Nightlife & Dining for Less

Dining Deals

It seems like every e-deal program in town offers $50 of food for $25, but we found great deals available all the time—no annoying emails necessary

• The happy hour deals at both the uptown and SouthPark locations of McCormick & Schmick’s are legendary. Choose from several items between $2 and $4: potato croquettes, hummus, duck potstickers, and a fish taco for $1.95 each; a half-pound cheeseburger for $2.95; and cheese quesadilla, Thai chicken rolls, spinach dip, and California roll for $3.95 each. Mon-Fri, 4-6:30 p.m., SouthPark; Mon-Fri, 3-7 p.m., and Mon-Thu, 9 p.m.-close, uptown. mccormickandschmicks.com
• It’s as if it’s Cinco de Mayo every day at San Antonio’s Modern Mexican in SouthPark. Two-dollar margaritas and sangrias every day are certainly cause for celebration! sanantoniosmm.com
• Get a sitter for the kids and enjoy Date Night at Mez and the adjoining EpiCentre Theaters Sun-Thu, where $40 gets you get two movie tickets, two drinks (alcohol- ic or nonalcoholic), and an appetizer. mezcharlotte.com
• A trip to Italy might not be in the budget, but a night at this quaint Italian res- taurant should be. Dolce Ristorante in Dilworth offers a Monday-night din- ner special for two that includes a free bottle of wine, all for $39.95. 704-332-7525.

The Birthday Club

These five restaurants and bars will make you feel good about turning a year older

Sister restaurants Miro Spanish Grille and Zen Fusion will email you a $10 gift certificate a couple of weeks before your birthday. mirospanishgrille.com, zenasianfusion.com

As a member of Club Fondue, you’ll receive a free chocolate fondue for two in honor of your birthday at The Melting Pot (behave yourself in those oversize booths). themeltingpotclubfondue.com

The more the merrier for birthday celebrations at StrikeCity. The bowling alley that’s as much a sports bar and restaurant picks one night a month to celebrate all people born that month. Not only do you get drink specials and a complimentary pint glass, but your friends are also treated to $2 select draft beers, $3 house wines, and $4 well liquor drinks. And if there are at least 10 partiers in your group, you drink for free. strikecitycharlotte.com

Similar to its EpiCentre brethren, Whisky River also throws a monthly Birthday Club party. The party usu- ally starts at 7 p.m. and the birthday boys and girls are treated to complimentary appetizers, cake, and drink specials that include $2 beers, $3 well drinks, and $4 birthday shots. thewhiskyriver.com/charlotte

Get all your friends to chip in enough to total $50, which buys you a birthday party at Town Tavern. The package includes free admission for your guests all night, two bottles of champagne, a birthday shirt (which might come in handy if you get too excited with the bubbly), and a $25 bar tab. towntaverncharlotte.com

A Week of Wine on the Cheap

What’s better than a great bottle of wine? A great bottle of wine for half price!

Cosmos Cafe
cosmoscafe.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Monday
The ‘Hood: Ballantyne

The Wooden Vine
thewoodenvine.com
The Deal: Bottles (under $65)
The Night: Monday
The ‘Hood: Uptown

Bull & Barrister
bullandbarrister.com
The Deal: Bottles and glasses
The Night: Tuesday
The ‘Hood: Mountain Island

The Wine Loft
thewineloftcharlotte.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Tuesday
The ‘Hood: South End

Dolce Vita Wine Bar
dolcevitawines.com
The Deal: Glasses
The Night: Wednesday
The ‘Hood: NoDa

Arooji’s Wine Room & Ristorante
aroojis.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Wednesday
The ‘Hood: Ballantyne

Dolce Ristorante
dolceristorante.net
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Thursday
The ‘Hood: Dilworth

Whiskey Warehouse
whiskeycharlotte.com
The Deal: Bottles and glasses
The Night: Thursday
The ‘Hood: Plaza Midwood

Cosmos Cafe
cosmoscafe.com
The Deal: Bottles and glasses
The Night: Friday
The ‘Hood: Uptown

Wild Wing Cafe
wildwingcafe.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Saturday
The ‘Hood: University

Dolce Vita Wine Bar
dolcevitawines.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Sunday
The ‘Hood: NoDa

Zen Fusion
zenasianfusion.com
The Deal: Bottles
The Night: Sunday
The ‘Hood: Dilworth