Vero restaurants serve up summer dining deals

Among the rewards for those who spend sultry summers in Vero Beach are the off-season dining deals that local restaurants offer their loyal in-season patrons (and those eager to sample these restaurants for the first time).

This summer is no exception, with Vero restaurants offering such blandishments as free glasses and bottles of wine, percentage-off-total-bill discounts, and a bevy of attractively priced prix-fixe menues.

It’s a great time of year to have the luxury of booking a table at the time of your choice (though at some restaurants, you still need to book early), or finding a seat at the bar without a wait and actually having a conversation with other patrons.

Many restaurants offer lighter fare and wines that marry well with the warmer weather.

But a number of these special deals are only available on certain slower early-in-the-week days (though some are also offered on weekends), so you may want to check with the restaurant before you go.

At Avanzare, the new Italian Ristorante on 14th Avenue, an early bird, three-course menu is offered at $14.50 Tuesday-Saturday from 5-6 pm. Main course selections include Salmon Puttanesca Penne, Sirloin Steak Marsala and Chicken Parmiagina Angel Hair. Avanzare boasts it is the only restaurant in Vero that makes fresh pasta from scratch on premise.

Maison Martinique, the fine-dining gem at the Caribbean Court boutique hotel on South Ocean Drive, has a prix-fixe, four-course menu for $38.50. Start off at the upstairs piano bar, Havana Nights, for happy hour any night from 5:30 to 7 pm with $6 Mojitos on Thursdays.

At Pearl, formerly The Polo Grille, customer appreciation is abundant. The Summer Lites menu is $21, including soup or salad, entrée and dessert served from 5 pm to close. There is also a Customer Appreciation $15 menu, including 2 for 1 cocktails, served from 5 pm to 6:15.

If you make it to The Melody Inn, the Swiss French Restaurant on 19th Place, before 6 pm, a choice of eight great Entrees is offered along with dessert and a glass of wine or beer for $22.95.

Carmel’s summer prix-fixe, three-course course menu is $32 and parties of 4, seated before 6 pm, are offered a complimentary bottle of house wine (complimentary glasses of house wine for parties of 2). Check out their wine tastings every other Tuesday through October.

Ebb Tide dinners are happening at Rip’s from 4 to 7 pm any night with a choice of 14 entrees from $5.95 to $9.95.

If you dine at Ti Amo Sempre on Ocean Drive from Monday to Thursday, there’s a free bottle of house red or white wine with the purchase of two entrees, or single diners receive 2 glasses of house wine.

Early Sunset Dinners are only $15.99 at Stella’s, the new Italian bistro off Route 60. The only requirement is that you are seated between 5 and 5:45 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. Appetizer choices include Bruschetta Siciliana, Mussels Marinara and some Entrée offerings are Chicken w/Shiitake, Apples & Vermouth Cream Sauce, Veal Piccata w/Artichokes & Capers, Potato Encrusted Fish of the Day or Stella’s Famous Cannelloni.

The French Quarter is rolling out a summer-time Ultimate Early Dinner menu. You must be seated by 5:45 pm, and for $14.50 you can select appetizers like Crabcakes, Mussels or their popular Caesar Salad. Main courses include Onion Encrusted Dolphin, Roast Petite Tenderloin or Shrimp Etoufee.

Come anytime for the French Quarter's $21.50 Summer Special Menu that features six entrée choices including Yellowtail Snapper, Shellfish Bouillabaise and Ribeye Steak, served with a choice of a salad or a big bowl of gumbo.

Buy one entrée, and get the second at 50% off, between now and June 29th at the Quilted Giraffe. They also offer Summer Dinners starting at $10.

Get happy at 3Aves during their 5 to 7 pm or 10 pm to midnight Happy Hours. Rum cocktails and house wines are $5 and your choice of any Gourmet Flatbread Pizzia is $5 off.

The Tides has a lovely summer Bistro Menu that keeps changing and is all a la carte. It's a great value, and an opportunity to enjoy the same quality and talent that goes into their regular prix fixe menu.

The Hardwood Grill offers 20 percent off your entire check if you bring in a newspaper coupon.