Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Palomino Restaurant: Diva-Style Discount Dining


Here’s a local “triple play” deal for a delicious and value-conscious meal out. Palomino Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis offers a 3-course “price fixe” meal weeknights from 5:00 – 6:00pm. The meal includes a starter (soup or salad), main dish, dessert (sorbet, ice cream, or chocolate tiramisu) and a non-alcoholic beverage for $25. The entrees are the same portion size as those on the regular menu for a fraction of the price. In our recent visit, I had the Alaskan King Crabcakes, which were $27 alone on the regular menu. Other entrée options include Braised Beef Short Ribs, Prawn Scampi, Chicken Parmesan, and Capellini Pomodoro.

Another reason to love Palomino is that it’s known for it’s no corkage fee policy. Bring in a favorite bottle of wine, and your waiter will uncork it and serve it with your meal for no extra fee. Most downtown Minneapolis restaurants charge between $15- $25 for corkage. Not only can you enjoy a great bottle of wine from your personal collection with your meal, but you also avoid the often 2-3 times retail markup on purchasing a bottle of wine at the restaurant – particularly when the restaurant selection might not be your preferred choice. Also, if you don’t finish your bottle, you can re-cork the bottle and bring it home with you (in the state of MN). If you do choose to bring your own bottle of wine, just make sure that it’s a nice selection comparable in value to those sold at the restaurant (…No 3 Buck Chuck!) and that it’s not something that is actually on the restaurant wine list.
Parking in downtown Minneapolis can be pricey. Fortunately, some downtown restaurants offer validated parking. Palomino validates parking in the LaSalle Ramp for up to 2 ½ hours. On our last visit, we saved $12 in parking fees with the complimentary parking validation.

Finally, here’s one last tip for frequent diners. Log on to
www.opentable.com and make a reservation before you go. You’ll earn 100 points for each reservation, and when you reach 2,000 points, you can redeem them for a $20 restaurant gift card. As long as you make at least one reservation a year, your points won’t expire. You can even type in a comment while making the reservation online to let the wait staff know if you’re celebrating a special occasion – which will make your night even more memorable. (By the way, Palomino provides a free dessert on birthdays and anniversaries!)

Want even more rewards for dining at Palomino? Check out the Eat, Drink, & Earn Club by clicking
HERE.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Today (Wednesday 8/12) is the last deal for this deal, but Palomino is offering 25% off giftcards. I bought a $100 gift card and only paid $75.