Free Beer and Cookout Today 5pm-6:30pm

When it's free, the quality becomes less of a factor because value goes through the roof, but even here, you're not sacrificing too much quality with getting Starr Hill beer. There's three steps to "getting your free on" in this case:

1. RSVP at the WTD Events page here (get more info there as well)
2. Get to the Yards Park (Navy Yard Metro Station) by 5pm before there's too much of a run on all the free beer, which becomes available at 4:30pm
3. Once you've gotten your fill, walk ten minutes over to Harry's Wine and Spirits at 990 NJ Ave SE for the free cookout, which lasts til 8pm and repeats the following evening from 4:30 to 8pm.

$950 Studio G St SW

Yes, another English basement...but sometimes, when looking to live alone, that is here the value lies...especially when you're not sacrificing light! What makes this a great deal are the inclusion of a private patio, washer/dryer, parking, and a walk-in closet...all in a location that is walking distance to arguably the best Safeway in the District.

Check out this steal of a deal in the bloggers' hood.

The ad:

Waterfront/SW@3rd&G, Private entrance English basement efficiency, sep kit, walk-in closet, 2blks from Waterfront/Fed Center SW metro, 3blks from Capitol/Mall, walk-out patio, assigned park space, W/D & more $900 mo. Available June 1.

 

Eat THESE Delishes

This blog is all about the best value for quality food. Here are four delicious dishes ("delishes") that exemplify what we mean. Try them!

Already tried one of these dishes? Let us know in the comments section what you thought of it. At least one of us can personally vouch for that cake. 

$15 Unlimited Pizza (10 options) at Piola, Rosslyn Sundays 5-11pm	$3 Tres Leches Cake at Tacqueria Nacional, Union Station M-F, 11am-3pm
$5 Chicken Goujoniettes at Morton's, Farragut North Bar only, M-F 4:30-6pm & 9-11pm	$6 Petite Filet Mignon Sandwiches (4) at Morton's, Farragut North Bar only, M-F 4:30-6pm & 9-11pm

16X Lamb + 8X Beer = $33 at Ritz Carlton, Dupont South, May 22, 2-5pm

Credit: American Lamb Board / Rick Souders Photography

It's pretty simple. If you have two friends who love lamb, you should all chip in and buy the 3-for-2 tickets to LambJam within the next week. The event takes place 2-5pm on Sunday, May 22nd. When this event took place in Boston, people got to try 16 lamb dishes, 8 beers, wines from Washington and California, and attend 2 educational butchering demonstrations LIVE.

Why is this a good deal? Well, you'd be hard pressed to find a decent lamb chop for less than $20 in the District, and more commonly, you would end up paying closer to $30 at least. Add $3 (tax on your restaurant meal), and that is the price of your 16 dish tastings plus all the accompaniments we described.

Also, having attended Cochon555, we can verify that these meat-tasting events are fun! More importantly, this event is going to sell out each year it takes place, and this is your chance to get in on the ground level the first time it is being held in 'Strict confides. It will only get bigger, become more (over)crowded, and sell out faster as the years go on. Your best bet is to be the first group to join in.

Eastern Market $1150 1BR

Anybody looking to live near Eastern Market (the Metro station as well as the market itself) knows that it is very expensive to find decent living around there. In comes this opportunity, where, yes, it is an English basement, but look at the quality of the place for the price you are getting: $1150 for, not a studio but a one bedroom, at Independence and 8th SE? That's a great deal. Jump on it, if you haven't already.

Here's the ad itself:
Located in the heart of Capitol Hill at Eastern Market (one block to the Eastern Market Metro station, Orange/Blue line).

Recently updated one bedroom/ one bath English basement apartment with lots of light.

Available April 1st.

Rent is $1150 plus utilities

No Smokers
No Pets

Please do NOT email with any questions, please call Jean 202-297-3224 for an appointment to see the apartment.

Independence Ave SE at 8th St SE (google map) (yahoo map)

• Location: Capitol Hill
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

--------------------------
If you go see this apartment, let us know what you think of it! Is it a great deal or just another English basement?

Hotel Cocktails, Tasting/Mixing = $45 @ Tabard Inn Next Tuesday 6:30pm

A week from tonight, you can learn to craft and taste some cocktails that hotels have made famous.

Why is this a good deal? Because for $45, you are going to drink a bunch of cocktails made with the top recipes around. And you know exactly what brands of liquor you're getting in advance (look at the sponsors): Appleton Estate, Hendricks, Pernod, Plymouth, Remy Cointreau, and Skyy. Not exactly crap-shelf liquor.

Credit: Southern Accents

Who cares about making the damn drinks? That's just a bonus. Figure you get five, or even six cocktails (the event description lists four hotels "and others"). Each cocktail you get increases the value of this price. So, $45 really isn't that bad when you think about the quality you're getting for that price, along with the fact that you are getting multiple quality cocktails and a handful of hors d'oeuvres. For you math-challenged Districters, here's how it'd breakdown:

• 5 cocktails: $9 each
• 6 cocktails: $7.50 each
• 7 cocktails: ~$6.50 each
• 8 cocktails: $5.62 each
• 9 cocktails: $5 each

You ain't gettin' double-digit cocktails, I assume, so I stopped there. Granted, I haven't actually done this deal myself, so I can't speak from personal experience. But, it seems like at least a decent deal. 

Are you going to attend this event, or have you been to other events put on by The Museum of the American Cocktail? Leave a comment below to let us know what it's like.

Can't make it? You can still learn to make a great Seelbach here.

About this Blog

Anybody can let you know an occasional good deal or a scene you want to catch, and lots of sites review almost every new restaurant that comes to town or focus on all the news relating to a particular section of the city. That isn't the kind of blog this is going to be.

Instead, this blog will single out occasional situations that seem like the best value for quality. For example, if there's a $5 special on Japanese Kobe burgers at a cozy, upscale neighborhood bar, and if that special is going on only this Sunday, from 2-4pm, we would mention that. If there's a light-filled apartment on a beautiful, tree-lined, safe street near the Metro, with a rental asking price that is obviously less than it is worth, then we'd cover that. To reiterate, this is about finding the best value for quality in the 'Strict, as I call it.

Timely, relevant, unique value for quality is what this blog seeks to present to you on a regular basis.

Got a tip? Post it in a comment or send it to the blog author at marc dot elliott dot levy at gmail dot com. Thanks!