News from My Table
Dining in the Recession
Hey, restaurateurs—send us news of your new lower-priced menu items so we can add it to this list.
June 16, 2009
Fleming’s Summer Prix Fixe Menu, will be available Tuesday, June 23, through Monday, September 21, and includes three courses for $35.95. Choose one of three entrées (pepper-crusted filet, roasted sesame chicken or broiled sea scallops) and the option of spinach salad or chilled potato leek soup, one side dish and dessert.
June 11, 2009
Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar (5085 Westheimer in The Galleria) has introduced “Dim Sum, Drink Some” from 5 to 7 pm each Thursday—an extension of the restaurant’s all-you-can eat dim sum program on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm. “Dim Sum, Drink Sum” features select wines by the glass for $6 and all-you-can eat dim sum for $12.
Sunday Supper is coming to benjy’s in the Village (2424 Dunstan). A new $19 per person, family-style Sunday supper, served 4 to 9 pm at Benjy’s in the Village, will debut on July 12. Featuring special menus with items such as Tabasco fried chicken with five-cheese macaroni and arugula salad with watermelon and house-made feta, Sunday suppers will ONLY be at the Village location and will be family-friendly.
May 12, 2009
The Oceanaire Seafood Room will soon be serving up a special promotion in anticipation of a better economy to come in 2010. The upscale seafood restaurant group is partnering with wineries across the great wine-making regions of the world to help select and offer up a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine priced at just $20.10 every day. Wines change each week, and the promotion begins May 18.
May 6, 2009
KIRAN’S (4100 Westheimer) is now doing happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm. Receive $1 off all cocktails and wines by the glass and enjoy complimentary bar bites.
SHULA’S STEAK HOUSE has rolled out “The Shula’s Perfect Recession Dinner,” a three-course presentation that includes choice of a traditional Caesar salad or wedge salad, entree choice (these change daily but may include a 6-oz. fillet, 12-oz. New York strip, 10-oz. salmon or French-cut chicken breast) with sides, and dessert (Key lime pie or cheesecake). Price is $39.95 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.
April 15, 2009
JASPER’S in The Woodlands sells wine by the bottle for half price (up to $150) on Monday’s. The address is 9595 Six Pines in The Woodlands, 281-298-6600.
All three Houston-area FLEMING’S—River Oaks, Town & Country and The Woodlands—have a happy hour concept called “5 for 6 til 7.” The special bar menu features 5 cocktails, 5 glasses of wine and 5 appetizers each for $6 offered until 7 pm.
April 13, 2009
For those keeping an eye on their dollars, MONARCH at Hotel ZaZa invites patrons to drink and dine “Half Zs” with a trio of budget-friendly specials. Beginning Monday, April 20, weekly happy-hour specials, half-priced wine Monday nights and half-off dining Wednesday nights let patrons enjoy the best of Monarch without depleting their wallets. Combined with Monarch’s luxe-lounge atmosphere, going “Half Zs” is just the thing for the hard-working, pleasure-seeking set. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 713-527-1800, or visit www.hotelzaza.com/houston.
Craig Mallinson, owner of the RED LION PUB (2316 S. Shepherd) has announced a new food special for Fridays. Every Friday and available all day his noteworthy Fish’n’Chips are now just $12, down from the usual price of $16. This is in addition to his on-going weekly specials that have been very popular for the past five years since the Red Lion first opened.
March 30, 2009
To celebrate its 30th anniversary of serving the greater Houston area, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is offering new specials throughout 2009, two of them priced at $19.79. (Perry’s was founded in 1979.) The first special is a three-course meal featuring chopped salad, “Perry’s Famous Pork Chop” and a Trio Dessert for $19.79 per person from 4 pm until closing on Sundays and Mondays. During Perry’s social hour, Monday through Friday 4 to 6:30 pm, guests may order one bottle of Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille’s private label Cabernet or Chardonnay for $19.79 in the bar or dining room. Limited to one bottle per table, while supplies last. For more details, visit www.PerrysRestaurants.com.
