Tap into Savings

Fort Lauderdale’s Tap 42 seems to be the hottest destination in Broward right now. The cool clientele of hipsters and yuppies flock here for the unbelievably huge selection of craft beers and a satisfying menu. Selections include Berkshire crispy pork belly ($13), beer cheese soup ($6) and “craft” burgers ($12-$20).

Tap 42 is always packed; I’ve even seen Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale practically shut down on the weekends and evenings with BMWs and Audis vying for a parking space. If you want to avoid the crowds and get a table, then sneak out of the office early for half-price drinks during Happy Hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Mondays, the restaurant’s signature burger, The Prohibition, is only $5 (regularly $12). The Prohibition is a beef patty of Tap 42’s secret blend with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, applewood bacon, with a special sauce and Dijon mustard on top of a brioche bun. Mondays never tasted so good!

The Deal: Happy Hour half-off at the bar

Mondays-Fridays 4-7 p.m.

$5 Prohibition burgers with the purchase of a beverage

Mondays 4-11 p.m.

Tap 42

1411 S. Andrews Ave.

Fort Lauderdale

954-463-4900

www.Tap42.com

Small Plates, Big Savings

What’s my favorite time of the day? That would have to be during happy hour, especially when the bar bites are as good as the drink specials. The popular restaurant Legal Sea Foods in Boca Raton launches their new Small Plate Happy Hour menu tonight.

The menu features eight options, including salt cod fritters with chipotle mayonnaise ($4.95), Buffalo shrimp with hot sauce and blue cheese ($4.95), clams casino ($4.95), lemongrass lamb skewers with cucumber sauce ($4.95) and tempura green beans with roasted red pepper sauce ($4.95).

All 16 oz. draft beers are just $3.95 and selected wines are available for $5.95. What about the wine? Nothing says summer to me more than sangria and Legal Sea Foods has three options; red, white and “yumberry,” for only $6.95.

The Deal: Small Plate Happy Hour Menu

Mondays- Fridays 3-6p.m. 

Legal Sea Foods

6000 Glades Road

Boca Raton

561-447-2112

www.LegalSeaFoods.com

Saving at Sunfish

One of my favorite recent discoveries is Fort Lauderdale’s Sunfish Grill. The contemporary American restaurant has been around for 14 years, and after moving a few times, settled into it’s Oakland Park Boulevard location a few years ago. Sunfish is the perfect place for a romantic date, a girl’s night out and even better, flavorful savings. My favorite dish at Sunfish Grill is the diver sea scallops with lobster spaetzle and peas but I can’t always afford the $26 price tag. However foodies on a budget can enjoy Chef Bill’s artistic creations with the nightly Lite Bite Menu served from 5 to 7 p.m.

For only $5, you can splurge on scallop kakiage, a vegetable roll, conch fritters, shrimp cocktail, Key West shrimp Charlotte or Scottish Salmon sliders. Selected wines are also available for $5 while brews like Amstel Light, Heineken and Corona Extra are just $4.

With warm lighting, white linen tables and contemporary jazz on the sound system, Sunfish Grill is the perfect venue for an intimate evening. This summer, Sunfish Grill invites you to enjoy a prix fixe menu for two featuring pasta entrees, house made focaccia with eggplant puree and a bottle of wine for only $49. Pasta choices include linguini with clams and pan-roasted snapper livornaise with penne. But I strongly recommend having Sunfish Grill’s signature pasta dish; spaghetti tuna bolognaise!

The Deal: Lites Bites Menu $5 Items

Tuesdays-Saturdays 5-7 p.m.

Pasta and Wine for Two $49

Tuesdays-Saturdays 5-10 p.m.

Sunfish Grill

2775 E. Oakland Park Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale

954-561-2004

www.SunfishGrill.com

Cook Globally, Eat Locally, Save Always

Forget the stale bowls of pretzels or peanuts, the farm-to-fork sustainable foods restaurant Max’s Harvest has launched a new happy hour Mondays through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. With an eye to detail and a flair for flavor, Executive Chef Chris Miracolo and his team have created a $5-per item menu featuring mouthwatering dishes that won’t make you feel guilty (or broke) for ordering more.

