I am still reeling from my dinner this evening at You You Japanese Bistro on Broad Street (right across from Kohl’s). This place has the best Japanese food and sushi this side of Boston, in my opinion. I’ve been dreaming about going back to You You since the last time I was there, which was months ago. Tonight, I had the vegetarian dumplings as an appetizer, which had a crunchy, egg roll-like filling wrapped in an almost overly greasy dough. Washed down with a strong and delicious glass of plum wine, I was ready for my main course: tuna and scallion maki. The sushi was fresh and full of flavor, and the wasabi was so spicy, my head was tingling - and I normally have a very high tolerance for spice. I then split a large order of warm sake with my fellow diners, while picking at the vegetarian’s vegetable tempura, and while watching my Japanese-food-skeptic friend across the table devour his steak and fried rice with chopsticks. A successful meal nonetheless, that left me full and satisfied - and dreaming of my next visit once again.

Signing up for restaurants’ e-mailing lists is crucial if you want discounts on your birthday. Being in the food-eating business, I am on quite a few local eateries’ lists, and received many deals on my own day of birth giving me a free dessert with purchase of an entree, or even half off a second entree. However, the best discount I received was from one of the most high end restaurants in downtown: Black Orchid Grille. The fine dining establishment offered me one free entree - no catches - and the deal didn’t expire until almost a month after my birthday. I took advantage of this $30-for-free gift last night. Needless to say, free food has never tasted so good. I decided on the Mint and Black Pepper Lamb Loin drizzled with red wine demi glaze, topped with gremolada, all resting on top of crispy yogurt polenta. I like my steak bleeding, so I asked for the lamb cooked rare, which made the meat incredibly juicy, flavorful and moist. A perfect birthday dinner (3 weeks later), indeed.

If you’re not on Twitter, you’re missing out. And I don’t just mean because it’s a great tool to use for networking and meeting new people; it also gets you free food at local restaurants. Case in point: last night, San Francisco Kitchen in Nashua held a “Tweet-up,” where Tweeters on Twitter can come together offline. For those of you who don’t speak Twitter, it’s simply a networking event. SF Kitchen had local Tweeters submit their business cards to be entered into a raffle, with prizes such as an Apple gift card, T-shirts, and $25 gift certificates to SF Kitchen. Before, during and after the raffle, attendees schmoozed over a cash bar and some free grub, compliments of the restaurant itself. From crispy crab rangoons to chicken wings to some fancy egg roll “purses,” SF Kitchen hosted quite the event that not only gave their restaurant some exposure, but also allowed locals to share business advice and build relationships. Even Sugar Mommy was on hand to provide desserts, which included some mouth-watering white and milk chocolate peanut butter cups, an assortment of homemade cookies, and white, dark and milk chocolate truffles. I have yet to come out of my sugar coma.

As a side note, Unum’s in Nashua held the last Tweet-up in the area, and even customized a discounted cocktail and wine list for attendees.

You only turn 25 once, so having a good meal (that you don’t have to cook) is a satisfying way to celebrate a milestone birthday. Luckily for me, my birthday dinner was a delicious success thanks to the chef, the waitstaff, and the company at my table at Unum’s on Pearl Street in Nashua. I’ve raved about Unum’s before, and this place has yet to give me a reason to complain. In fact, the eatery always leaves me with the notion that solid customer service isn’t dead, and innovative American dishes can be enjoyed by even the most unsophisticated palates. For dinner, I had the pecan crusted salmon which was served over a wild mushroom and goat cheese blini with a wild berry shallot chutney. The combination may sound odd, but every bite was uniquely delicious. Even my non-meat-eating boyfriend found plenty to eat, including a salad of baby greens with figs, citrus segments and dates, as well as the chestnut ravioli, minus the bacon. Note to vegetarians: Unum’s will remove meat from any dish, and substitutions are gladly made. Even the picky eater of my family was able to get chicken fingers and fries, which are nowhere to be found on the menu. Food aside, our waitress was also efficient without rushing us through dinner, and she never came to our table without a smile.

I went to Cotton in Manchester this past week to try their innovative summer mojito for the next 5 & Dine, and ended up staying for dinner. Believe it or not, I had never been to the Cotton before, and was surprised at how small the restaurant is, and how busy it was for a rainy Wednesday night. After I ate, however - I was surprised there wasn’t a line out the door. One of their specials on Wednesday was pistachio-crusted haddock with red pepper couscous for $16.50, and although I feared the combination between the sweet & salty pistachios with the spicy couscous might not be the best combination, I gave it a try. The combination ended up being sensational. The haddock was perfectly cooked and fresh, falling apart with the touch of my fork, and the couscous floated underneath the fish like plump, flavorful pearls that were also cooked to near perfection. The mojito wasn’t half bad, either. Check back in August’s 5 & Dine for that review.

