Visit a Ben & Jerry’s on November 4th from 5- 8 PM and you’ll get a free scoop of ice cream. The link goes to the promotional page along with a store finder to help you locate your closest B&J’s.

And remember to vote!

You can get your free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco from any Taco Bell between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m today.

blockquote>Since inception, we’ve dedicated ourselves to providing current and accurate information on restaurants that offer great value to users like you. We strongly believe that our product can provide more opportunities for families to get out and around the dinner table without breaking the bank.

Our efforts have begun in Columbus, Ohio and with the help of several friends and visitors like you, will stretch throughout the U.S. during the next few months.

We have grown not through radio and TV ads, but through word of mouth from one satisfied user to another. So if you find our website useful, we would greatly appreciate it if you would help us spread the word!

The Cheesecake Factory is celebrating its 30th anniversary by selling any slice of cheesecake for $1.50 on July 30th, 2008, limit of one per guest. That’s right, a dollar fifty for a slice of yummy cheesecake heaven! Also, they will be offering a special limited edition cheesecake, the 30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake,”with $0.25 from the sale of each slice sold this year benefiting the national hunger-relief organization, America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network. Additional activities will be announced throughout the year.”

Guaranteed to be packed on that day, even more than usual because I’ve never seen that place empty, so be prepared to wait.

The Cheesecake Factory Serves up a Delicious 30th Anniversary Celebration [Reuters]

So, if you can get a wine for $20 at a store, expect to pay around $52.

Now, why is that multiplier reasonable? When you buy wine, you’re actually buying both the wine itself and time seated at the table. If the restaurant expects to have X number of tickets on a particular night, that is X parties, then it has to turnover tables on a schedule fast enough to service those X tickets. For every table that gets a bottle of wine, that’s additional seating time they otherwise wouldn’t be taking if they didn’t get the bottle of wine. You sit longer when you’re enjoying a bottle.

That also happens to be the logic behind expensive appetizers. At least that’s how it used to be.

• Avoid bringing a wine that is on the wine list.
• Bring a good bottle of wine. It seems a bit penny-wise pound-foolish to go to a really nice restaurant, pay premium prices for food, appetizers, desserts, and then bring in a cheaper bottle of wine just to save a few dollars.
• Order a bottle from the house. It shows good faith (you’re bringing the other bottle because they don’t have it and you like it, but you bought one so it’s cool) and the restaurant usually waives the corkage fee for a bottle if you buy one.
• Offer a tasting sample to the sommelier or manager or chef, just a nice gesture.

Bringing your own wine is hardly tacky but it’s not a money saving venture.

(photo: j. star)

Many of the major metropolitan cities have put together a Restaurant Week in which a collection of nice restaurants get together and offer a prix fixe (fixed price) three course menu that is affordable (in Baltimore, it was $30.07 per person). While the level of service you’ll get during Restaurant Week will be a little weaker because of the extra business, the food should be representative and give you an idea of the restaurants quality.

Here are a few Restaurant Week websites:

• Baltimore
• Boston
• New York City
• Washington D.C.
• List of major cities & their restaurant week websites

Famed Morton’s Steakhouse is running a Steak and Seafood for Two promotion where, for $99, you get:

2 Single Cut Filets
Choice of Two:

• Colossal Shrimp Alexander
• Jumbo Lump Crab Cake
• Broiled Sea Scallops

Choice of Two:

• Ceasar Salad
• Morton’s Salad

One Signature Potato to Share
One Fresh Vegetable to Share
Choice of Two:

• Morton’s Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake
• Key Lime Pie

You’ll have to sign up through that website to get a certificate you’ll need to take advantage of the promotion since it won’t appear on their menus (they also say it’s not at every location). This offer is valid until June 30th, 2008.

To locate the closest Mortons, use their restaurant locator.