, you'll venture up the tollway to the Allen Wickers Pub, then sink into a seat with a view for the game (play it cool or the Sig-O will know you're looking at the TV), then you'll feast on Southern-inspired pub fare for two paired with any two draft beers from the 16 on tap (excellent choices).

This deal includes:
- Any shared appetizer, such as the breaded wings with blue cheese or chili nachos, a mountain of tortilla chips topped with chili, spicy queso, lettuce, tomato, red onion and jalapenos
- Any two main dishes (burgers, wraps, entrees), such as the Inferno burger, a jalapeno-infused patty served with chipotle mayo, fried jalapenos and all the trimmings; or the Gaffer, a meatloaf sandwich loaded with sauteed mushrooms, onion and mashed potatoes on a Kaiser bun
- Any dessert, such as the chocolate cake or key lime pie
- TWO DRINKS! Including any two draft beers from the bar

So, click here to take advantage of this deal just in time to watch the Mavs beat the Heat.

I Love BYOB Restaurants in Dallas

We all know that I'm a bit of wino from time to time, but the reality is that if you don't appreciate wine, you probably don't appreciate me. Here's a great reason to appreciate Wednesdays (that awful day in the middle of the week): Cane Rosso is BYOB on Wednesday night. Yes kids, you read that right. You can get amazing pizza and drink amazing wine for an amazing price (namely the price without wine). Plus, you can also take Fido, Fluffy or Rowser there because they're dog friendly. Score! Check out their site here and I'll see you there Wednesday!

Finding the Holy Grail in Plano

Since moving down south, I can't say I can find many reasons to go north of 635. Well, the Addison office, but that's a different story entirely. Here's a good reason to venture north to the Holy Grail's Farm to Fork Beer Dinner. These guys are serious about their beer and their food. It's worth the trip.

Here's the blurb from the guys: Experience all the best seasonal flavors of the Lone Star State at our first ever Farm to Fork Beer Dinner. On Monday, May 30th, join us for a night of six courses of locally sourced foods prepared by our chef and presented with complementing full flavored Texas beers. Each course will feature a dish made with ingredients from area farms, ranches and food artisans. Get the rest of the deets here and make your reservation fast!

Restaurant Review: Watel's Bistro

So, this last weekend was the celebration of my final sub-30 year. It was fantastic. Sig-O went above and beyond, arranging 3 fabulous celebrations for me. I’m a lucky girl. But this blog isn’t about my personal life as much as sharing with you the things that will serve you well as you wine, dine, date and save your way through life, particularly in Dallas. Which brings me to my fabulous Saturday night dinner at Watel’s Bistro.

Watel’s occupies the former York Street spot at Live Oak and Skillman, and there must be magic that stayed in that kitchen. The space is small, quaint, but well-appointed, with a chalkboard listing the evening’s specials (but everything on the menu is special too, we were told). It is a welcome change of scenery in a town full of loud restaurants where you have to yell across the table and your older dining companions have to pull out cell phones to read the final bill because it’s so dark. We were able to have lovely conversations between the two of us, as well as periodically chatting with the table next to us who kept looking over to see what we had just ordered. Tables are close together, but not uncomfortably so. They have certainly done a good job of putting in as many tables as possible without making it feel cramped.

The wine list is friendly, approachable and very reasonably priced. It’s quite easy to find a good bottle under $30, and certainly under $40. They do feature a number of the Times Ten Cellar wines, who just happens to be a close neighbor. But we were celebrating my birthday, so what to drink? Bubbly! Of course! We selected a Brut Rose Cava, and our waiter reminded me that it’s a rose. “Yes,” I said. “It’s pink,” he said. “Yes, I know,” I replied. This isn’t some sweet pink sparkling wine that you make fun of people for drinking. It was a flavorful and very fun accompaniment for the entire meal.

Watel’s features American cuisine with a French twist. They also do you a favor by allowing you to order your meal pre fixe. Two courses for $29, Three for $36 and Four for $43. It’s a very reasonable way to have a wonderful evening without blowing through your entire entertainment and food budget for the month. The Sig-O and I elected to both start with salmon. I went with the smoked salmon with caviar (did I mention it was my birthday, of course I picked caviar) and the Sig-O went with the Salmon Roesti. Both were perfectly prepared and presented beautifully. The presentation was consistently beautiful for all three courses. It’s a bit of a lost art form and I wish more places would showcase the beauty of the food rather than go for the presentation shock value. For our main courses, I ordered the scallops, which were perfectly seared. Sig-O went with the beef shoulder medallions, which came out as a textbook medium rare and seemed to melt in your mouth.

