MEAL 13- FRIDAY 8/30/2013- RPM+Paris Club+ Hub 51

Had drinks at Hubbard Inn with some friends, followed by a big dinner food crawl at RPM, Paris Club and Hub 51. Despite a couple of the coupons' restrictions for not being able to use it on Friday, the restaurants were awesome enough to let us use them. So what did we order:

RPM- Short Rib Parpadelle ($13) w/ Bolognese sauce. Simple enough and tasty. Bread service here took forever though.

Short Rib Parpadelle

Paris Club- Onion soup gratinee ($7.95) and the Salmon rillette ($5.95). The onion soup was meh. Not enough soup so that by the time we got to the soup the bread pieces had already soaked up all the soup, and I wish the cheese was burnt more. Side note: when it comes to onion soup, I think Chicago Cut does a pretty good job. The Salmon rillettes were also meh. Not enough flavor.

Onion soup. 

Lack of flavor

Hub 51- Just so we'd be full, did another order of the burger here. Solid nothing special.

Doesn't look as appetizing when the burger is half eaten

Total Spent:
RPM Italian- $5 (including tax and tip)
Paris Club- $6 (including tax and tip)
Hub 51- $4 (including tax and tip)

TOTAL: $15
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $17.54

MEAL 12- THURSDAY 8/29/2013- Nacional 27 + M Burger

Needed dinner after a tough workout at The Mercury Method. So we did the Shrimp Adobo @ Nacional 27 again (which is pretty good when you pay like nthg for it), and another Chopped Chicken Salad @ M Burger. No pics since we already did this in the past

Total Spent:
Nacional 27- $3.26 (including tax- no tip on a takeout)
M Burger- $2.20

TOTAL: $5.46
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $32.54

MEAL 11- SUNDAY 8/26/2013- Osteria Via Stato

Dinner for 2. Along with some Chinese leftovers from Saturday, we had a fusion Italian Chinese fusion meal tonight. From Osteria Via Stato, we got a full order of Spaghetti Arrabiata ($11.95), an order of the olives ($3.95) and Roasted Beet salad ($7.95). Using 2 $10 coupons, and with pickup, it was a pretty good haul. Finsihed most of the food, have some olives left to nibble on tomorrow.

Solid I suppose. At $11.95 pricey, but decent for the restaurant

Tasty, good beets.

No Idea how much olives should cost, but alright. 

Total Spent:
Osteria Via Stato- $4.25 (including tax- no tip on a takeout)

TOTAL: $4.25
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $38.17

MEAL 10- Monday 8/19/2013- Nacional 27

This is actually the first time I've been here, and from the looks of it, I imagine this was an earlier restaurant from the LEYE group. Dated and extremely slow night, with an aging clientele, I probably wouldn't dine here ever unless I had an awesome $15 giftcard (no minimum). Surprisingly the Shrimp Adobo I ordered was not bad at all. Well in all seriousness $17.95 is expensive for it, but $2.95 makes it way more yummy. Well not having to tip on a take-out is a plus too! Boo-yah!

Chips and Salsa with, can't complain

Total Spent:
Nacional 27- $3.26 (including tax- no tip on a takeout)

TOTAL: $3.26
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $42.42

MEAL 9- SUNDAY 8/18/2013- Hub 51

Another meal by myself, just did the burger at Hub 51. I've got to say that it's not that bad. Service is a bit off, and I got swiss instead of cheddar as I asked, but whatever. Seasoned fries are not bad either.

Just fill me up

Total Spent:
Hub 51- $4 (including tax+tip)

TOTAL: $4
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $45.68

MEAL 8 - SATURDAY 8/17/2013- Petterino's

Had some stuff to do before heading out for drinks later in the night. So grabbed a quick bite at Petterino's. I live 2 blocks away and it's the first time I've eaten here. Standard fare, above average prices- pretty standard place seems like. Will be back for their happy hour fare next time.

So I was just in the mood for a sandwich got the Grilled Chicken Club w/ bacon, ham and avocado.
Meh.

Came w/ fries.

Total Spent:
Petterino's- $6 (including tax+tip)

TOTAL: $6
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $49.68

MEAL 7- THURSDAY 8/13/13-  Bub City 

Just needed a quick bite for dinner by myself. Why not an almost free meal at Bub City. Tried something new, and spended a couple extra bucks, but why not? Tried Bub City's Popcorn Shrimp Po Boy ($11.95) which is actually not bad. If you're choosing a sandwich, not a bad choice if you're not in the mood for meat.

Popcorn Shrimp Po Boy

Of course, I had to pair it with tater tots.

Total Spent:
Bub City- $4 (including tax+tip)

TOTAL: $4
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $55.68

MEAL 6- SNACK TIME- FREE FRIES

Best things in life are free. Nothing better than a quick order of fries from M Burger. At $1.99 an order, McD is a way better deal, but when it's free with an M Burger scratchoff card, I'll take it.

Fries.

 I'm a sucker for bad food, so I'm trying to make a choice to save my health. I've already sorta sworn off soda, but between ice cream and fries, it's a tough choice. 
 
