How the recession is changing the way we eat and drink

I saw a story on the news last week about how people's eating and drinking habits are changing because of the recession. We're going out to restaurants less, but buying more wine. Presumably, the wine helps expand our home dining experience, and there is no doubt it's less costly to drink wine at home than to buy it in a restaurant. Especially when you have found a way to shop for good wine online for less than $10 a bottle.

Anyway, a group of restaurants in Florida is trying to win back customers by offering these ten suggestions for "Successful Dining in Lean Times."

"It's a great time be a diner," says Naples Originals founding member, restaurateur Tony Ridgway. "We want diners to be in our restaurants as much as they want to be there." Naples Originals Founder and President, restaurateur Lisa Boet advises diners to "engage owners in conversation. Ask for advice on best values. Inquire about upcoming promotions and events, new dishes, just-arrived wine selections."

Strategies for successful dining are more than cost-cutting tips for dining on-the-cheap. Great dining is not necessarily expensive dining, reserved for special occasions. If diners employ some or all the following strategies, they can stay within budget and still indulge in the pleasures - and the people - at favorite local restaurants.

"10 Strategies for Successful Dining in Lean Times"

1. Small plates are making a comeback. Dining out is about taste, not waste of entrees one may not be able to finish (though Naples Originals endorses "people bags" -- see below). If one's restaurants of choice don't have a "small plates" section on their menus, cruise the appetizer and sides sections and put together interesting meals. This strategy delivers flavor as well as savings.

2. "People bags." If an entrée is too generous for a smaller appetite, turn it into two meals. A dish often reaches its full flavor potential the next day, ideal for a nice lunch.

3. Dine early. Many Naples Originals chefs have created thoughtful early dining menus that feature their signature dishes at significant savings, usually 20% to 30%. Diners save money and beat the prime time crowd.

4. Upgrade your wine choice. Use a Naples Originals gift certificate and put the 30% savings toward an upgraded wine selection. The savings, $7.50 on a $25 gift certificate and $15 on a $50 gift certificate, can be put toward a wine one might normally shy from. Many member restaurants have extraordinary by-the-glass programs and this is a great opportunity to upgrade a wine choice and still keep the tab reasonable.

5. Turn breakfast and lunch into a dining event. Breakfast or lunch on-the-fly? Why not turn the morning and afternoon meal into a dining experience? It's a good opportunity to enjoy a restaurant's cuisine at savings of up to 50% over dinner.

6. Eat cake! Visit a favorite restaurant later in the evening for dessert, at about 8:00, after the dinner rush winds down. It's important to sweeten one's mood in these sour economic times. Even the most expensive dessert is rarely more than $12. Pair a decadent chocolate dessert with port, or strawberries with champagne, and voila, the result is a dining event for about $20.

7. Share entrees. For a wider range of flavor, order appetizers and share entrées. Many restaurants offer this option for a small sharing charge, but the total tab is still considerably less than two, three-course meals.

8. Buy a bottle of wine and take it home. Case in point: Recently a couple dined in a Naples Original restaurant. She had white wine by the glass, and the wine he wanted was available only by the bottle. No problem. He ordered the bottle and took it home still half-full. The law allows diners to take home unconsumed wine as long as it is securely recorked and placed in a sealed bag.

9. Dine at the bar. The bar is the equivalent of a communal table, great for singles and couples and a wonderfully social event if one is feeling friendly. The benefits of bar-dining are myriad: no reservation needed, bartender entertainment (or free therapy!), amusing people (or TV)-watching, and a light meal of small plates and appetizers, selections from the bar menu.

10. Clip coupons. Old-fashioned, yes, but restaurants continue to publish coupons in local guides and publications, print and online. Coupons offer percentage discounts as well as complimentary dishes or wine based on a minimum check amount.

Those may be pretty good suggestions, but I still recommend you check out online wine shopping for less than $10 a bottle.

New LED Lights Are Alternatives to Fluorescent

A real alternative to fluorescent lighting seems to have emerged as new Led-O™ LED tubes, which are both energy saving and safe. Led-O™ tubes use 40 to 70-percent less energy and last six times as long as fluorescent bulbs. They are also environmentally friendly and do not contain dangerous mercury or emit infrared or ultraviolet radiation. LEDs America is offering a product that finally retrofits old 4" fluorescent fixtures and gives off enough light to no longer be considered merely decorative.

"Up until now, most LEDs only put out 800 to 1,200 Lumens. Led-O tubes give off 2,000 to 2,400 Lumens," says Michael Conner of LEDs America, Inc. And even with the increased light output, the tubes remain cool to the touch.

