Who doesn’t jump at the chance for some free wine? Or better yet, five different kinds of free wine? On the first Tuesday of every month (that’s a week from today), Black Orchid Grille allows us self-proclaimed wine-os to try five different kinds of vino, and if we decide to buy a bottle of one - or more - of the wines tried, the bottle of our choice is 50% off. Show up at 7 p.m., taste the wines for an hour, request a table for dinner, order your meals with the wine of your liking, and revel in the 50% off discount on your bill for the wine. Not a bad deal!

Thanks to the ever evolving Twitter, a follower of The Telegraph’s Living and Feast sections informed us, per their Tweet, that D.W. Pizzeria in Merrimack was busier than they’ve ever seen it before one day last week. This jump in customers could be due to the sign outside of D.W.’s, offering 20% off to orders placed online. Online orders can be for delivery or pick-up, and don’t exclude any items from D.W.’s regular lunch, dinner or catering menus. Their website said the 20% off special is for a limited time, so if you’re craving one of owner Dmitrios’ pies or gyros, now’s the time to order via their website. If you’ve taken part in D.W.’s online-only deal, let us know how the food (and ease of delivery/pick-up) was!

I don’t normally stray from eateries in the Nashua region, but if you’re living in the Southern New Hampshire area, you most likely are (and probably should be) a Red Sox fan. With that being said, any of you Sox fans, or baseball fans in general, will be happy to know that Fenway Park has its first concession price freeze since 2002, by holding 2008’s concession prices for the 2009 season. Thanks to the recession, you no longer have to pay $20 for a hot dog and a soda (ok, that was a slight exaggeration…but you’re still saving some dough). In addition to the price freeze, Fenway will also have a special for the entire month of April called “Fenway Family Hour,” where items like Fenway Franks, sliders and pizza will be 50% off for the first hour after gates open. I can only imagine the length of the lines for half off hot dogs, but I think it’s worth the wait for such a good, unexpected deal.

You know it’s finally spring time in Southern New Hampshire when King Kone’s soft serve ice cream machines are in full operation. Foregoing its once-was winter business venture “King Cocoa” this year, the King of soft serve opened last weekend for their regular summer season, and their sign boasts that the mocha and coffee flavors are back this spring and summer. Axel’s Food & Ice Cream, which is also in Merrimack, in place of the former Madden’s ice cream stand, opened today, too. From now until Sunday, the normally expensive Axel’s is offering their Welcome Back Weekend Specials Menu, which includes a Lobster Roll Plate for a mere $8.59, as well as a hot dog for a buck. Now we just need the Big One Ice Cream stand to open in Nashua, and it will officially be spring.

Would you eat dinner at 3 p.m. if it could save you some money? I don’t know about you, but I’d eat dinner at 2 a.m. if I could save a buck…or just to eat dinner at 2 a.m. The point of this blog, however, is that yet another local eatery is offering cheaper, smaller meals. Elisha’s Restaurant in Milford offers their Early Bird Menu from 3 to 5 p.m. According to Alex LoVerme of Elisha’s, “It is an all inclusive menu from soup or salad, entree and dessert.” With items such as Swedish Meatballs, Turkey Pot Pie and a 6 oz. N.Y. Sirloin, vegetarians are only given the choice of an omelet with cheese (additional fillings cost a mere 50 cents), but us omnivores have quite a few pickings. “The early bird menu was started a couple of years ago for people that wanted to go out and eat but…couldn’t eat larger portions,” LoVerme said. “Now that the economy has taken a turn for the worse, it also fits in to people’s budgets that still want to go out to eat.” Each dinner even comes with your choice of soup or salad, as well as bread, choice of potato, vegetable of the day (not including the Turkey Pot Pie) and a hot fudge sundae for dessert. Yeah, I’d eat dinner at 3 p.m. for all that.

One of my favorite, more upscale spots in downtown is Unum’s. If you’ve never been, go - especially on Thursday nights. Normally on the more expensive side, compared to other eateries on and off Main Street in Nashua, Unum’s is now offering an affordable Build-your-own Pasta and Flatbread Menu on Thursday evenings. Flatbreads cost a mere $12, where diners can choose from up to four sauces (including pesto and and tomato), as well as four additional toppings, including dairy, protein, seafood and veggies/fruit. Pasta costs $14, with enough choices to make your Italian grandmother proud. Linguini, ziti, farfalle, seafood ravioli, and cheese ravioli all grace the menu, with the same choices of sauce and four additional items as the flatbreads. Greens with salad dressing are also an option, in addition to the Build-your-own menu breads and pastas, at $6 a pop. My Unum’s flatbread would be smothered in tomato sauce with parmesan cheese, prosciutto, eggplant and roasted red pepper. What would your pasta and/or flatbread consist of?

