50% off at Hidden 1920’s Throwback Steakhouse in Chelsea – TRE DICI STEAKHOUSE!

Like Mammon-Ra, the two headed god of wealth and prosperity, Chelsea’s Tre Dici has two faces. One, of the white-leather banquet and street level variety, and another, of the Apulia cum New Orleans kind, with a secret entrance and bordello-style decor.

Both places serve food from a kitchen run by Rao-alum Giuseppe Fanelli. Favored choices include poached lobster mac & cheese, kobe beef ravioli, double cut pork chops. You get more steaks at Tre Dici Steak, with additions like NY strip, rib eye, and filet mignon, whereas Tre Dici, serves just the hanger, with a portobello mushroom and gorgonzola tart.

Critics and patrons alike rave about Chef Fanelli’s desserts, so make sure you save room. There’s a 20 layer crepe cake that could be a showpiece at any architectural event, and tastes of creamy, caramelized bananas.

What you’re really choosing, when you choose to stay down or go up, is a post-dinner feeling, created by the ambience of either Tre Dici or Tre Dici Steak. Could it be that, like red and white carnations, one is for love and the other is for friendship? Either way, both Tre Dicis are for great meals and happy bellies.

50% off OBAO NOODLES & BBQ MIDTOWN – Michelin Guide Recommended!

One way to modernize an ancient cuisine is to start experimenting with how its flavors work with those of others, which is a long way of saying thanks to Pan-Asian chefs, oldies-but-goodies get reborn everyday. At Obao, Thai food gets modern with a little help from Vietnam.

Food bloggers went nuts for Obao even before it opened, writing love letters to dishes like crispy pork belly skewers and pad see iew. Other standouts include spare ribs on sugar cane skewers, golden wings in sweet chili sauce, braised pork shank noodle soup, and a Laos beef salad that comes lettuceless, but jammed with tender flank steak and pineapple.

The lunch menu is a paired down version of what’s on offer for dinner, but either meal will satisfy with unique and memorable versions of Viet-Thai combinations. Perhaps just as important, Obao is a beautiful restaurant, designed to capture Asian opulence. You’ll see lots of foliage, lots of shimmering light, and lots of satisfied customers.

Not every cuisine update works, of course, but when you have skilled chefs behind the menu (as Obao does), you’re bound to come away enlightened by your meal. Food this good deserves more than one try. No wonder Obao has so many devoted fans.

52% off Ethiopian Cuisine & Drinks at NYC’s Most Authentic Resto: QUEEN OF SHEBA! www.inbundles.com

When you name your restaurant after the Queen of Sheba, as in the extremely rich mother of the first Emperor of Ethiopia, you’re not being humble, but there’s no reason Philipos Mengistu, founder of Hell’s Kitchen’s Queen of Sheba, should be.

Mengistu opened Queen of Sheba 12 years ago, after spending 5 years saving money and 7 years running his first restaurant with two partners. Finally on his own, he devoted himself to the recipes of his heart, as in the ones he learned from his parents at the restaurant they owned in Addis Abeba. The dishes had been passed from generation to generation, often seasoned with his mother’s own blend of berbere.

Most of us aren’t eating Ethiopian food regularly, which already makes it a special feast. At Queen of Sheba, you’re getting a feast fit for a queen. Order the combination sampler dishes if you’re unfamiliar with Ethiopian cooking. You’ll get a combination of seven or more stewed meats and veggies (split peas, collard greens, lemon and jalapeno chickpeas), and lots of spongy bread to lap it up with.

There’s another reason why Queen of Sheba is the most appropriate name for Mengistu’s restaurant. He’s still dedicated to educating New Yorkers about his country and culture (as evidenced by a menu filled with info about Ethiopia, its food, and tips on how to eat it). Every time you eat there, you eat well and leave a little smarter for it.

$14 for $30 of Wine & Italian Food in Hell’s Kitchen – GALLO NERO!

If simplicity is the path to clarity and enlightenment, we can understand why it would take over as the philosophy on an Italian menu. So often chefs complicate their menus with the intention of standing out for ingenuity. Instead, the food tastes almost abused. Not so at Gallo Nero, an Italian restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen.

