A couple of Asian chains are offering free food and discounts in honor of the Chinese New Year, which is today.
Panda Express is offering a pretty amazing deal, though I predict you’ll stand in a long line to get it. If you go to the restaurant’s website and print off a coupon, you can redeem it today for a free order of Firecracker chicken breast. The coupon is good only today, and no other purchase is required.
And starting today through Feb. 6, patrons who visit P.F. Chang’s at 1401 N. Waterfront Pkwy will get a red envelope that contains either a discount coupon or a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert to be used on a future visit.
My child is only a first-grader, but so far I’ve seen MULTIPLE examples of teachers who more than deserve a giant plate of enchiladas, smothered in queso, washed down with a giant margarita, for all they do.
This week, Abuelo’s Mexican restaurant at 1413 N. Waterfront Parkway is acknowledging that fact with a special Teacher Appreciation Week. Today through Friday, teachers who visit the restaurant and present a valid teacher ID will get 20 percent off their meal.
The discount is valid for a maximum party of four and excludes tip and alcohol. (So much for that giant margarita.)
Chipotle, a restaurant chain that prides itself on using local produce in its restaurants, is celebrating National Farmers Market Week this Saturday by giving $5 to be used on produce to the first 250 people who show up at the Old Town Farmers’ Market at 8 a.m.
The first 250 customers also will get buy-one-get-one coupons to use later on Chipotle burritos, bowls, tacos and salads.
I heard from two restaurateurs yesterday who are wanting to feed and water us for half-price. I think letting them would be the polite thing to do. Don’t you?
The first one was Hana Cafe, the Japanese and sushi restaurant at 325 N. Mead in Old Town Square that’s been in business for 15 years. To help celebrate that milestone, starting Sunday, owner Eunice Kim will offer a “happy hour” menu of about 15 types of sushi for half-price, plus she’ll have drink specials. The deal will be offered from 8 to 10 p.m. Sundays and from 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
By the way, have you been in Hana Cafe since it remodeled and took over the space next door? The transformation is amazing and makes the place feel like a big-city sushi restaurant. Eunice has a small outdoor patio now, too.
Youssef Youssef, owner of Mediterranean Grill.
Over at Mediterranean Grill, which has been in business for four years at 335 S. Towne East Mall Drive, owners are trying to drum up summer business with a half-price bottle of wine special.
During July, customers who order two entrees or two specials can get a bottle of wine for half price. Call 316-651-5599 for more information.
Please feast on this little roundup of restaurant tidbits, which includes ribs, hot wings and a Sue Sylvester moment.
Mr. Ka-Pow’s, a restaurant at 4734 S. Broadway, is putting on a hot wing eating challenge for charity on Saturday. Competitors will attempt to eat 12 Dragon Fire hot wings, presumably the hottest of the hot. The first competitors to finish win prizes ranging from $300 in cash to a $100 gas card. Participants are encouraged to donate $30, and money raised benefits Alternative Gifts International. The first heat starts at 1 p.m. Register here or call 316-522-5276.
Fire It Up BBQ at 4626 S. Senca is serving all-you-can-eat ribs for $9.99 from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The deal is for dine-in customers only, though the restaurant also is serving $12.99 carry-out slabs.
Panda Express at 11787 E. Kellogg will donate 20 percent of the proceeds taken in from from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Participants must present a flier that can be picked up at any Via Christi gift shop or from Via Christi Foundation at 723 N. McLean, Suite 310.
This might not be the most appropriate time to share this, but I vowed that next time I wrote about Panda Express, I’d try to include this Sue Sylvester moment from a recent episode of “Glee.” (I, for the record, sorta liked Panda Express.)
Several local restaurants and food purveyors are getting into the Royal Wedding spirit today. Here are a few:
Royal wedding brunch: John Brown’s, the bar and restaurant at 3700 E. Douglas, is offering a Royal Wedding brunch until about 1 p.m. today. They’re showing footage from the wedding on television screens and have put out a brunch buffet and a Bloody Mary bar.
