Ten Tasty Plates For $10 or Less (by Rebecca Long)

Ten Tasty Plates For $10 or Less

(Say “Mmm…” at MMMAXIMUM VOLUME!)

by Rebecca Long

Ajax Diner
“The Big Easy”…$9.00
A Country Fried Steak served on a bun and layered with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Butter Beans. Dressed with Mayo, Pickle, and Shredded Cabbage. Served with a side of Steak Fries.
This monster-of-a-sammich merges many Southern staples under one roof…ergh, bun. This behemoth never leaves me hungry or wishing I’d ordered anything else.

Two Stick
“Florida Roll”…$9.25
Jamaican-Jerk Grilled Shrimp, Seasonal Fruit (such as Mango or Pineapple), Cilantro, Avocado, and Lime.
This futomaki (jumbo) sushi roll is not only delicious, but filling as well. The perfectly-seasoned shrimp is never overcooked, and the refreshing fresh fruit and avocado round off the roll on a slightly salty-sweet note.

Mink’s On The Park
“The Alex”…$7.49
Boar’s Head Roast Turkey, BBQ Chicken, and Vermont Cheddar, dressed with Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayo on your choice of Bread (or make it a wrap).
This is a super sandwich, made with quality Boar’s Head meats and cheeses. I get ‘em to add red onion and pepperoncinis when I order it, but it’s delicious as is.

Rib Cage
“Hot Wing Quesadilla”…$9.49
Diced Smoked Chicken with Rib Cage Wing Sauce, served with your choice of Bleu Cheese, Ranch, or Salsa Ranch.
I like hot-wing-flavored things that aren’t wings, and this is one of my favorites in the world, in that particular category. This quesadilla is meaty, cheesy, saucy, and yummy—a merger that was meant to be.

Proud Larrys’
“Bar-B-Que Chicken Calzone”…$9.95
Handmade Original Herbed Pizza Dough Calzone filled with Barbecue Chicken, Red Onion, and Smoked Gouda Cheese.
The calzone, to me, is better than the Bar-B-Que Chicken Pizza, though it contains the same ingredients. Mostly I like it better because I’m not expected to share! Gouda cheese is the perfect accompaniment to the tasty spicy-sweet Larrys’ BBQ chicken, and this is my favorite pizza crust in the world.

Taqueria El Milagro
“Burrito California”…$6.49
Your choice of Chicken or Beef, with Rice, Beans, Avocado Slices, Onion, Lettuce, and Tomatoes.
The menu reads, “This is Mucho Grande Burrito!” and it doesn’t lie. I’ve only finished the entire burrito at the restaurant once; the rest of the time, I have leftovers for dinner. I’ve been eating at Milagro for a few years and no dish has ever disappointed me, so it was hard to choose just one item to list…but I think this burrito gives you the most bang for your hard-earned buck.

Volta Taverna
“Lamb & Beef Gyro”…$8.00 (add feta: $1.25)
Dressed with Ziki Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion.
As simple as this wrap seems, somehow this staple gets screwed up at a lot of dining establishments. But NOT at Volta. The pita is always warm, the veggies are always fresh, and the meat is grilled to perfection. And if I were you, I’d ask ‘em to finish it off with some feta.

Betty Davis Bar-B-Que
“Jumbo BBQ Sandwich”…$4.75
Betty Davis is a little out-of-the-way on a workday, but if you have the time, use it to drive to Waterford and sample some of the South’s best BBQ. You get a big bun piled high with hand-pulled pork smothered with homemade BBQ sauce, topped with slaw if you want it. And for the remainder of your $10, you can pay for your half of a COLD six-pack and a slice of hoop cheese.

Little Easy Express
Country-Fried Steak, Purple-Hull Peas, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, and Cornbread or a Roll (Thursday)…$6.49
Little Easy’s plate lunches are food heaven. Maybe that’s why it’s called “Soul Food.” The meat and vegetable options differ each day of the week, but you can find the listing in our “Food & Drink Specials” Calendar on pages two and three. I can’t decide which is my favorite main dish, Thursday’s Country-Fried Steak, or Tuesday’s Chicken Spaghetti…they’re both delicious! And, by the way, Little Easy’s portions are anything but little. You won’t ask for seconds!

Bouré
“Spinach Steak Salad”…$10.00
Spinach, Grilled Filet (cooked to order), Roasted Bell Peppers, Caramelized Onions, Portabellas, Cherry Tomatoes, served with Bleu Cheese Dressing.
This simple dish is simply one of the greatest salads I’ve ever tasted. The filet is always cooked to perfection, the spinach and tomatoes are super-fresh, and the bleu cheese dressing is to-die-for.