Masraff’s (1025 S. Post Oak Lane) is offering 50 percent off their entire wine list (bottles only) every Saturday night in April.
March 27, 2009
GIGI’S ASIAN BISTRO & DUMPLING BAR (5085 Westheimer in The Galleria) is offering two economy related specials. The first is “all-you-can-eat” dim sum for $12 on Saturdays and Sundays. The second is a $12 lunchtime “Bento Bailout Box” that includes egg fried rice, mixed green salad, three dim sum items and a protein dish of the day (chicken, pork, fish, etc.).
THE RAINBOW LODGE (2011 Ella Blvd., 713-861-8666) is currently offering a three-course business lunch for $14.95, 99-cent mimosas during brunch on Sunday and half price wines on Sunday after 5 pm.
FIRKIN & PHOENIX (1915 Westheimer) is offering a “New Economy Booster” with $5.95 lunch specials now through April 30. Specials include beef sliders (Monday), wings and fries (Tuesday), veggie burger and fries (Wednesday), soup and salad (Thursday) and fish and chips (Friday). Specials are available 11 am to 2 pm.
In Mexico, comida corrida, literally meaning “food on-the-run,” is an affordable meal of traditional homestyle dishes commonly served at smaller, family-owned restaurants. These meals are simple, satisfying, well-priced and quick—but far from our concept of fast food—available for the working people (and everyone else!) who don’t have the time to go home for lunch. Chef Hugo Ortega is bringing this Mexican tradition to HUGO’S (1600 Westheimer, 713-524-7744). The restaurant’s comida corrida lunch includes choice of entremés (appetizer), plato fuerte (main course) and postre (dessert), served 11 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday. Cost is $20 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Selections change daily.
TODAI HOUSTON (7620 Katy Freeway, #300, in the Marq-E Center) offers a complimentary glass of wine, or a tasting sample of three different wines, from their new Enomatic Wine Dispensing System, with each adult buffet. For more details, call 713-682-0009.
MIA BELLA TRATTORIA restaurants are rolling out a special recession-fighting menu for foursomes. The two neighborhood locations—on Lexington near Shepherd and the Southwest Freeway and Mia Bella Vintage Park in Northwest Houston—are offering multi-course dinners for $10 per person. Houston restaurateur Youssef Nafaa knows a lot of families are hesitant to spend money on a nice restaurant in these economic hard times, opting to stay home or go for fast food, so he decided to act. So now, at the two Mia Bella restaurants that get a lot of family business, he is now offering a family-sized platter of entree, starch, vegetable, bread and a house salad for just $39.95. The recession-fighter menu has a choice of fish, chicken, beef lasagna or a build-your-own pasta option. Mia Bella has three locations but only the one at 2006 Lexington, inside the Loop 610 at Shepherd and the Southwest Freeway, and the newest one in Vintage Park, Highway 249 and Louetta, are offering this menu.
GRAVITAS (807 Taft) has a trio of programs dubbed “Keep your shirt” designed for this economy: the 3-30 lunch special includes three courses in 30 minutes for only $19 and is geared for business people on the go. All blue-plate specials are now $12 across the board. Lastly, chef Jason Gould is now offering a daily five-course degustation menu for only $35.
Both locations of MORTON’S (across from The Galleria and downtown) are offering a $99 dinner for two that includes salad, filets, seafood, potato, vegetable and dessert. They also feature a Morton’s Power Hour -– specially-priced Power Hours seven nights a week 5 to 6:30 pm and 9 to 11 pm. Signature Bar Bites, which go for $5 a plate, include filet sandwiches, mini prim cheeseburgers, mini crab cakes and more.
KRAFTSMEN CAFE (4100 Montrose) has introduced a trio of new salads – all for under $10 each. There’s also a new build-your-own salad program.
