You may be tightening your belt these days, but there's only so much ramen one can eat. And if you’re a foodie weaned on truffles and Kobe burgers, chances are lots of cheap eats won't cut your mustard, no matter how low your portfolio has dipped. Thankfully, restaurants feel your pain: Many trendy spots are now rolling out special nights, menus, and tastings to cater to epicureans who've fallen on hard times. From gourmet hot dog stands to high-end bistros, these deals run the gamut from cheap to cheaper to free.
Navigating: recession concessions
These meal deals spare your wallet while pleasing your palate
By Rachel Levin
Special to MetromixNovember 5, 2008
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Afternoon Dining Menu @ Bistro 31
- Bistro 31 - Art Institute of Santa Monica - 2900 31st St. - Santa Monica
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays : 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
If your budget suddenly recalls your days as a starving student, why not seek out food at a student-run restaurant? Bistro 31 at the Art Institute of Los Angeles—open for lunch Monday-Wednesday 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.—serves up gourmet fare cooked by AILA’s culinary students. The chefs-in-training are in their final quarters of study and are supervised by faculty, so you can rest assured that your meal won't wind up as some lab experiment. And the price is right: Appetizers such as seared sea scallops top out at $4.50 apiece, and salads like oriental chicken and sandwiches like Ruben roast beef are all under $6. Entrees include tequila lime BBQ ribs or mango glazed shrimp, each for under $8. During some terms, Bistro 31 is open for dinner as well; call in advance.
Pajama Night @ Cafe 50s
- Cafe 50's - 11623 Santa Monica Blvd. - West L.A.
Every last Wednesday of the month 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Not since you wore footsie pajamas has eating been this cheap—or this fun. On the last Wednesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Cafe 50's, you can eat free with the purchase of beverages off a special menu—if you come to the restaurant in your pajamas. Sorry, no boxers or negligees allowed. For these Wacky Wednesdays, you must show up in traditional, two-piece, button-down, long-sleeved, long-legged, collared, matching-top-and-bottom jammies in order to get the freebee. Once given the green light by the Pajama Judge, you’ll have your choice of selected burgers, sandwiches and omelettes. Also available at the Venice location.
After-Theatre Menu @ Cafe Bizou
- Cafe Bizou - 14016 Ventura Blvd. - Sherman Oaks
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays : 9 p.m. - 10 p.m.
With the economy in the tank, the prospect of dinner and a show might empty your wallet a bit too much. Instead of sneaking a meal into the ArcLight Sherman Oaks or the Whitefire Theatre, catch an inexpensive French meal post-show with Cafe Bizou's After-Theatre Menu, served Monday-Thursday 9 p.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 9:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Several of the lunch menu items, like the Kobe beef cheeseburger and barbecue chicken salad, show up at lunch prices. Other items, like the grilled New York steak salad and tuna tartare, are identical to dinner offerings but served at slightly reduced prices. Nothing is over $15 (except the steak frites, which comes in at a respectable $19.95).
Aperitivo @ Cube
- Cube - 615 N. La Brea Ave. - Los Angeles
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays : 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
In Italy, aperitivo is the social practice of enjoying a pre-dinner drink with nibbles meant to “open” the palate. But in an American recession, the drink and nibbles can make a perfectly respectable dinner. Cube rolled out its wine program Nov. 1, and to toast the new offerings it's introduced Aperitivo hours, Monday-Saturday 4 p.m.-7 p.m. When you order a glass of wine, priced $7-14, you'll get a small free bowl of warm Rancho Gordo crimson popcorn popped in duck fat and topped with a sprinkling of truffle salt. Move on to one of three daily crudo specials like hamachi with coriander oil, fennel and yuzo for $12-$14. There's also a warm dish like braised baby octopus for $10-$12, cheese and meat flights, plus rumors of a fondue selection.
Sunday Suppers @ Dominick's
- Dominick's - 8715 Beverly Blvd. - Beverly Center
Sundays : 6 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Italian grandmothers know that Sunday suppers are the foundation of a good week ahead. Dominick’s fills Nonna’s shoes with their weekly three-course Sunday Supper. It’s a steal at $15 per person. The menu changes every week, but always includes a starter, main dish, and dessert—a recent menu featured green salad, balsamic glazed brisket with polenta, and vanilla bean rice balls. Bottles of Dago red or white go for $10 and Moretti beers are $2 apiece. Next to eating at grandma’s, it’s as cheap as you’re gonna get.
Soup Kitchen Fridays at the Edison
- The Edison - 108 W. 2nd St. #101 - Downtown
Fridays : 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Things are getting all 1920s on us, which makes ’20s-style speakeasy the Edison an ideal place to search for sustenance. On Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the lounge strives to restore consumer confidence with complimentary miniature grilled cheese sandwiches and a cup of tomato soup, plus Depression-era cocktails at Depression-era prices. Thirty-five cents gets you drinks like the bourbon-powered Bail Out, and 25 percent of the net proceeds (which can't be much, considering all the cheap and free stuff) go to local food banks and charities. Additional donations are welcomed.