Total Spent: Meh... It was free!

MEAL 5- SUNDAY 8/11/13- M Burger+ Pizzeria Via Stato

Needed to catch a quick lunch before we caught Elysium at the IMAX @ Navy Pier (Groupon deal for $29 for 2 tix plus popcorn and 2 sodas) Movie wasn't bad, but clearly District 9 was a better deal for the studios. So on our way there, stopped by Pizzeria Via Stato for a small salad, added a Cheeseburger and another Chopped Chicken Salad at M Burger. (For the 2 of us of course). 

Coupons Used:
1- Pizzeria Via Stato $5 Coupon (no minimum)
2- M Burger $3 Coupons (no minimum)

Small but good.

I actually love Osteria's dinner deal, but it's too pricey to justify. The pizzeria's not bad, the last time I was there was probably a yr ago when I also had their scratch off card. Overall the salad's not bad, the price justify's the place/location at $6.95 a salad. Of course being able to take-out saves a couple here and there.

Hype's died down since they opened yrs ago.

 I'm always game for a burger, but overall the hype's died down at M, and feel like they've stopped really expanding. It's solid, whatever.

Total Spent:
Pizzeria Via Stato- $2.15
M Burger- burger- $0.54
M Burger- salad- $2.20

TOTAL: $4.89
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $59.68

MEAL 4- SATURDAY 8/10/13- Shaw's

Well this isn't really a meal, more so just an afternoon tea type snack, since we had dinner plans already. What better than half-priced oysters at Shaw's.

Coupons Used: 
1- Shaw's $10 Coupon (no minimum)

Unless you're gonna just buy yourself a cup of soup, I think the half priced oysters deal is not a bad deal. At $1.25 a pop, it's not that bad for downtown Chicago. I heard Benny's has 50 cent oysters at happy hour, but haven't tried that yet. Including tip, it ended up only be $7 on our giftcard.

Half/half east-west coast oysters

 Total Spent:
Shaw's: One Dozen Oysters- $7

TOTAL: $7
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $64.57

COUPON UPDATES:

Just going through my coupons right now to decide which aren't a good deal to use. (and probably won't be used)

Bad Deals:

Wow Bao- Worth at least $2 (need to spend $6.25). Given that I can get a free bao on fb Wednesdays, and all my lunch options in the loop area- I probably won't be using these coupons.

Maggiano's- Worth at least $10 (need to spend $30). With only a 30% discount, not really worth my dollars at this Italian joint.

Wildfire- Worth at least $10 (need to spend $30). I actually love going to Wildfire. I think they have awesome food. But again I can't justify the 30% discount. Will leave my next visit to when either I have a company dinner, or my parents visit.

Big Bowl- Worth at least $10 (need to spend $20). a 50% discount doesn't justify mediocre Asian. I'll stick with my Panda Express.

Foodease- Worth at least $5 (need to spend $10)- there's nothing really I want and it's all a bit overpriced even at a 50% discount.

Good Deals:

M Burger- Worth at least $3 (no minimum). With burgers going for just under $4. This is a no brainer for a quick meal. (got 5 left)

Nacional 27- Worth at least $15 (no minimum). Definitely gonna be a carry out purchase here. Looking at the menu, you can get a decent appetizer or slightly more expensive entree.

Paris Club+ Hub 51- With both of these being worth at least $10 (no minimum), this is a no brainer Lettuce crawl on a Sunday night

Osteria Via Stato+ Pizzeria Via Stato- Worth $10/$5, again this is a Sunday afternoon/dinner crawl.

Shaw's- Worth $10 ($50 if carry out)- This is gonna be a happy hour oyster plate for us. Just slightly over, but always a nice atmosphere and solid oysters.

Mon Ami Gabi+ RJ Grunts- Worth at least $10/$8 (no minimum) Crawl Opportunity here.

Maybe Deals:

Beatrix- Worth at least $10 ($25 minimum). New Restaurant which I haven't tried yet. Don't know if it's a go or not. Hmm....

Cafe Ba-ba Reeba- Worth at least $10 (no minimum). This is a solid deal, but I don't live in the area, and not very convenient for a crawl, may have to pass.

Petterino's+ Joe's- Both worth at least $10. No minimum is a plus, but hard make a meal out of $10. With not many days left, tough call.

OF COURSE Last but not least we have the:

Wild Card- Worth at least $15 (need to spend $20). This is a great deal. Still thinking what my best bet for this card is.

MEAL 3- SUNDAY 8/4/2013- RPM + Bub City

This was our first Lettuce crawl. Since the coupons themselves, won't feed enough for 2 people, we'll be expecting to hit up 1-2 restaurants for a meal once in a while. Our first stop was RPM where we got an order of the Carbonara at the bar, followed by some al fresco dining at Bub City for a cheeseburger and fried pickles.

Coupons Used:
1- RPM Italian $10 coupon (no minimum required)
1- Bub City $10 coupon (no minimum required)

What did we get:
1- Carbonara $13 (per their menu- spaghetti, pancetta, egg yolk). It was good, but for once I wish someone would make a regular carbonara, without adding additional sauce- which I feel like they definitely did here.