If you haven’t yet dined at Stella Blu, you are missing out on some of the tastiest food downtown Nashua has to offer; and that is an understatement. Luckily for Stella fans and wannabes, the tapas bar is extending their hours. Starting Saturday, July 11th, Stella Blu will be open on Saturdays for both lunch and dinner, and although they are now closed for dinner on Sundays for the summer, the restaurant is launching a tapas brunch to take place on Sundays, starting July 12th. The brunch menu is still TBA, but the restaurant promises to post it on their website before the launch date. This is a busy long weekend for the culinary gem, as they are holding an Artist in Show event on July 9th, featuring Laura Keith Woerner of Harrisville, N.H. Not many things in life taste better than a pitcher of sangria while enjoying some local art. Throwing some global tapas in there doesn’t hurt either.

I ate like a queen last night at Moonstones in Chelmsford, Mass. Scott Plath, who also owns Cobblestones in Lowell, is owner and chef of this chic, yet relaxing, tapas restaurant. We started at the trendy bar that was covered in a sparkling marble countertop, and run by a friendly, attentive bartender. I had the refreshing white Sangria, and shared some pepperoni focaccia for only $4 with my friends, thanks to Moonstone’s happy hour deals from 4 to 6 p.m. When our other friends arrived, we moved to a dinner booth and ordered enough tapas to feed all eight of Jon & Kate’s children. We had some more homemade focaccia, this time made with olive oil, roasted garlic, reggiano cheese and sea salt, as well as the marinated olives with white bean hummus; the artisan three cheese sampler plate, with goat, bleu and baby swiss cheeses; white truffle and parmesan cheese fries; scallops in bacon; and fried buffalo calamari with crumbled bleu cheese. Yes, the amount of food we consumed is shameful, but I’m not ashamed - the food was outstanding. I won’t go into detail about each dish, but the highlights for me were the addicting and not overly greasy shoestring fries, as well as the cheese plate, which came with crackers, candied walnuts and grapes. Washed down with plenty of pinot grigio, this is one meal I will be back for (and that didn’t empty my savings account). My only complaint: some food, such as the scallops, came to our table at room temperature or colder, when they should have been served warm. However, the flavors were perfect, and our waiter was right up there with them, so a few lukewarm plates were quickly forgotten.

Side note: Moonstones has more than tapas, too - entrees, sandwiches and salads are just a few of the other options they provide. Just be aware that entrees range from $20-60, roughly.

Some meals/restaurants are just worth the drive - to Belmont, Mass. My boyfriend and I take ballroom dancing classes at Fred Astaire Dance Studio, and right next door is a little gem called Kitchen on Common at 442 Common Street. Last week we had dinner there between dance classes, and the waiter was attentive, friendly and efficient, as he knew we had to be somewhere in 45 minutes. The menu is more about quality than quantity, and changes frequently due to the fact that Kitchen on Common only uses locally grown, natural and organic ingredients. We both had the lentil soup, with cumin and coriander, as well as the roasted beet salad with candied walnuts and large shavings of fresh blue cheese. We also split a side of herb roasted fingerling potatoes, which were under seasoned, yet surprisingly delicious (what a difference fresh produce can make). The small eatery is also B.Y.O.B., but the specialty wine and beer store next door provided us with some delicious IPAs to wash down a healthy meal without feeling rushed for our next class.

Eden’s Restaurant & Lounge in Salzburg Square is one upscale, hidden eatery in Amherst that just became more approachable. Personally, I would have kept going back despite Eden’s recent changes, but the restaurant has decided to lower the prices on their menu to better accommodate their customers’ wallets. Not only is the classy establishment giving 1/2 off appetizers Monday through Wednesday, they also now offer any of their dinner entrees in appetizer size (which thus, costs less money). This is all in addition to, of course, changing the dinner prices, too. Salmon for $10; baked brie for $9; and duck for $16? Yes, please. Did I mention Eden’s even has a new dessert menu, including their family recipe for apple crisp pie? New catering and event menu to come, too. Phew.

Side note: While you’re there, try one of Eden’s generous (in size and vodka) martinis.

I now know why Nashua House of Pizza’s spinach pizza is “famous.” I feel like I am the newest member to a spinach-pizza-cult, and boy am I glad to be a part of it. Being the skeptic that I am, I refused to believe that NHOP’s spinach concoction was really the best in the area, as their ads boasted, until I tried it for myself. Also being the thrifty diner that I am, I ordered the personal-sized spinach pizza for under $5 last week, and every bite of the perfectly-sized pizza for one was a delightful culinary experience. Gobs of fresh spinach, melted cheese and chunks of what I believe were feta cheese and garlic oozed over crusty, toasted pita bread that helps make this famous pizza…well, famous. Thick pizza crust was not missed here, and probably would have taken away from the harmonious flavors of the toppings. A must-try for vegetarians and pizza fans alike.

On a side note, NHOP was also named “the best pizza place in the area” by Pat Whitley of the Boston Herald. I’m pretty psyched to try more of their pies in the near future.