Friday Quickies #42: Wrapping Up 2008 and Early 2009 Deals

Given the events that took place over the last 12 months, 2008 is definitely a year I have mixed feelings about; but foodwise I am definitely thankful and blessed to be able to taste so many more places, meet and reconnect with wonderful faces, and learn a whole lot more about all that I consume.

And of course, what is a new year without some resolutions? I won't bore you with the entire list and explanation since it's pretty typical list (eat healthier, be more explorative and open-minded with foods and drinks, improve my photo/writing skills, etc.) but it's definitely stuff I'll try to work on. And hopefully, this year I can overcome the summer blogging lags/fatigues that I've had in the previous two years.

Year in Eater series: After all is said and done, what are the local eats that are in everyone's minds? From the most memorable meal to biggest dining surprises and neighborhoody trends, Eater LA has a nice little series with responses from big timers like LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold to chefs like the Animal's co-owners Vinny and Jon to even humble bloggers like me. A nice reflection on the year that was.

Early 2009 Deals: With everyone's purses and wallets still cinched tight, eateries and bars are still strong on the specials -- a few that are on my radar include:

--- blue on blue's New Year Special: from now till January 9, pop in with their facebook page print-out (or display on your phone/PDA) and you'll get drink specials with pricetag corresponding to that day (example, $2 today for Jan. 2nd, $3 tomorrow, and so forth...) from 3 to 7 p.m. Oddly enough, everyone has to order at least 2 (and at most 4) drinks for this special but hey, sounds like a steal esp. early on given their regular prices are more in the $12-16 range. Thanks to LATime's Daily Dish blog for dropping the word on this one. (Update, Caroline on Crack posted the original release -- you may have to prove yourself be a facebook fan to land the deal; but nothing really prevents you from de-fanning afterwards...)

-- Newport Beach Restaurant Week: from January 18-22, prix-fixe menus with $15/20 lunches or $20/35 dinners. Though menus have yet to be posted, there are few places on the participating list that interests me include Bluewater Grill and the Palm Terrace restaurant, or maybe even a revisit to Sage or Tradition by Pascal.

And of course, DineLA Restaurant Weeks during last week of January and first week of February. I'll have a more extensive post on my planned course of attack soon; some posts on last year's DineLA meals here and if any of you is interested in joining me, feel free to drop a word :)