Recession Prices at Cafe Prima Pasta

Damien and I haven't been going out to eat as much as we used to. Even after Baz was born we would take him out with us and he'd sleep soundly in his stroller while we enjoyed some nice meal at Ice Box off of Lincoln Road or Michael's Genuine Food and Drink, our favorite place in Miami. But, these days we have sort of become slaves to Baz's schedule because it is so freakin' painful when it's disrupted and he doesn't sleep for a couple of nights.

We discovered however that if we go out early enough, not only can we maintain Baz's routine, we can also get some great deals. Now we totally understand the whole Early Bird Special thing. It's not just for old people - it's also for people who took pay cuts because of the recession!

Our early bird special is at a fabulous Italian cafe that we frequented a lot before Baz was born - Cafe Prima Pasta. It's our neighborhoody place that has some of the most dependable service we've found in Miami so far and good old fashioned, if not a little overpriced, Italian fare. The only reason we stopped going there for a little while is because the last time we went Baz had one of his worst meltdowns ever, a meltdown that scarred us for life. So, in addition to the schedule thing, we also were way too embarrassed to show our faces there. Luckily we didn't have a repeat.

I ordered the fabulous Eggplant Parmesan special and Damien had the Chicken Marsala and we ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio too. We started off with a Tri Colore salad and they brought us some complimentary, homemade Amaretto to top things off at the end. The whole thing, including tip: $55. During the week, if you are seated before 6pm they give you a 50% discount.

I added a few dollars to the automatic tip and in addition to being on his finest behavior, we were home in time to give Bazzy his usual bath, bottle and bedtime. All in all, a great evening.