70% savings at Restaurant.com

Have you visited Restaurant.com yet? They are now offering 70% discounts on their already basement-bottom restaurant gift certificates!

You can purchase $25 restaurant gift certificates for only $3! What a steal!

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

Easter Dinner

Twelve adults and five children will be joining me at my dining room table for Easter dinner on Sunday. So today begins my mis en place (ie, preparing to cook) the Easter feast.

While I (and my wife) have cooked the entire meal for our family in the past, this year everyone has been assigned a dish (the hors d'oeuvre, sides, and desserts). I will be preparing the two main dishes (a traditional Easter ham, and instead of leg of lamb I'll be preparing a Mediterranean-style stuffed boned-out leg of leg).

Hors d'oeuvres will include the ubiquitous deviled eggs (from my brother's family) and an antipasto plate (from my Italian Aunt Edith).

I want to have a soup and salad, but that's too much work, too much time, and too many plates, so I'm trying a soup/salad combo: Caesar Salad Soup. Don't pass judgement until you try it. It's different, but it's very flavorful and still crunchy.

My mother is in charge of the two side dishes (straightforward Brussels sprouts and green beans a al paysanne). A delicious homemade potato salad is being prepared by my mother in law, too.

I haven't decided what kind of roll will be served, but it'll be a yeast-based variety.

Desserts will included a cheese service (compliments of my brother's family), the traditional lamb cake (from my mom), a chocolate mousse pie from my sister-in-law's partent, and my mother in law is going to bring a special treat.

Wines are still being decided, although my father in law is contributing as is my mom and dad.

I'll keep you posted on the menu as I moved along and will take pictures.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

Restaurant.com - Bargain Dining at its Best!

Do you love finding a bargain when you shop? Of course you do! What if you could find a bargain each time you wanted to go out to dinner? Now you can!

I want to introduce you to Restaurant.com, which serves as the community matchmaker, introducing great restaurants to great people. From appetizers to dessert, from wine to dinner, Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote the new and unique aspects of their restaurants while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost-effective way.

Restaurant.com is the leading online community for diners and restaurants. Through its national marketing partnerships – such as Google, eBay, and Yahoo – it's able to drive hundreds of thousands of consumers to its site every month.

All you do at Restaurant.com, type in your zip code, state or city in their search engine and up comes all the restaurants from that query. From there you can pick and choose which restaurant you want to buy online a $10 gift certificate for $3 or a $25gift certificate for $25. You pay online with a credit card or through Pay Pal, print the certificate at home, and go the restaurant for your "discounted-discounted" dinner.

Restaurant.com's tag line is "Eat. Drink. Save Money." It 100-percent spot on!

Check it and let me know what you think.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

Cook and Servers Needed!

If you're looking to change jobs or are looking for a job here's a great opportunity. The Cellar Door in Downers Grove (5150-A Main Street) needs an experienced, full-time cook and experienced, part-time servers. Tomorrow, Sunday, March 29, from 4-6 p.m., they will have a "job fair" to fill these positions.

Here's the job description for both positions.

Cook: A person who has significant cooking experience at a high-end food establishment. The cook needs to be professional and presentable. Minimum of 45 hours a week. In addition to cooking, this person will be responsible for food inventory, cleaning and maintaining the shop. Must be at least 21 years old.

Servers: Experience servers with flexible hours. Position is part-time. Wine knowledge is preferred. Must be 21 years old.

All you have to do is show up on Sunday with your resume and a list of reference for an interview at the restaurant.

Call 630.241.2030 for more information. Good luck!

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

I want to keep you all informed about industry get togethers and meetings that could benefit you during these challenging economic times.

If you own a restaurant, a bar, a wine bar or anything involving the hospitality industry you should consider attenting the The Santé Restaurant Symposium, April 26-29 at the Sagamore in Bolton Landing, NY. This symposium is the most comprehensive conference designed for fine-dining and upscale-casual hospitality professionals. Industry experts from all corners of the hospitality industry share their expertise over three days of 35 seminars on food, wine, spirits, management, and business-development trends.

In addition, you'll be able to network with the best in the business at guest-chef dinners,receptions, parties, and other events, as well as explore the latest in products and equipment at a comprehensive professionals-only exhibition.

Register by April 1 to receive more than 15% off! Full admission cost $995* prior to April 1, 2009; $1,195 thereafter. *For each full pass, attendees may receive an additional pass for $595.

If you have questions, e-mail events@santemagazine.com or call 1-800-493-9585. Visit www.isantemagazne.com, too, to read who will be presenting seminars and to learn more about the symposium.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

James Beard Awards

If you love to cook you may want to thank James Beard. If you just asked yourself "Who is James Beard?", then you can't call yourself any type of cook. It's simply impossible to sum up Beard's life in a few sentences, but this is what I can say ... When James Beard died at 82 on January 21, 1985, he left a legacy of culinary excellence and integrity to generations of home cooks and professional chefs. He was hailed as "The Father of American Gastronomy" and his name remains synonymous with American food. Go your local book store, library or search the internet to learn more about Beard. It'll make you appreciate cooking and everything about food.

The reason I mention Beard is because The James Beard Foundation Awards are right around the corner: Monday, May 4. These awards shine a spotlight on the best and brightest talent in the food and beverage industry. Here's how the foundations explains what the awards represent.

"Covering all aspects of the industry—from chefs and restaurateurs to cookbook authors and food journalists to restaurant designers and architects and more—the James Beard Foundation Awards are the highest honors for food and beverage professionals working in America. The awards are presented each spring at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. Nominees and winners are fêted at a weekend of gala events in New York City that has become the social and gastronomic highlight of the year.

Nowhere has the power and influence of women in the food industry been more recognized than at the James Beard Foundation, where more than 350 medallions have been awarded to women during the 19-year history of the Awards. There are more talented and successful women than ever before in all aspects of the food and hospitality world, from chefs to farmers, pastry chefs to bread bakers, winemakers to cheese makers, and more. At this year’s Awards, the James Beard Foundation will be celebrating these women who serve as role models for future generations and who help make our world more delicious every day. At the Media Awards Dinner and Gala Reception celebrations, women from various areas of the culinary industry and from across the country will be represented.

For more information, to join as a member, to learn more about James Beard, or to sign up to receive Beard Bites, our free electronic newsletter, visit www.jamesbeard.org.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie

K of C Fish Fry: All You Can Eat

If you're on a budget, hungry and want to feed your family, head over to St. Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn (IL) for the Knights of Columbus' Friday night fish fry. It's $8 per adult, children uner 12 are FREE, and $25 for a family ... all you can eat. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and food is served at least until 7:30 p.m (entry door 2 in the Parish Life Center). There are two more fish fries scheduled ... March 20 and March 27.

Both fried and broiled Pollack is available, along with baked potatoes, french fries, mac and cheese, homemade tartar sauce, cole slaw and dessert. There's also a cash bar (beer, wine, spirits).

You can't beat the price and the food is pretty darn good.

Get there early because lines do form ... it's that good! Upwards of 400 people have eaten throughout the night.

Happy Eating! Mr. Foodie