Bar menu items feature tequila-cured salmon with a crisp baguette, deviled eggs with truffle sea salt and chives, Vidalia onion dip with rosemary crisps, Heritage meatballs with basil ricotta and San Marzano gravy and my favorite, goat cheese croquettes with red chili-guava jelly. It’s not called Happy Hour for no reason as selected beers, wine and well drinks are available for $5 in addition to local-fruit cocktails, like Summer Sangria of Charbay, made with ruby red grapefruit vodka, local mangos, berries, citrus and watermelon, finished off with sparkling wine.

The Deal: $5 Happy Hour Bar Menu and Drinks

Max’s Harvest

169 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach

561-381-9970

www.MaxsHarvest.com

Sip-worthy Fund-Raising

If something can be sold, then it automatically gets its own “national” day. Most of the time these “National” days were created for marketing and publicity purposes by organizations and restaurants but Tropical Smoothie Café is actually giving back to the community on “National Flip Flop Day.”

On Friday June 15, patrons wearing flip-flops can cool off at any Tropical Smoothie Café with a FREE 24-oz. Jetty Punch Smoothie--my personal favorite--made with bananas and strawberries. Again, you have to be wearing flip flops to be awarded this yummy treat.

In 2006, Tropical Smoothie Café created National Flip Flop Day to raise awareness and money for Camp Sunshine, the only retreat in the nation whose mission is focused solely on addressing the effects of a life-threatening illness has on every member of the immediate family -- the ill child, the parents, and the siblings. So far, Tropical Smoothie Café has raised more than $1 million for Camp Sunshine.

On Friday, I encourage you to slip on those flip flops and make a donation at your local Tropical Smoothie Café to help benefit Camp Sunshine. Who knew helping out could taste so good?

The Deal: Free Jetty Punch Smoothies

Friday June 15 2-7 p.m.

Harbor Shops - 1922 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderdale

Lakewood Shops - 5780 S. University Drive, Davie

Venture Shops - 18800 NE 29th Ave., Aventura,

London Square - 13550 SW 120 St., Miami

Downtown -100 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami

FIU Campus - 11290 SW 13th St., Miami

Deerwood -12161 SW 152 St., Miami

www.TropicalSmoothieCafe.com

www.NationalFlipFlopDay.com

A Quick Trip to Italy for Less than $20

BRIO Tuscan Grille is one of my favorite places for high-quality food with great service and amazing deal in a beautiful setting. Okay, I think I’ve exhausted all the adjectives needed to describe my feelings for BRIO, so here’s where the savings come in!

Sundays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. until closing, take a quick summer trip to Italy for less than $20 with BRIO’s three-course dinner promotion. Start with an appetizer of either a chopped salad, Caesar salad or a bistecca (steak) insalata with bacon, gorgonzola and creamy Parmesan dressing. For the main event choose from shrimp verduta, with angel hair pasta and shrimp that is tossed with garlic, roasted artichokes, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and spinach topped with pesto bread crumbs. Or the lasagna bolognese; chicken limone with herb spaghettini and roasted vegetables; artichoke-crusted pork chop with crispy potatoes and seasonal vegetables; and crab and shrimp-crusted tilapia. Finish off this feast with one of the restaurant’s five house-made desserts including tiramisu, cheesecake or milk chocolate caramel cake.

This meal at BRIO would usually cost your around $30, so save those dollars for next summer’s vacation and head to BRIO this week!

The Deal: Three-course dinner for $19.95

Sundays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to close

BRIO Tuscan Grille

600 Silks Road, Hallandale Beach

954-362-1600

BRIO Tuscan Grille

14576 SW Fifth St., Pembroke Pines

954-431-1341
BRIO Tuscan Grille
5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton
561-392-3777

www.BRIOItalian.com

Some like it Hot

I love spicy food. I was a vegetarian for more than 10 years so I learned the importance of spices and seasoning when cooking with vegetables and tofu. That’s how I fell in love with the cuisine of Asia and India; foods that don’t require a hunk of meat to make a substantial meal. But East Broward lacks the heat I’ve become accustomed to so when I want spice (and savings) I head west … to Davie.

