HELPFUL HINTS FOR RESTAURANT ADDICTS

The internet is a treasure trove of restaurant discounts. 

My fave is ” title=”WWW.OPENTABLE.COM” target=”_blank”>WWW.OPENTABLE.COM is free to join, and I often use it to make reservations.  It’s faster than calling, plus there’s a savings plan.  Each reservation gives you one hundred points.  When you reach two thousand, you get a twenty-dollar credit. I like the idea of earning money while I eat. 

” title=”www.BLACKBOARDEATS” target=”_blank”>www.BLACKBOARDEATS sends you local offerings.  We got 30% off at our neighborhood Greek taverna. 

” title=”www.losangelesmenupages.com” target=”_blank”> www.losangelesmenupages.com  so that I can check the menu and prices of a restaurant before trying it.

Restaurants make more money on wine than food, so that bottle of Cab-Sav is way overpriced. I have a lawyer friend who actually has the guts to say, “I’ll have your second cheapest bottle of Chardonnay.” Note the choice of “second cheapest” rather than “cheapest.” Classy!

I often call ahead to ask the restaurant’s corkage fee. (That’s what they charge if you bring your own bottle.) If the fee is fifteen dollars or under, it’s a good deal. Word to the wise: the waiter will look at your bottle and comment on the choice, so avoid embarrassment and leave the Two-Buck-Chuck at home.

I can never resist any kind of BUFFET restaurant. Just the idea that I can have as much as I want of whatever I want thrills my greedy little self to the core. Lots of Indian and Thai places offer buffet lunches, and there are many Korean all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurants that are open till 2 AM in case you have a midnight craving for short ribs.  I’m about to try one called Haejangchon in Koreatown.

I occasionally splurge and enjoy an extra-fancy restaurant. Some places are a little too precious, and serve concoctions that bear no resemblance to real food. I avoid them at all cost, not being a fan of squid-cheek mousse injected with watermelon sorbet.  But a lot of yummy swanky places have low-cost specials on certain days.

In Los Angeles, for example

• Jar has Mozzarella Monday
• Campanile has Grilled Cheese Thursday
• JiRaffe offers a twenty-four dollar three-course meal with seven-dollar wine carafes on Mondays.
• Lucques has a thirty-five dollar four-course Sunday dinner.

These special offerings are not just for peasants like me: I ran into Patricia Heaton – an old friend from acting class – at Campanile’s grilled cheese night.