There are many other pluses, which include:

* Durability - LED-O bulbs do not break easily and have a high tolerance to vibration

* Not Sensitive to Cold - LEDs perform well in temperatures from -40C° to 185C°, making them ideal for applications subject to frequent on-off cycling, such as garages and basements

* Directional distribution of light - good for interior task lighting

* Substantial savings on maintenance costs - thus ROI is 12 months, or so

* Fully dimmable - LEDs do not change their color tint when dimmed unlike incandescent lamps that turn yellow

* No frequency interference - no ballast to interfere with radio and television signals

* Environmentally friendly - LEDs do not contain Mercury, Argon, Xenon, Neon or Krypton gases

* Safe - LEDs do not emit infrared or ultraviolet radiation

* Light up immediately

* Easily disposed

LED lamps have a higher initial cost, but the long term savings will more than make up for it. They are available in tubes, bulbs and light bars. Prices start at $46 for a 4" tube.

Visit to order: www.LedsAmerica.com

Did You Know There Is A Professional Paintball League?

I just found out that Paintball is a professional sport, and their championship, I guess you could call it the super-pail of paintball, is about to be held. You would have thought it would have been splattered all over the news, but this is the first I have heard of it.

The US Paintball League (USPL) kicks off its first event of the 2009 season in Huntington Beach, California event, as 150 teams from around the world (including Malaysia, Canada and Brazil) compete for trophies, prizes and a shot at the overall championship.

Surf City Open

The Surf City Open takes place on Huntington City Beach, just south of the famous Huntington Beach Pier, the first weekend in April. Admission is free, with thousands of spectators expected for the exciting finals on Sunday afternoon. Event organizers estimate this year's crowd at 50,000 people for the daylong finals competitions.

World's Premiere Paintball Event: Professional/Semi-Pro Competition

The Surf City Open gained recognition as the world's premiere paintball event due, in part, to its amazing location. The Pacific Ocean offers a beautiful backdrop to the excitement of professional and semi-pro teams battling for paintball domination in the sun and sand. Steps away from Main Street of bustling Downtown Huntington Beach, the Surf City Open offers great access to all the shops, dining and other activities available in Surf City USA.

"Paintball is a game based on the traditional format of Capture the Flag, except the action is much more fast and furious," says US Paintball League Commissioner and Huntington Beach resident Chuck Hendsch. The exciting 7-man format matches two seven-man teams against each other on a field about the size of a tennis court with a number of inflated shapes that offer some cover to the players. Each game lasts a maximum of 7 minutes, with both teams attempting to capture the opposing team's flag to win the match.

The newly formed US Paintball League rescued this popular six-year-old tournament that brings thousands of players and spectators to Huntington Beach. This player-run organization endeavored to make this year's Surf City Open more player-friendly, with lowered entrance fees and higher prize packages, including $9,000 for the Division One Team Champions. Additionally, participants designed their own playing fields, voting online for their favorite layouts out of three possible choices at www.USPaintballLeague.com.

Paintball Shooting Range Open to the Public: Test Paintball Guns

Changes this year to enhance the spectator experience include grandstands on the field and the trade show held on the sand. The Trade Show Expo runs daily from 9 am to 6 pm featuring more than 60 of the sport's best vendors and sponsors. Spectators and players have the chance to see the latest top of the line gear, get great deals direct to the public and talk to the manufactures directly. New this year, is a paintball shooting range, so people can test paintball guns. The USPL has also reconfirmed its commitment to leaving the beach cleaner than when they started.

Events run from 7:30 am to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 8 am to 5 pm on Sunday.

Divisional Paintball Play happens Friday, Saturday and Sunday on four fields directly on the beach. The top 16 professional teams compete Friday afternoon, with finals for both professional and semi-pro teams on Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm on Center Court.

Several Huntington Beach hotel offer great Paintball hotel rates for participants and spectators during paintball event weekend. Check www.surfcityusa.com for updated hotel offers, including:

• Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort (714-845-8000): Room rates available April 1-6, 2009 for $199 per night.

• Hotel Huntington Beach (714-891-0123): $95 per night. Offer valid for check in on April 3, 2009 and check out on April 5, 2009 only. Be sure to mention group name "Camille Lemanski" to receive the special rate.

• Pacific View Inn and Suites (562-592-4959): Single queen room for $69.99 plus tax; minimum two-night stay required. Offer available during April 3-5, 2009 only.

• Extended Stay America (714-799-4887): $75/single or $80/double room.

US Paintball League, a player-run organization that governs Paintball tournaments and play, is committed to setting rules, standards and guidelines for safe, competitive, fair Paintball competitions worldwide. For more information call 714 858 1923 or visit www.USPaintballLeague.com.

Who knows what will happen if paintball becomes more popular. Maybe we will see paint splattered players on Wheaties boxes soon.