Lunch and dinner- chicken pad thai for $5.75

Located in a dingy strip mall next to a run down FoodTown on Stirling Road, AThai didn’t make the best impression when I first visited there a few years ago. But within minutes I was eating my words … and some of the best food in the area.

The small, dimly lit dining room is brightened up by the friendly, energetic proprietor who always offers a familiar, “Hello, Sweetie! Where you been?” She also knows my order – chicken pad Thai, tofu curry and spicy fried rice ---all ordered very hot. She always laughs when I remind her “very, very hot.”

Shrimp curry with spicy vegetable fried rice and white rice

For lunch, folks in West Broward should take advantage of AThai’s lunch special with all menu items discounted by at least $2 that also comes with white rice and won ton soup. On a recent rainy Friday, my friend and I celebrated the weekend by ordering some of our favorite dishes; the aforementioned pad Thai, which is usually priced at $8.95 was only $5.75, shrimp curry for $6.25 instead of $10.95 and my favorite - spicy vegetable fried rice which was in addition to the white rice that came with our order. If I’m driving this far to eat, then I’m going to eat everything! What can I say? AThai is a destination dine.

The Deal: Discounted Lunches

Mondays – Fridays 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

A Thai

6419 Stirling Road

Davie

954-792-6220

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/12/150049/restaurant/Miami/A-Thai-Davie

Dine and Save

Who doesn’t like a diner? With a dish for every palate and every meal it’s no surprise that diners exemplify Americana and Howley’s delivers on every front.

Originally opened in 1950, West Palm Beach’s Howley’s is a throwback to the diner-era and a favorite of locals for its twist on traditional favorites. The menu features classics like chicken noodle with matzo ball soup ($4.25), deli sandwiches ($5.50-$8.95), meatloaf with mashed potatoes ($15.95) and hot cakes ($5.95) but also plays to West Palm Beach’s artists and foodies with seared ahi sesame tuna salad ($11.75) and fresh mozzarella with vine ripe tomato and avocado ($8.95), and vegetarian fare like veggie potato skins ($7.95) and vegetarian lasagna ($11.95). The crab cakes with sherry mustard sauce, field greens and fresh berries ($11.95) are a fan favorite.  Can’t decide what you’d order? Never fear, you can come back and try everything by using the 20% off coupon available here from Great Deals in My City.

Owned by the Sub-Culture group which also runs Dada’s, The Dubliners, Tryst, Kapow, Respectable Street Café and Long Boards, visitors should expect the crowd to be as colorful and eclectic as Palm Beach County itself. Howley’s is more than a diner - it’s a community with regular art shows, craft beer events and more.

The Deal: 20% off check

Howley’s

4700 S. Dixie Highway

West Palm Beach

561-833-5691

Sundays- Thursdays 7-2 a.m.

Fridays- Saturdays 7-5 a.m.

www.Sub-Culture.Org/Howleys

Mayhem Mondays

Woo-hoo … it’s Monday! Okay, very few of us emerge from the comforts of our bed on a Monday morning full of enthusiasm and excitement but Kitchen 305 in Sunny Isles Beach makes Mondays worth getting out of bed with Mayhem Mondays.

The lounge/restaurant features $4 drinks all night and half-price appetizers like red-chili glazed chicken wings for $4, lobster brushcetta for $6.50, Key Lime conch fritters for $4.50 and surf-and-turf style bites with tuna tartare atop Kobe beef sliders for $7.50. If you’re kicking back to watch the NBA playoffs and want to party, then spurge on bottle service for $100.

A great start to (hopefully) an amazing week!

The Deal: $4 drinks and half-price appetizers

Mondays 5 p.m.- close

Kitchen 305

Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort

16701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach

305-949-1300

NewportBeachsideResort.com

Sip the Savings

I’ve yet to meet someone who jumps out of bed full of optimism and glee on a Monday morning.  However, in celebration of Wine Month, BRIO Tuscan Grille restaurants have given us all a reason to kick off the week on a high note: half-price bottles of Darcie Kent Vineyards and Tavole Matto wines on Mondays in May.

