In lieu of the recent Fort Hood tragedy, there’s no better time to celebrate Veteran’s Day. Amidst all the gratitude our beloved military members will be receiving that day, they still have to eat; and one such restaurant is taking the initiative. Uno’s Chicago Grill is honoring our men and women of the armed services on Wednesday by keeping their wallets and stomachs full. Uno’s Chicago Grill is giving all members of the military (active or not) a free entree or individual pizza with purchase of an entree or pizza of equal or greater value. All Uno’s asks is that you show up in uniform, with a picture of you in uniform, or with your military or veteran’s ID. So eat up, military members, and thank you for all that you’ve done/you do for us.

Need to take a step back? Sal’s Pizza is taking us back in time this Saturday by cutting down the cost of their pies. To celebrate 20 years of business, Sal’s is selling their 19 inch cheese pizzas (that currently cost $9.99) for $5.55, the price of their pies when the eatery first opened. If you’ve ever noshed at Sal’s, you know how large their slices are - one slice is the equivalent to two or three “normal sized” pieces - so $5.55 is one deal this recession needs. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from Saturday’s festivities are donated to United Way. 30 local eateries are offering the discount (including Nashua, Merrimack, and Milford), but only a select few are hosting day-long activities such as face painting and children’s games. Some of those locations include Salem, Derry, Concord, and Chelmsford, Mass. For a full list of participating Sal’s, click here.

Talk about cheap eats: The Pasta Loft in Milford might just have the best deal in town. The popular American-Italian eatery (which has an additional location in Hampstead), has recently introduced their Frugal Fare Menu where you get two entrees for the small price of $20. The items on this frugal menu aren’t low budget, though. The high quality offerings include Surf & Turf, Lobster Stuffed Shells, Citrus Scallop Salad, and Chicken Saltimbocca Florentine. There’s nothing for the vegetarians or vegans, but us omnivores can chow down, without having to sacrifice a week’s worth of pay.

Just when I thought The Black Forest Cafe’s food couldn’t taste any better, they go ahead and start serving certain sweets at a discounted price. Two mini white chocolate chip dried ranier cherry oatmeal cookies for $1 anyone? Every 14 days, the cafe will be offering a different kind of cookie with a smaller price tag than usual. According to chef Bruce Walters, starting these “Cookie Jar Specials” not only gives their customers a chance to save some cash, but also allows the cafe to try out new recipes. The white chocolate chip dried ranier cherry oatmeal cookies are the first batch, which was kicked off on September 21st. Did I mention you can get two of the cookies for free when you try their new fall espresso drink, Caramel Apple Latte, hot or iced? To keep up-to-date on the current cookie specials, become a fan of The Black Forest on Facebook.

There has been so many food events/news around Nashua that I’ve been lacking on the restaurant reviews, but I need to share this next upcoming event with you before I move on. I was speaking with the ladies over at Frederick’s Pastries in Amherst last week for a story running in Wednesday’s Feast on Fall desserts, and, in the process of speaking with them, I found out that they are holding a Purple Velvet Torte Day on Saturday the 26th. Why purple? It’s the owner’s favorite color, and why should velvet cake only be red? The cake-masters at Frederick’s are giving away free samples of their purple torte from 12 to 2 p.m. in Amherst with a live broadcast by 106.3 Frank FM. While the thought of eating anything purple scares me, I trust that Frederick’s will make a delicious cake creation. Plus, it’s free.

Has your going-out-to-eat-money been negatively affected by this little thing known as a recession? If so, be thankful that Restaurant.com cares. The site has some pretty amazing deals for strapped-for-cash diners, like $25 gift certificates to local restaurants for the mere price of $10. $10 gift certificates are only $4! The site isn’t skimping, either - participating area restaurants are among the most popular, including Florence’s in Merrimack; Elisha’s Restaurant in Milford; and Market Place Diner in Hollis. Now you don’t have any reason not to treat yourself to a meal out.

Has anyone used the Restaurant.com service? Is it just as easy as it sounds?

Got vodka? Some competing downtown restaurants in Nashua do. In addition to their wine nights during the week, Black Orchid Grille and Unum’s are now devoting another day of the week to martinis for a more intense after work stress reliever. This Wednesday, Black Orchid is holding their first Martini Sampling Night where cocktail sippers pay a mere $2 for a 2 oz. tasting. Attendees can try just one tini, or all five that will be offered that night. This week’s menu includes: Dragon’s Kiss, made with Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade, strawberry puree, and a splash of club soda, as well as La Pear Martini, with St. Germain Elderberry Liqueur, Grey Goose La Poire, pear puree and champagne. The tasting is from 6 to 8 p.m., and will be held the second Wednesday of every month from here on out.

Not too far down the road from Black Orchid’s, Unum’s will soon be holding “Tini” Thursdays, where the restaurant will be infusing vodka with various ingredients like fresh fruit and hot peppers, and will be selling the cocktails at a discounted price. Unums will even start showcasing fruit infused vodka martinis, and will select two cocktails each week where $1 of the proceeds will be contributed to Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s research in honor of co-owner Karen Williams’ parents. Drinking vodka for a good cause? Count me in!

Just spent the last few days in Portsmouth for my older sister’s wedding, and boy, do I have some reports on the restaurants I ate at! First things first: the cheapest meal I’ve ever had was at The Page (formerly The Sports Page) at 172 Hanover Street. We went there Thursday night for my sister and her fiancee’s “Jack & Jill” bachelorette party, and I split the Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip with my brother, which came with plenty of tortilla chips and cheesy, greasy dip. Washed down with one too many $2 drafts of ANY draft beer of my choosing, we also decided to split a personal Cheese Pizza, made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil for a mere $4, thanks to the Thursday night special. The pizza was crispy and full of fresh, Italian flavor, although the thin crust could have used less flour.

On a more expensive note, Saturday night, for the fancy wedding party meal, we ate at The Oar House right on the water at 55 Ceres Street. Mind you, we were a party of 20, so we had one waitress for each side of the table which made the experience organized and as relaxing as possible, even with two 2-year-olds in attendance. The prices were sky high, so I split the Baked Brie with peach and melon conserve and toast points ($14) with my boyfriend, and we each got a salad as our meals. I opted for the Mixed Field Greens salad ($8), which was topped with red onion, dried cherries, crumbled blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, while my boyfriend ordered the Beet Salad ($10), which came with only four beets, giant artichokes, chick peas, red onion, and parmesan peppercorn dressing over peppery arugula. Delicious meals, despite the price tags, and enjoyed with great company. My only heads up: I took my 2-year-old nephew to the ladies’ room for a necessary diaper change, and the bathroom lacked an also necessary changing table.

Finally, after the reception Saturday night, we all stopped at Gilley’s for a cheeseburger with pickles, mustard, chopped white onions, and ketchup. These burgs are served out of a trailer, basically, that was chocked full at midnight with bar hoppers and meat lovers alike. Well worth the 30 minute wait, as well as being able to witness the several liquor-fueled arguments that ensued in the long line.

25 years is a long time, so why not celebrate such an achievement for an entire 12 months? Well, T-Bones and Cactus Jack’s have done just that. The local chain continues to celebrate its quarter century anniversary by allowing all kids under the age of 12 to eat free at their restaurants the last week of summer. Starting August 23rd and ending August 30th, participating locations include T-Bones in Bedford, Derry, Salem, Laconia and Hudson, as well as Cactus Jack’s in Manchester and Laconia. Items on the kid’s menu include the standard grilled cheese, hot dogs and the kid’s cheeseburger, as well as a roast turkey dinner for those with bigger appetities.