Chef Roberto Lopez, who cut his teeth at places like Cipriani Dolce, made a name for himself elevating simple dishes like spaghetti and meatballs to heights that seem reserved for more elaborate concoctions. At Gallo Nero, the best dishes are informal ones: hangar steak with roasted potatoes, grilled chicken with lemon and arugula, and fresh spinach ravioli in butter sage sauce.

The intimate dining room, just off 9th Ave on 44th St, looks lovely by candlelight, and now that the weather’s warming up, you can also enjoy dining under some romantic Manhattan streetlights. If you’re after a three-course gastronomic adventure, there are irresistible appetizers (tapenades, prosciuttos, bruschettes) to start and rich desserts (cheesecake, banana cream, tiramisu) to finish.

Too often, we’re taken in by bells and whistles, only to be disappointed by mediocrity. At last, there’s a restaurant that embraces the no-fail philosophy of quality food prepared with simple sophistication.

50% off at SPOT DESSERT BAR in the East Village – Asian Inspired Desserts!

We’re used to seeing menu items inspired by Asian cooking, but for the most part they’re savory dishes you’d order at lunch and dinner. Que the “a-ha” moment: why not try some Asian takes on classic desserts? That’s how Spot Dessert Bar was born.

Spot’s well-traveled owners and acclaimed chef Ian Chalermkittichai created a menu of delectable treats, Asian-style. Choices include Green Tearamisu (tiramisu in assembly and texture, but green tea in flavor), Vietnamese coffee cupcakes, smoked coconut cheesecake and rose macarons. Any combination of these make a perfect choice if you’re charged with bringing dessert to a party. Finally there’s an alternative to red velvet.

On St Marks between 2nd and 3rd, Spot’s easy to access, and chances are good you’ll want to stop there after every dinner in the East Village. Think about trying it for brunch, too, when roast pork belly crepes, chocolate praline waffles, and poached eggs are on offer. Nothing says good morning like a breakfast polished off with dessert.

Spot’s menu changes seasonally and it’s interior is built from repurposed wood and glass — in other words, Spot’s owners know a good band wagon when they see one. Not only did they get on board with incredible Asian flavors, but they’re pro-Earth, too.

53% off Hell’s Kitchen Italian Favorite – Maria Pia!

Italian food is like vacation: you can’t get enough of it. You cook it at home (easy pasta dishes), you eat it with friends (big birthday dinners), and there’s no better bet than Italian music and aromas for romantic candlelit dinners. Of course, all Italian food isn’t equal, but some of the best is served at Maria Pia on 51st St.

Sure, it’s easy to boil up some spaghetti and smother it in Ragu, but when you’re palate’s more discerning you know what a difference homemade pasta makes. This is the kind you’ll get at Maria Pia, dishes like ravioli, pappardelle, and gnocchi made fresh daily and cooked to that perfect al dente chew.

For heartier meals, try traditional favorites like veal scaloppini, grilled sirloin in Barolo sauce, potato crusted branzino, or cod with polenta. There’s even Fegato all Veneziana (calves liver) for the more adventurous eater, confirming once and for all there are some real Italians behind this menu.

The wine list is reasonably priced and the staff considerably accommodating — considering they spend a good deal of time serving rushed theater tourists. Yes, you’re right there in the Theater District, which among other things means great train access and plenty of people watching for a post dinner stroll.

50% off Carl’s Steaks (both locations) – Home of NYC’s Most Authentic Cheesesteak!

Baseball fans know it. Hungry finance guys know it. But do you know Carl’s Steaks, the most authentic Philly cheesesteak since Philly’s own?

Here’s the run-down. Carl Provenzano spent a lot of time getting to know the real deal at Pat’s and Geno’s. He opened his first location in 2003, fulfilling his 10-year dream of bringing simple meat, onion and cheese sandwiches to the Big Apple. Since then, he’s expanded to Chambers St and, of all places, Yankee Stadium, where he proudly sponsors his home team by (ahem) hawking the enemies hometown food.

His menu keeps it pure: choose between steak or chicken, american, provolone or wiz, and onions. If you like a lot of add-ons, there are options like hot and sweet peppers, double meat, mushrooms, and pickles. Veggie sandwiches come with eggplant and Pizza Steaks come with marinara sauce. Cheese fries and chili cheese fries could be meals on their own, but when you hit up Carl’s, you’re probably batting with a big appetite. Get it all and share.