Was good, not amazing. just forgot to take the picture

1- Fried Pickles $5.95. Overall it's really hard to complain about food when I'm not really paying for it. Overall I like the pickles, but would prefer to have them battered in the batter they make fish & chips with, or the batter they make those awesome triangular mac and cheese bites with.

I always love fried pickles

1- Cheeseburger (including chili) - $9.95. Again forgot to take a picture. The good: I love tater tots, so always good to include a choice that includes tots. And NOT make me pay separate for the spuds. I can't stand these restaurants nowadays that make me pay for fries, and effing bread service. Always thought those things were included in our Bill of Rights. The bad: only Au Cheval does a burger well with next to nothing on it, so next time please include the onions, lettuce and tomato.

Half a burger

Total Spent:
RPM Italian- $5 (including tax+tip)
Bub City- $8 (including tax+tip)

TOTAL: $13
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $71.57

Till Next Week

MEAL 2- SATURDAY 8/3/2013 - Scoozi + M Burger

Since both of these places allow for pickup, we decided to do a drive through pickup for our Saturday dinner.

Coupons used:
2- Scoozi $10 coupons (no minimum required)
1- M Burger $3 coupon

Like the Mitynice coupons, we called individually for pickup so we could use both Scoozi coupons. (btw, if anyone does read this blog and figure out more efficient ways of using these coupons, please do let me know)

What did we get:
1- Spaghetti w/ Veal meatballs ($15.95). This was actually not bad at all. Meatballs weren't dry, spaghetti had enough sauce (esp with a tomato-vodka sauce) which I prefer way more to regular tomato sauce. I am torn between vodka & bolognese though =(

Yum!

1- Small Mushroom & truffle Pizza ($10.50). Not horrible. Crust was a bit hard and dry. Frankie's does a better pizza.

1- M Burger Chopped Chicken Salad ($4.99). As you can probably tell by now, my gf is a salad freak, so there will probably quite some healthy options we go on here. For the regular price, I think this is definitely worth it. We should as human beings be eating portions smaller like this.

I think she liked the chicken here over Mitynice too.

Total Spent:
Scoozi: Spaghetti & Meatballs $6.57
             Pizza $0.55
M Burger: $2.20

TOTAL: $9.32
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $84.57

MEAL 1- SUNDAY 7/28/2013- Foodlife + Mitynice

 Since we have to plan our meals according to utilize the coupons as efficiently as we can. Our first meal naturally had to include these two establishments that are right next to each other, and can supply us a good amount/variety of food for a meal.

Coupons Used:
1- Foodlife $5 coupon (no minimum required)
2- Mitynice $10 coupon (no minimum required)
Note: For the Mitynice coupons, we ordered individually for pickup so to avoid tip, and allow for usage of both coupons.

What did we get:

1- Specialty Soup Bowl from Foodlife. At $7.99, you get to try all the soups, and unlimited refills. I will never understood why parents allow their 2 young children to each get their own cup of New England Clam Chowder. As you can tell, I'm the sort of guy to go to Five Guys, and share a soda.

Gumbo (comes with Rice+cornbread)

Shrimp Bisque I remember? With Tortilla Chips from the Salad

1- Acapulco Salad from Mitynice ($14)
1- Green Chili Chicken Nachos ($10)

If there's one thing I learnt here, is to never order nachos to go ever again. The last thing you want is soggy clumped together tortilla chips. The salad on the other hand is not bad. Solid chicken.

Acapulco Salad- Chicken is edible

Nachos to go is not a good idea.

Total Spent:
(Note that one of the awesome things about this scratchoff, is that tax is added post discount, so my nachos were FREE)
Mitynice: $4.42 
Foodlife: $1.69 (Our $5 scratchoff ended being $7- so booyah!)

TOTAL: $6.11 
GIFT CARD BALANCE: $93.89

Last year, I got the Lettuce Scratchoff booklet for the first time. http://www.lettucescratchoff.com/

Coupons Baby!

 This year, both my girlfriend and I each got a booklet, and the challenge is to try to use as many as these coupons that we can, while using the least amount of money to cover extras, tax and tip- and to document all the food we're getting.


Just some notes:

1) All meals are consumed by only my girlfriend and I.

2) She is out of town Mon-Thurs, and I like to try to stay somewhat healthier by cooking during the week, so all deals are redeemed Fri-Sun

3) When applicable, I always try to tip about 15% on the pre-discounted pre-tax total. I usually just round up that up to the nearest dollar just because I have a little OCD, so tip can vary from 10-20%.

4) Just to make this more challenging, courtesy of my points collected on Amex, I got a $100 Lettuce giftcard of which we'll be using towards all additionals, (so the hope is we won't spend a dollar at all)

Gonna try to not spend a dollar using this giftcard

5) We live in downtown Chicago, so all of our redemptions will be in the Chicago area. They also expire 9/18, so I doubt I'll be able to use all of the coupons. But we'll try our best!

Anything else I remember, I'll be remember to post in upcoming posts!