Sac's Place - Holiday Specials Now Until January

Sac's Place, the long-time pizza and Italian food staple in Astoria is giving back this holiday season by offering customers great specials from now until just after the new year (January 3rd).  Whatever the day of the week, stop in for one of these enticing deals:

Monday: Free live music
Tuesday: Up to 3 free toppings on any pizza (in-house dining only)
Wednesday: 20% off of every item on the menu (in-house dining only)
Thursday: Free sampling of Sac’s estate wines and one free glass of your choice with any entrée. Not a wine drinker? Enjoy Sac’s ½ price Martinis all night.
Sat/Sun: Italian Holiday Brunch with a Free Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Bellini or Iced Tea cocktail

Sac's Place - 25-41 Broadway, Astoria 11106
718.204.5002
N/W Train to Broadway
www.sacsplace.com

718 Restaurant - Recession Specials

718, the modern French restaurant on Ditmars is always a yummy staple in my book. And while this place could sometimes get pricey, the list of following weekly specials certainly addresses that. My favorite is the $9 tarte flambee night (pictured above) - these things are light, crumbly and slightly smokey if you get them with bacon, which I highly recommend.

Monday - "Les Steak" choice of 1 for $14
L'onglet - Seared hanger steak
L'entrecote - Grilled rib eye steak
La Bavette - Grilled skirt steak
Le Steak Sandwich - Grilled hanger steak with onions
All options are served with French fries and your choice of sauce: peppercorn, shallot, bernaise

Tuesday - "Les Moules" choice of 1 for $12
Provencal - With garlic, tomato, basil sauce
Mariniere - With garlic, parsley, white wine
Both options served with French fries

Wednesday - "Les Tartes Flambees" choice of 1 for $9
Vegetable - With zucchini, mushroom, goat cheese
Classic - With onion, bacon
Chicken - With bacon and Swiss cheese (pictured above)
Cheese - With mozzarella, fontina, fresh tomato and basil
Tuna - With tomato confit, wasabi and onions

Thursday - "Pasta Night" choice of 1 for $12
Primavera - With carrot, zucchini, creamy parmesan sauce
Bolognese - With tomato, ground beef
Spinach Ravioli - With tomato, onion and parmesan

Friday - "Discover France" for $16
1 Region, 1 Dish, 1 Wine
A traditional dish from different region of France
A glass of wine from the same region

Sunday - "Prix Fixe Dinner" for $22
1 Appetizer, 1 Main Course, 1 Dessert and Coffee

Appetizers
Soup of the day
Mixed Green Salad - With balsamic dressing
Tuna Tartare - With tomato confit, cucumber and sesame oil

Main Course
Roasted Chicken Breast - With baby carrots, spinach, shiitake mushrooms and paprika sauce
Grilled Atlantic Salmon - With asparagus, portobello mushroom, tomato and mushroom sauce
Grilled Hanger Steak - With French fries, shallot and red wine sauce

Dessert of the day and regular coffee

718 - 35-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

718.204.5553

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

www.718restaurant.com

Irving Mill - $15 Burger, Beer, Shot

Irving Mill - 116 East 16th Street, New York NY 10003
212.254.1600
N/W/R/Q/4/5/6/L Train to Union Square
www.irvingmill.com

Lisa and I went to check out the Monday recession special at Irving Mill, which includes their signature cheeseburger, a tall glass of beer and a shot of whiskey all for $15. We've heard that the burger was good but we didn't expect such yumminess.

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere at Irving Mill is gorgeous and rustic, with exposed wooden beams, small lanterns and lots of open space. However, we didn't get to take full advantage of it because we chose to enjoy the gorgeous weather instead and sat outside. The small sidewalk area was lovely, with large umbrellas and comfortable chairs to sit on. We didn't feel cramped or forgotten, which is sometimes the double-edged sword with outdoor seating. Irving's location is also great in that it rests on a relatively quiet street, away from the hubbub of Union Square.

Food:
Lisa and I both ordered the burger, as planned. We had reservations, as some recession-specials turn out to be disappointing, but not this one.

The Burger - As is customary with recession specials, the portion was smaller than usual. However, we didn't mind, as it turned out to be just right for both of us. The burger meat itself was cooked perfectly (medium), according to our wishes. There was a thin film of white cheddar cheese on top, which provided just enough saltiness and bite. The crunchy fries, on the side were also delicious albeit a little greasy. The beer that was served with the burgers was a full-bodied wheat ale that was both filling and flavorful. Overall, we were satisfied and devoured our burgers to the last bite.

Service and Cost:
Our waiter was nice and respectful of our wishes. Although he encouraged us to get dessert, I didn't feel like he was pushing us into ordering more food. He was pretty laid back and friendly.

Cost-wise, it set us back $19 per person including tax and tip for 1 burger, 1 beer and 1 shot of whiskey. Chew on that...

3 Mmmms

Recession Specials at Ovelia

Like many restaurants in the nabe, Ovelia is also offering a wallet-friendly special. As some of you loyal readers know, this is one of my favorites in Astoria, especially for brunch.

Their Recession Menu includes:

Lunch, which served all day, every day - not a bad deal if you're trying to eat light

and...

An extended Happy Hour until 10pm, Monday - Friday at the bar - you can get discounted drinks and small mezes, which are fantastic.

Visit this eatery for these fabulous deals. And if the timing doesn't work for you, there's always brunch on weekends.

Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

www.ovelia-ny.com