Regulars confess to dreaming of the sandwich long after swallowing the last bite. With this deal, they’ll have no reason to face a Carl’s craving that goes unsatisfied. If you aren’t a believer yet, become one now.

51% off at Joy Burger Bar – Any Burger, Side and Beer! (up to $15.20 value)

The West Coast has burger chains all its own and if you’ve never traveled to the other coast, you’ve never had an In-N-Out animal style or a Carl’s Jr famous star. But why should a New Yorker care? We have a mini-chain born right here at home. It’s called Joy Burger and — for now — it’s only in the Big Apple.

Opened by a couple of city dreamers, Joy Burger was created after hours of home kitchen research in perfecting burger size, flavor, char, and of course, sauce. At Joy Burger, they say the sauces make the difference and when you’re choosing between garlic mayo, chimichuri, spicy mango chutney, bbq and more, and you’ll see that it’s true.

The burgers come in 3, 5, and 8 oz sizes, turkey and veggie options, and from there it’s on you to create the burger of your wildest fantasy. Choose cheeses (mozzarella and feta are on the menu), toppings (sauteed onions and egg, for starters) and make the meal complete with a side of homemade french fries, zucchini sticks, or giant onion rings.

Joy Burger knows its customer: discerning New Yorkers with years of burger eating under their belts. Not just any run of the mill patty and bun will do. Sure, the company is poised to expand beyond the five boroughs, but for now, we can relish the pleasure of our a homegrown burger joint, perfected all for us.

$6 for $12 at NYC’s Best Falafel House – PITOPIA!

Mediterranean sandwiches have everything an everyday deli sandwich doesn’t: exotic spice combinations, super fresh fillings, and homemade pita enveloping it all. The newest must-try in falafel land is Pitopia, a crisp, clean, made-to-order sandwich haven in Midtown.

It’s been touted as the best in the city (even better than Maoz) because Pitopia shares some characteristics with that bastion of falafel sandwich making, but does everything better. You’ll order your sandwich and fill it yourself with toppings like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, chickpea salad, and more. Stop piling it on just before you think your sandwich box is going to collapse, then add some sauces like tahini, pesto, and hot green pepper.

Pitopia makes its pita fresh and the result is a light, doughy bread that comes in both white and wheat flour versions. If your appetite’s small, you can order half a falafel sandwich with a small salad or just a few falafels on their own. There are salads, too, and sabich sandwiches — fried eggplant and hard boiled egg stuffed into a pita piping hot and ready to be smothered in toppings.

Midtown, once a food wasteland, is now so filled with great food places the the bar for excellent lunches has been raised. Suffer old-deli-meat-stale-bread sandwiches no longer! Order your next lunch from Pitopia.

53% off Rustin Italian Food in Hell’s Kitchen: Homemade Pastas, Steaks, Wine & More at CARA MIA!

New York City is home to the bright lights of Broadway and the best theater performances in the world, and yet most of us don’t make the time to go. Maybe it’s because we didn’t know about the perfect pre-theater restaurant — a cozy Italian place called Cara Mia.

A stone’s throw from Times Square, Cara Mia’s accustomed to serving the theater crowd (real New Yorkers or bussed-in visitors). If theater’s not your thing, but great food is, Cara Mia’s your reason to spend an evening near all those Broadway stars. Traditional Italian dishes include fusilli with broccoli rabe and sausage, risotto alla pescatore, pork sauteed with prosciutto, and a grilled salmon served with shitake mushrooms, corn and peppers.

Cara Mia translates to My Dear and the term of endearment sets a tone for the whole place. You’ll be seduced by a warm brick interior, the lively crowd, and of course, the aroma of magical Italian cooking. If you love it so much you want to come back with everyone you know, you’re in luck: Cara Mia will also host your private party.

Broadway might be the furthest thing from your mind by the time you scrape the last bit of tiramisu off your plate, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a good show or two playing just steps from your dinner table. All the more reason to come back to Cara Mia — with a couple of theater tickets in your pocket.