When you’re looking for a late night dinner and some good beer, there’s really no better place to go in downtown than Martha’s Exchange. Last night, my boyfriend and I enjoyed some of Martha’s Sweet Potato Wedges as an appetizer, without the maple bacon for my vegetarian co-diner, but still smothered in Jack and cheddar cheeses, brown sugar, and drizzled with chipotle sour cream. Delish! For entrees, he got the Fire Roasted Vegetable Panini with pasta salad as a side. The pasta salad was made with just the right amount of fresh herbs and oil, leaving me wishing I had ordered an entire bowl as my entree. For me, I ordered the Tapas Trio, with olive tapenade, red pepper hummus and smoked salmon dip with fresh veggies and stale, overly chewy yellow tortilla chips for dipping (the menu also claimed blue tortilla chips were to be included, but were not). Being a huge hummus fan, Martha’s red pepper version was perfect, and accompanied the thick-cut cucumbers, red peppers and carrots perfectly. The olive tapenade was seasoned well, and though I’m not a huge fan of smoked flavors, even the salmon dip held a subtle, fresh fish flavor and accompanied the chips surprisingly well. Washed down with a 9% Double IPA, I’d say we had a good meal at a pretty decent price. Our waitress was also patient with us, especially when we ordered the potato wedges without reading that they come covered in bacon, and had to return the first plate. Instead of giving us grief, she was happy to take the bacon-covered plate out back and eat them with her co-workers.

Where’s your favorite spot for beer and grub?

While vegging on the couch one evening last week, I saw a commercial for Applebee’s where the restaurant chain boasted that they had the “best burgers.” Immediately disagreeing with the ad, I reminisced about the mediocre meals I’ve had there in the past, while realizing it had been a very long time since I’ve actually eaten at an Applebee’s. Convinced I’d prove the commercial wrong, a friend and I ate at Applebee’s the next night, and both ordered classic cheeseburgers and fries. At the sight alone, the burger was a monstrosity, my eyes warning my brain that this sandwich would be impossible to finish. My eyes lied. The burger was perfectly crisp on the outside and so juicy (not greasy), while still preventing the fresh, buttery burger buns from becoming mushy. The fresh tomato, lettuce, onions and pickles that accompanied the perfect piece of meat added great flavor and texture without overpowering the beef. Even the fries were cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of salt. I was amazed, and proven wrong. Which restaurant cooks your favorite burger?

The Cotton in the Millyard District in Manchester has been awarded “Best Martinis in New Hampshire” five years in a row, and Bon Appetit Magazine named it “One of the Ten Best Neighborhood Restaurants in the East.” As if that wasn’t enough to get you in your car and on your way to ManchVegas, the upscale eatery has just released its own cookbook, boasting their already-famous American comfort food. The book reveals The Cotton’s secret recipes for dishes like Watermelon Gazpacho and Baked Onion Apple Cider Soup. Jeffrey Paige, chef and proprietor of The Cotton, also includes more approachable dishes for the home cook in his new publication, including Bruschetta and Southern-Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The book’s a mere $14.95, too; less than the cost of most of The Cotton’s dinner entrees. It’s available at fine bookstores and at the restaurant. Can’t make it out? You can buy it online here. Props to The Cotton for also giving a portion of the proceeds from the book to the Kid’s Cafe in Manchester.

I recently blogged about their surprisingly delicious pomegranate margaritas and spicy, complimentary salsa, but Margarita’s is also now offering some new menu items for a limited time. To help “combat the winter chill,” the Mexican chain is serving up new items such as Shrimp Tacos, Cod Veracruzana, Taquitos Carnitas, Fajitas Rajas, Chile Relleno, and Carne Asada Steak. Margarita’s signature dinner menu also boasts a longer list of new, innovative items, including the Jalapeno Baby Chimis (basically jalapeno poppers with a slammin’ dipping sauce) and Chicken Tijuana with Pineapple Salsa. Do I even need to go on? I recommend just visiting the Mexican watering hole and giving the new fare a go. Let us know how it is!