Monday, April 23, 2012

More restaurant week secrets


            So if you couldn’t tell from my previous blog post I am a major fan of restaurant weeks, no matter where they are located.  In fact, if I’m visiting a city, I will always do a little research before I get there to see if there will be a restaurant week in the area so I can plan my trip accordingly.  Restaurant week is an amazing way to eat at restaurants you couldn’t typically afford, or save for special occasions an experience new types of cuisine you have never tried before.  I’ve tried everything from steak carpaccio, to duck, to prawns, to trout all because of restaurant weeks I’ve been to.  I’m going to let you all in on a little trade secret of mine that has helped me eat at some of the best restaurants on the east coast…do your homework!  No this doesn’t mean sitting for hours at your desk toiling over algebra, it means sign up for alerts on Open Table and from cities you would be interested in visiting, and eating in for restaurant week announcements.  These usually come out anywhere from a few months, to a few weeks before the actual week of restaurant week and will give you a good idea of where you can get the most bang for your buck.  Pick out a few on the list that interest you and see who has the highest overall menu price.  Since you are trying to get the most for your money, it makes the most sense to eat at a restaurant who has typically has the highest prices on their menu doesn’t it?  I always employ this strategy when picking my restaurants for restaurant week and this has enabled me to eat at some very expensive well known restaurants in the Philly area like Le Bec Fin, 10 Arts, Nineteen, and R2L to name a few.  Google the menus for these places and you will see what I mean for getting the most bang for your buck.



 


As I mentioned in my previous blog post I ate at 2 restaurants for Jersey Shore Restaurant Week, so here is my review of the second restaurant I ate at Shipwreck Point in Brielle, NJ.  I’ve spent my summers at the Jersey Shore from the time I was born, so I’ve eaten out at my fair share of plenty local area restaurants, but I must say Shipwreck Point is hands down one of the best places I’ve ever eaten at.  Where else can you have food that you would find at a New York City restaurant and watch ships sail in and out of the inlet, all while watching the sun set?  The answer to that one, no where!  The added bonus for me…dining at Shipwreck Point for restaurant week.  Shipwreck had an amazing restaurant week menu that featured appetizers like Sea Scallops Crudo and Lobster Bisque; entrees like Salmon Benedict, Surf and Turf, and Duck Breast, and desserts like Chocolate Chambord Cheesecake and White Chocolate Lemon Bread Pudding.  Not one of the words on the menu sounded one bit budget friendly, but because I was there for restaurant week a dinner that would have typically cost somewhere between “ouch and boing” to quote White Christmas, only cost $30!  I ordered the Lobster Bisque, served with a tarragon crème which was to die for, the Salmon Benedict and the Bread Pudding.  My sister ordered the Sea Scallops, the Duck, and the Chambord Cheesecake and my dad ordered copied me on the Lobster Bisque and Bread Pudding, but switched things up with the Surf and Turf.  Being proud members of the “tasty club” we made sure to try a few bites of each others' meals and were treated to a number of magnificent morsels!  We decided to opt out of any wine or other drinks and stuck with water so we didn’t have to pay for drinks so the bill for the 3 of us with tax came to just $96.69!  Typically at that restaurant you could spend that much on drinks and entrees for 2 people alone, so I’d say we did pretty well.  The quality of the food, service and experience were excellent and I’d say unmatched anywhere at the Jersey Shore.  I can’t wait to go back and try their happy hour menu this summer!

 


Until Next Time,
Broke Girl

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