 Specially created for BRIO, artist Darcie Kent’s Californian wines are available for $14.50 per bottle. The Cabernet Sauvignon is described as having “dark berry jam and mocha flavors highlighted with an oaky spice,” while Darcie Kent Chardonnay emphasizes “the Central Coast's crisp and vibrant Chardonnay character … subtle toasty oak and spice flavors.“

Italian for "Crazy Table," Tavolo Matto wines are created for BRIO by Sartori di Verona, a family winery in the Veneto region of Italy. For $12 per bottle, share a some Tavolo Matto Pinot Grigio, which has “an alluring tropical-fruit bouquet; ripe melon and pear flavors”; the Chardonnay has “a pleasant apple and toasty bouquet; crisp fruit and vanilla flavors”; or the Tavolo Matto Rosso, a Cabernet-Merlot blend with “a deep red-fruit and spice bouquet; rich cherry and plum flavors.” 

 

The Deal: $12 bottles of Tavolo Matto/ $14.50 bottles of Darcie Kent Vineyards

Mondays in May

BRIO locations:

The Village at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach

The Shops at Pembroke Gardens, Pembroke Pines

The Shops at Boca Center, Boca Raton

 www.BrioItalian.com

Winging It

With more than thirty flavors of sauce, it’s not surprising that wing lovers keep returning to Hurricane Grill and Wings for another bite. As a play on the restaurant’s name, the flavors are divided into five categories: Calm Before the Storm, Warning Trend, Ready for the Rush, Proceed with Caution and Seek Shelter!.

Choices include jumbo wings or boneless wings in regular (10-piece), large (15-piece), extra-large (20-piece) and super size (50-piece). Pair your wings with a beer from their World Class Beer Selection which includes favorite domestics (Blue Moon and Yuengling) and imports (Stella Artois and Fosters) in addition to exclusive micro-brews. In order to accommodate all customers’ schedules and budgets, Hurricane has a late night happy hour in addition to a regular all day happy hour.

General Manager Goran Jandjel attributes the restaurant’s popularity to freshness. “Our wings are never frozen. Also, we only use jumbo sized chicken wings and we really pay attention to to quality. Hurricane also won the 2011 fan favorite award at the Buffalo Wing Festival.” Of course, customer service is also a large part of a restaurant’s reputation.

The Deal: 50 ¢ per wing and two-for-one drinks

Happy Hour

Monday-Friday 11a.m.-7p.m.

Late Night Happy Hour

Monday – Thursday 9-11p.m.

Hurricane Grill and Wings

22191 Powerline Road

Boca Raton

561-395-3306

www.HurricaneWings.com

Fiesta Forever

Lets get this party started! Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo but I think Cinco de Cuatro should be celebrated as well- after all, it is Friday.

Salsa Fiesta of Pembroke Pines and downtown Miami understands my need for two days of partying and is kicking off the celebrations today with a modern spin on Cinco De Mayo.  With a nod to the restaurant’s urban flair, DJ will be replacing mariachi bands but there’s no replacing the Mexican drinks we love. Cervezas including Dos Equis are available for $2.50 and margaritas are only $3.

The menu features tacos, burritos, salads, fajitas, quesadillas, tostados, nachos and tostones. My recommendations? Sauteed mushrooms and onions with truffle oil quesadillas and the grilled fish mango burrito with cilantro-lime rice. Diets are for Mondays anyway!

The Deal: $2.50 beers and $3 sangria and margaritas

Friday May 4 6-10p.m. and Saturday May 5 2-10p.m.