Taco Tasting @ Frida Taqueria
- Frida Taqueria - Brentwood Country Mart - 225 26th St. Ste. 14 - Santa Monica
Sundays : 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Taco trucks are always go-to cheap eateries, but if you don't feel like chasing one down, settle into the Taco Tasting at Frida Taqueria at the Brentwood Country Mart. The offshoot of the Beverly Hills restaurant Frida offers your choice of any five tacos, excluding daily specials, for $10. (The tacos are usually $2.75 each.) The wide choice of fillings includes slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus juice, chicken with chili-chocolate sauce and cochinita pibil.
$10 bottles of Prosecco @ Little Dom's
- Little Dom's - 2128 Hillhurst Ave. - Los Feliz
Saturdays : 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Little Dom's, the younger sibling of Dominick's, recently rolled out brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For only $10, you can make like you're a hotel heiress with a bottle of Carpene Malvolti prosecco for the table. Sip the bubbly along with inexpensively priced brunch selections like wood-oven-roasted eggs with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs ($4) or the pancetta and parmesan frittata ($6).
Late-night bar menu @ Lucques
- Lucques - 8474 Melrose Ave. - Melrose Heights
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays : 9:30 p.m.
With main courses in the dining room running $25 and up, Lucques’ classy Mediterranean fare may seem just out of reach. But like a lady of Hollywood Boulevard, she gets cheaper after hours. The late-night bar menu—available after 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and after 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday—offers small and large plates that top out around $15 each. If you're looking for late-night comfort, you can score chef Suzanne Goin's famous grilled cheese made with Gruyere, country bread and caramelized shallots or an omelette made with soft herbs and Cantal. Heartier offerings include the steak frites béarnaise and the spaghetti carbonara.
Blue Plate Special at Luna Park
- Luna Park - 672 S. La Brea Ave. - Park La Brea
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays : 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Black Friday got you blue? Bury your tears with Luna Park’s Blue Plate Specials. What started out as Blue Mondays has been expanded to include Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights beginning at 5:30 p.m. You can snag rotating specials—literally served on a blue plate—for $10-12. Entrees have included a honey-glazed grilled pork chop with arugula salad and cigar onion rings, Moroccan spaghetti and meatballs, and fried catfish with grilled tomato soup. You’ll also find vegetarian options. Drink specials like the red or white house sangria go for $5, served in—what else?—a blue goblet.
Dish it Out @ Mark's Restaurant
- Mark's Restaurant - 861 N. La Cienega Blvd. - West Hollywood
Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays : 6 p.m.
Rest assured, the Dish it Out special at Mark’s doesn’t involve washing dishes to pay for your meal. For the past seven years, the restaurant has offered Dish it Out Mondays, when the regular menu of contemporary California fare is half-price. In these lean times, Mark’s has spread the love throughout the week. Now you can get the Dish it Out deal five nights a week, Sunday through Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m. Starters such as filet mignon tacos and Captain Crunch chicken tenders go for $5-$7. Main courses such as short ribs with creamy polenta or black bottom lacquered roast chicken with pine nut wild rice are $11-$17. And pastas and pizzas like the Italian goat cheese pizzette or butternut squash ravioli max out around $10.
$12 Tuesdays @ Murano
- Murano - 9010 Melrose Ave. - West Hollywood
Tuesdays : 6 p.m.
Why subsist on Chef Boyardee forked out of a can when you can dine on avant-garde Italian fare beneath red crystal chandeliers? Head to Murano for $12 Tuesdays, when the three p's of Italian dining—pasta, panini and pizza—are all $12 apiece. Selections change week to week, but you can count on a few signature items every Tuesday, including the pizza bianca with Spanish chorizo and shaved red onions, and linguine with Kobe beef meatballs in a melted cherry tomato sauce. Dinner is served 6 p.m.-10 p.m.; snag $8 martinis 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
$1 Dog Night @ the Stand
- The Stand - 17000 Ventura Blvd. - Encino
Mondays : 5 p.m.
Hot dogs always qualify as budget dining, but on Monday nights starting at 5 p.m., Encino’s the Stand—now with locations in Century City (2000 Avenue of the Stars), Westwood Village (1116 Westwood Blvd.) and Woodland Hills (5780 Canoga Ave.)—practically gives its wieners away. A buck will get you the Stand Dog, which would usually set you back $3.25, dressed with your choice of condiments raging from neon pickle relish to spicy Cajun sauce. For $2.50, splurge on the Loaded Stand Dog (normally $4.25), topped with heartier selections like chili, New York onions, sauerkraut and cheddar cheese. Wash it all down with a 20oz. Stand Ale for $2.
Pot Roast Sundays @ Tender Greens
- Tender Greens - 9523 Culver Blvd. - Downtown Culver City
Sundays
Pot roast may have started out as a poor man's dish (a way to tenderize less expensive cuts), but at Tender Greens’ Pot Roast Sundays, it will feed you richly. This is no stew of trimmings—it's a Coleman Farms beef short rib roast braised in red wine sauce. For $10, you'll get the pot roast, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, and either a salad or a vegetable. This is real home cooking too—the chef usually has things ready by 6:30 p.m., but call before you come just to make sure dinner is served. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m.