Then came the last challenge – choosing dessert. They have quite a number of desserts that were very tempting. (Are we allowed to do three courses of desserts? Probably not.) We asked our charming waiter what his recommendations were and were told that we needed to order the waffle and the chocolate terrine. (Side note: the menu on their website isn’t updated, so I don’t have the official fancy names, but just go with it) We asked what he thought of the warm bread pudding, which he said was quite good. We opted for the waffle and bread pudding, which they brought out, along with French press coffee that complemented dessert well. He then came back with a slice of the chocolate terrine, telling us, “That one is on me. I just thought you needed to try it too.” What a nice surprise. And he was right. The Sig-O and I got to share all three, and the table next to us was eyeing what we had ordered, asking what our recommendations were. The waffle and chocolate terrine. Hands down.

As the Sig-O and I were finishing dessert and the last of our cava, our waiter then brought over two more glasses of champagne, saying, “your glasses were getting dry.” Such wonderful service and attentiveness made it a wonderful birthday celebration.

I’m not one who normally wants to oooh and aaah over every aspect of a restaurant, but I truly had no complaints. The food was fantastic, the service was superb and the experience was a joy. I think I have a new favorite restaurant in town. You can visit their website and make your reservation here: http://www.watels.com/

Dining for a Cause at RA

From the Cut and Paste Department:

RA SUSHI'S 7TH ANNUAL NICKY'S WEEK

Join us for RA Sushi's 7th annual Nicky's Week fundraiser held Sunday, May 29 through Saturday, June 4 to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, the nation's top children's cancer research center.

RA Sushi will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of a variety of menu items and beverages to St. Jude to help support the hospital's lifesaving mission.

The special Nicky's Week menu includes: Edamame, Tootsy Maki, Shrimp Nigiri, Pork Gyoza, Tuna Tataki, Chicken Yakitori and select beverages.

Nicky's Week was developed in memory of St. Jude patient Nicholas "Nicky" Mailliard, who lost a long battle with brain cancer in February 2005 at the young age of 13. A nephew of one of RA Sushi's founders, Nicky held a special place in the hearts of RA Sushi associates throughout the organization.

Since 2005, Nicky's Week has raised more than $700,000 for the hospital and we hope to reach our $125,000 goal this year!

Another Dinner Date Deal

I've been accused of being too Dallas focused, so this one is for those of you on the more northwestern side of town - Grapevine to be exact. Dive into unique Japanese-Malaysian cuisine at Lava 10 in Grapevine, praised by DFW.com for its "intricate flavors" and hip atmosphere. For $35, two can select a two-course dinner including sake from the offerings at this Southeast Asian-fusion eatery, normally as much as $79. Choose from any appetizer or salad on the menu to share, followed by any three sushi rolls or orders of sashimi (excluding the sashimi platter) or any two entrees. Pair the meal with an 8-ounce glass of hot house sake apiece. To start, try the traditional Malaysian poh pia or the Thai calamari salad. Next, choose from rolls like the peppered tuna tataki or smoked salmon sashimi. Or, choose from fusion entrees like the "superb" four corners duck (DFW.com) or Pacific Rim ribs. Grab this one if you happen to hang out in that area. Click here for the deal and details.

Fabulous Date Night Deal

Ok, you know I'm all in favor of date night. It's fun to get dressed up and go out with your Sig-O, so here's an opportunity for you to wine and dine your amour for only $59! That's even better than Restaurant Week! With its spectacular views of Dallas from the 17th floor of The Crescent Rosewood Hotel (Condé Nast Traveler: Gold List, Travel + Leisure: 500 World's Best Hotels) and a membership base that includes the who's who of Texas society, The Crescent Club sits at the pinnacle of Dallas super-luxury experiences.Experience upscale dining in the private Crescent Club with this Local Deal. For $59, enjoy exclusive club access and a four-course dinner for two that includes two soups or salads, any shared appetizer, two entrees and two desserts, regularly up to $122. The initiation fee for the club itself can be up to $5,000. Your dinner experience spent surveying the Dallas skyline could include:Tortilla soup or baby mixed greens, Shrimp tempura or the jumbo lump crab cake. Entrees such as herb roasted lamb chops or an 8-ounce Angus center cut beef tenderloin. Desserts such as the the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake Complimentary valet service is also included in this deal. What are you waiting for? Click here to take advantage of this great deal.

Dinner Date with Free Wine

Dallas is a fickle restaurant town, so while I love to visit the hot new spots, I'm also a big fan of the oldies but goodies. That's why I was so happy when the email from St. Martin's Wine Bistro hit my inbox. During their Spring Wine and Dine you'll get a fantastic 3-course meal from a restaurant hailed as one of the best French Restaurants in town by the Dallas Morning News for only $35. Wait! There's more! You'll also receive a free bottle of wine per couple!

This deal runs through April 30. Here are all the details: http://www.stmartinswinebistro.com/2011springwinedinner.html Great food, free wine and romantic setting? What are you waiting for?