Eating out for less

As a person who has recently added the 4th member of our family - our 2nd girl was born on March 5th - I understand the expense of eating out, especially being a resident of New York City. However, we have always looked for great deals, whether it be happy hour deals, weekend specials, or restaurants that give you great values and large portions, we always do our due diligence. My research has taken me to Restaurant.com, which is an online purveyor of gift certificates to thousands of restaurants nationwide, many of which are less than 50% off (for example many $25 restaurant gift certificates can be purchased for $10. So I would recommend this website and Restaurant.com Dining Certificates, they could save you hundreds of dollars at chain restaurants, local bistros, or even the small local hole in the wall favorites. So do yourself a favor, and locate a restaurant close to you and save on dinner tonight!

I bet you can find some great restaurants at fabulous savings and take your family out on the town.

Tea and Sympathy

As I continue on the Anglophile topic, our journey takes us right next door to A Salt and Battery, to Tea and Sympathy. This wonderful little British restaurant & store located at 110 Greenwich in Greenwich Village is the right place for anyone who is looking to purchase almost anything British in nature (especially food or beverage related). The restaurant is complete with all the English favorites, such as bangers and mash, welsh rarebit, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, and much more. The food, for those of us that love British fare, is fantastic, and makes you think you are sitting in a restaurant in the UK. Even if you cannot go tot he restaurant and have an upcoming office party, or event, Tea and Sympathy does cater as well. Its been written up in the US with rave reviews in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveller & the New Yorker, and even has great press across the pond in British Elle, The Sunday Mirror, the Independent.

After your meal, visit the attached store, where you can buy English Teapots, a wide range of teas (like Typhoo & PG Tips), and a wide range of groceries, like clotted cream, varied beans and british foodstuffs, and a wide range of candies (like fruit gums, wine gums, and Cadbury chocolates (from the UK not US).

Whether you want to stop in and eat or shop, or take advantage of the free local deliveries that are available between the West Side Highway and 5th Avenue, and from Canal St to 33rd Street, try Tea and Sympathy to fill your British Cravings.

A Salt and Battery

Anglophiles take notice, whether you are a Brit in the US, or just love England, this restaurant is for you, and it will make you think you are London.

A Salt and Battery is a fish and chip shop in Greenwich Village in NYC (located on 112 Greenwich Ave, between 12th & 13th St). When you walk into this little restaurant - the first thing you notice is the selection that you have. On top of the other menu items - they offer 6 different types of fish to choose from:

Halibut / TilapiaHaddock
Sole
Code
Whiting
Pollock

The fish is fantastic - fresh and tasty....and all of their items are fried in veggie oil.

They also offer traditional british sides, like mushy peas, pickled onions, potato dabs, and even offer british drinks, like Irn-Bru, Tango, Tizer, and Lucozade.

So come in, enjoy Capital Radio on Sirius playing in the background, and enjoy the best fish and chips in NYC.

Petite Abeille

Another favorite in New York City, is Petite Abeille, a small belgian bistro with 4 locations. I have only been to the Tribeca and the West Village location but would assume that all 4 have similar quality.

The decor is quite friendly - with it taken homage to its namesake "Little Bee" which was a very popular childrens book in Belgium in the 70's. The interiors of their restaurants are all decorated with images of Tintin and other popular Belgian cartoon and comic book characters.

The menu starts off in a beer lover's fantasy, with over 40+ belgian beers (mostly in bottle) ranging from Lambics, Abbey Ales, Trappistes, Amber Ales, and Strong Golden Ales. If you would prefer a glass of wine - they have a decent wine list as well. Just check out the chalk board on the wall to see exactly what they have.

From Breakfast to Dinner - with lunch and brunch in between, Petite Abeille has a wide range of Waffles, Omelettes, Sandwiches, Croques, Moules, Steak & Frites, and Salads to chose from. They do have a kids menu for those who dine with their children. The pricing is reasonable and portions are nice sized. They also have daily specials between Monday and Thursday and are :

Monday: 1/2 off all Belgian beers from Noon to Close
Tuesday: 1/2 off all bottle of wine
Wednesday: $19.95 for all you can eat Moules/Mussells and One Stella
Thursday: $19.95 Lobster Night.

So stop in and try Petite Abeille, as they can be found in New York City at the following locations:
#1 - 401 E 20th @ 1st Ave
#2 - 466 Hudson btw Grove and Barrow Sts
#3 - 44 W 17th Street btw 5th and 6th Sts
#4 - 134 W Broadway btw Duane and Thomas Sts

Peep Soho

This is one of the best, trendy and quirky restaurants in Soho in NYC. This Thai restaurant is a local favorite for great food and a kitschy bathroom. For the amount and quality of food, this is a true lunchtime value.

For $7 or $8 bucks, you get a Lunch entree, which are various chicken, beef, tofu, or shrimp dishes made in various ways, including Pad Thai, Green Curry, Massaman, and Ginger. With this lunch you get a free complimentary starter, that are quite intriguing, such as Semolina fritters with a coriander and curry sauce, Leek Spring rolls, with a carrot juice vinaigrette, and others

The star of the show however is the bathroom, which is correctly tied to the name. For those who have never been - who go into the bathroom, are surprised by a one way window in which you can see the entire restaurant....but the restaurant cannot see you (OR CAN THEY???)

Take a lunch break at Peep for a great lunch and a good value. Peep Soho is located at 177 Spring Street - just east of 6th Avenue,.

Eating in St. Barths

As the winter in New York winds down - it got me thinking about one of my favorite locales, St. Barthelemy (St Barths) in the French West Indies. This was one of the most relaxing places to be (in the off season), and as a foodie it was out of this world!

From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, all we did was enjoy the food, the drink, and the people in our little paradise. Considering that this island is thought to be pretentious and one of the most ritzy islands in the caribbean, I have to admit that it was very friendly and down to earth during the middle of their slow season.

Although we enjoyed restaurants of all levels from the small little "hole in the walls" to the top restaurants on the island, the one that truly stood out was Pipiri Palace, a little quaint restaurant located in the middle in Gustavia. The food was outstanding, as I had a seared Tuna Steak, and my wife enjoyed a Filet Mignon with a crust of apples and gorgonzola cheese. On top of the food, the service was excellent! On top of the complimentary small bottle of Vanilla Rhum, that almost every restaurants offers at the end of the meal, we were given several other bottles during the hour after our meal that we sat talking with another couple that was in the restaurant.

On top of this restaurant, there were a slew of other great places that had either great food, to have a drink, or both. From Le Select, Bacardi Cafe, Andy's Hideaway, (to name a few) the choices were amazing. To compliment the restaurants, one can visit the local supermarket Match Supermarche across from the airstrip. Since the island gets the bulk of their food and goods from a daily delivery from France, walking into the supermarket gives you the sense that you are in Paris, with great cheeses, wines, meats, and much more. There is no doubt, no matter what you are in the mood to eat or drink, one can truly satisfy their culinary needs on this wonderful island.