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