The summer and fall are great times to tour a fun city. Of course, you want to do it for less. Yesterday I shared the money-saving way to save on transportation around the city. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Today it is all about having a food extravaganza.
Part of the fun of visiting a city is all of the great food that you can try. Most cities offer a variety of great food, different fusions and ethnic dishes, traditional and down home fare. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity because of finances. You can have your cake (or any meal you like) and eat it too! Here are some strategies that you can use.
Coming off of a weekend in the city, I have to say that I am still stuffed. So much great food, that I think I am spoiled now for the regular fare. When I returned home yesterday afternoon, my husband, exhausted from being left alone for the kids suggested a simple dinner of pizza. While it was good pizza, I have to say it was sharply contrasted with the amazing food I had eaten in the past two days.
So how did we do it? Avoiding the hotel food and the offerings immediately around it helped lower our costs, since these restaurants often cater to tourists. One of our favorite ways was to eat where the locals eat. When in china town, we visited a restaurant that was authentic, run by a family, and populated with many of the chinese that lived in the neighborhood. The bill given to us was even written in chinese. The cost for lunch was low, less than the price of a couple of bagels at the hotel or local breakfast shop, and the food was plentiful and delicious.
We were also able to visit one of the hottest restaurants in town thanks to some smart thinking by my friend. She asked for gift certificate for birthdays and holidays and generously used them for our meal. In addition, we asked for a tasting menu, which allowed us to sample a lot of the great dishes in small portions. Still we were stuffed and had a great time. Dinner took more than two hours, as we talked and sampled away.
* Image courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/littobites/6847230961/