Salsa Fiesta

2929 Biscayne Blvd., Miami

14914 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines

www.SalsaFiestaGrill.com

Get K.O’d on Cinco de Mayo

Boxing fans, your dreams are about to come true: Booze and boxing! There is a super welterweight championship match on Cinco de Mayo so you can watch men pummel one another as you pound back the tequila

To celebrate Mexican culture and heritage, on Saturday Duffy’s Sports Grill will be serving $4 Cazadores Margaritas, $6 Corona-ritas (a frozen house margarita with a bottle of Corona) and my favorite, made-to-order fresh guacamole and tri-color chips for $9.99. While digging in to the guacamole, watch Floyd Mayweather square off against Miguel Cotto live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The event is broadcast via Pay-per-View, so after putting on your sombrero, make sure you’ve got an extra $10 for the entry fee to Duffy’s Sports Grill.

The Deal: Drink specials

Saturday, May 5

Drink specials and $10 entry fee for Pay-per-View Boxing

Saturday May 5-9 p.m.

All 24 locations including Boynton East, Coconut Creek, Deerfield, Delray Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, North Miami Beach, PGA, Stuart, Superplay, Village

www. DuffysMVP.com

A Fiesta of Flavor

With this weather, it’s not surprising that I’m dreaming of margaritas on Cabo San Lucas. But this coming Saturday (May 5), Cantina Laredo brings Mexico to South Florida for Cinco de Mayo.

Putting a 21^st century on this traditional celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, Hallandale Beach’s Cantina Laredo’s street party will feature live entertainment by LIV regular DJ Marc Adams and appearances from the gorgeous girls of Maestro Dobel, Corona, Cointreau and Cabo Tequila.

The street party will feature outdoor bars with $4 beers, $8 Casa Ritas, $11 Margaronas (a margarita with a Corona) and $8 tequila shots. If you’re like me and your stomach cries “Ole!” for great Mexican food, then you can enjoy two-for-$3 chicken or beef tacos.

At Cantina Laredo in Palm Beach Gardens, Tairon Aguilera will perfrom high energy Latin dance music while dancers from Alexander’s Ballroom will demonstrate their hottest moves. Specials include Dos Equis bottles and drafts for $4.55. Do not miss out on their amazing margaritas- the Cinco Mas ‘Rita ($11.50) blends five tequilas flawlessly with Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar for a smooth finish while the Sweet Heat ‘Rita ($11.50) packs a punch with strawberry purée and Monin habañero lime.

If you head inside the restaurants, then do as I do and splurge on Cantina Laredo’s fantastic guacamole made table-side ($9.99) or satisfy your sweet tooth with Mexican Apple Pie ($6.79), a slice of pie prepared tableside in a skillet with Mexican brandy butter and a scoop of decadent cinnamon ice cream. Another sweet selection is the fluffy Tres Leche ($6.99) with blueberries and a mango cream sauce. Who needs Cabo San Lucas, anyway?

The Deal: Drink specials and two-for-$3 tacos

Saturday May 5 2012

Cantina Laredo

The Village at Gulfstream

501 Silks Run

Hallandale

954-457-7662

4635 PGA Boulevard

Palm Beach Gardens

561-622-1223

www.CantinaLaredo.com

Society Savings

Is there anything more wonderful than the feeling of excitement and relief when the workday ends on a Friday? When you get a great deal and great cocktails for just $5, it is the epitome of wonderful. Friday officially becomes Funday.

PRIME in Delray Beach has kicked off Society Fridays, a chic evening of sexy DJ beats, vodka tastings and martinis. From 9-10 p.m. you can enjoy a $5 Ketel martini and receive free admission to Delray Beach’s most popular nightclub, Il Bacio.

At $5 a martini, this Hot Scot can sip away her shyness and still have money for a pair of sky high vertigo-inducing stilettos … just in case I meet that special someone at Il Bacio.

If you work on the weekends and your “Friday” is actually a Tuesday, never fear because Hot Scot has a deal for you whenever your “Friday” is. Check out my other blog entries for specials every day of the week.

Have a great weekend!
 
The Deal:  $5 Ketel One martinis
Fridays 9p.m.-midnight
Free admission to Il Bacio with purchase

Fridays 9-10p.m.
PRIME Steak Sushi Seafood 

110 East Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561- 865-5845

www.PrimeDelray.com