Royal wedding pudding: Pete White, owner of the British Banger Company at 1713 W. Douglas in Delano, is offering a free Yorkshire pudding, a sort of flaky bread bowl, to all customers all day today. The restaurant is carryout only and hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Royal wedding sweets: Cheri’s Bakery at 2121 N. Tyler Road is selling an extra special assortment of Royal Wedding themed cookies, cupcakes and more. I’m dying to take a big ole bite of that hand cookie.
The press release from P.F. Chang’s I got today struck me as pretty random and strange because I’m not sure if P.F. Chang’s could be LESS Scranton- or Michael Scott-relevant. But it is not for me to judge. It is just for me to report.
P.F. Chang’s is offering a 20 percent discount on all online orders picked up next Thursday, April 28, the day that the last ever episode of “The Office” starring Steve Carell as Michael Scott airs. Diners just have to type SCRANTON in the promotion code field during checkout.
Carrabba’s proprieter Joe Parten has been telling me for a while that his restaurant was about to add some new seasonal specials to the menu.
But he didn’t happen to mention that one of them would be LIMONCELLO BREAD PUDDING. Does this sound beyond fabulous to anyone but me?
Among the other specials Carrabba’s will be offering through late June:
A Parmesan-crusted chicken topped with fresh arugula and grape tomatoes tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and served with choice of side for $16.90.
Prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin medallions that are grilled and topped with an apple and fig infused port wine sauce and served with the vegetable of the day for $16.10.
And then there’s that beautiful limoncello bread pudding, which is made with brioche, Madagascar vanilla beans and rich custard then topped with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Caravella limoncello liqueur sauce. It takes 20 minutes to make it, so diners are advised to order early in their meal. It’s $8.
Joe also sent some pictures of the other dishes over, and there’s nothing I love more than pretty food pictures.
It’s the weekend before tax day, which means many people will be stressing and grousing and sending themselves into a tax tizzy.
ButP.F. Chang’s, the tasty China bistro at 1401 N. Waterfront Parkway, is offering a little post-tax-day relief. To celebrate the end of tax season, P.F. Chang’s will give diners a 15 percent discount on April 18, which is a week from Monday.
The discount will be automatically applied to all dine-in and take-out orders, though it counts only on food and not on alcoholic beverages or Happy Hour items.
I stopped into Mike’s Wine Dive at 4714 E. Douglas for lunch on Thursday, and manager Brad Beyer handed me a long, long, long list of all sorts of new menu items, specials, events and additions planned for the restaurant. Among them:
Krupp Brothers wine dinner: The venue will host a wine dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It’s a four-course meal paired with wines from the Krupp Brothers winery of Napa Valley. The menu will include items such as rack of lamb with gorgonzola potatoes au gratin, and venison meatballs with pasta ribbons. The dinner is $80 a person. Call 316-613-2772 to make a reservation.
Blue-plate specials: Starting in mid-April, Mike’s will begin offering daily blue-plate specials at lunchtime that all cost $7 plus tax. They’ll have chicken fried steak on Mondays, chicken noodles over mashed potatoes on Wednesdays, Burgandy beef tips on Thursdays and fish tacos on Fridays. Tuesdays will offer a “chef’s choice” special.
Fish tacos: Speaking of fish tacos, Mike’s has recently begun serving them on Fridays, and Beyer says they’re going over so well, they’re considering adding them to the menu permanently.
Wine cellar: Mike’s has turned a room in the restaurant’s basement into an attractive and classy wine cellar that people can use for small, private events. It’ll be available starting in mid-April.
Delano bread: The restaurant recently began buying its burger buns and sandwich bread from Delano Bakery.
Odds and ends: Every Monday, Mikes offers 20 different bottles of wine for $20 apeice, and it serves $5 martinis and $2.50 wells on Thursdays. Karoke starts at 10 p.m on Thursdays.
ICT Restaurant Week:Restaurant Week offers $7 breakfasts, $15 lunches and $30 dinners. Meals are for 1 or 2 depending on the restaurant. #ICTdining#ICTdeals
A couple of Asian chains are offering free food and discounts in honor of the Chinese New Year, which is today.
