A full tummy for less money

Economic woes have led Triangle restaurateurs to woo diners with deals.

There are small-plate menus, kids-eat-free specials, three-course dinners for $35, two-course lunches for $15.95, even an all-you-can-eat catfish meal.

Then there is chef/owner Charlie Deal at Jujube in Chapel Hill. In a note to customers last month, Deal wrote, "One could argue now more than ever, you just need a pleasurable escape. Of course, it'd be nice if it didn't cost a whole lot, right? With that in mind ... we're announcing a series of 'recession wine dinners' pairing tasty but inexpensive wine with delicious foods made from humble ingredients." The cost: $40 per person.

It seems some of us are looking for a tasty diversion from bad economic news. Deal says the first two dinners sold out so quickly that second nights were added, which also sold out. He plans two more, on Tuesday and Dec. 16.

Or you can seek solace another way: comfort food. As Crook's Corner Chef Bill Smith refers to it: "simple food for complicated times." Smith has increased the comfort quotient on his Chapel Hill restaurant's menu with meatloaf and gumbo -- entrees that also happen to cost less.

Chef Jason Smith (no relation) who owns 18 Seaboard in Raleigh, has done the same thing, offering such Southern stalwarts as Brunswick stew.

Whether you are looking for a cheaper dining experience or a comforting dish of macaroni and cheese, here is a sample of dining deals across the Triangle.

Small plates

Many restaurants offer smaller, less expensive entrees.

Porter's City Tavern (2412 Hillsborough St., Raleigh; 821-2133; www.porterstavern.com) is offering small plates including tempura green beans with chipotle mayo and tuna carpaccio "pizza" for $4 each or three for $10.

J. Betski's (10 W. Franklin St., Suite 120, Raleigh; 833-7999; www.jbetskis.com) expanded its small-plate offerings to include chicken and lentil stew with spaetzle and scallops with fingerling potatoes and bacon, both $10.75.

Six Plates Wine Bar (2812 Erwin Road, Durham; 321-0203; sixplates.blogspot.com/) offers only six small plates each night, making it perfect for the budget-conscious diner. But it also offers specials, such as half-price bottles of wine with the purchase of a savory plate on Mondays and $5 lamby joes (a version of sloppy joes made with local lamb) with flatbread on Wednesdays.

Herons (100 Woodland Pond Drive, Cary; 447-4200; www.heronsrestaurant.com) is offering small plates at the bar. Everything from blue crab lollipops with lemon grass creme fraiche dip to deep-fried pickles cost less than $10.

Kids eat free

Globe Restaurant and Bar (510-103 Glenwood Ave., Suite 103, Raleigh; 836-1811; www.globeraleigh.com) is letting kids 12 and under eat free off the children's menu on Mondays from 6 to 10 p.m. Meanwhile, parents get $5 glasses of wine.

Xios Authentic Greek Cuisine (800 W. Williams St. Suite 100, Apex; 363-5288; www.xioscafe.com) allows children to eat free from the children's menu on Thursdays.

Happy Hour

Blu Seafood and Bar (2002 Hills- borough Road, Durham; 286-9777; www.bluseafoodandbar.com) offers $5 appetizers and salads at the bar from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Every Thursday, it offers five crab dishes costing $5 to $11 each.

Many courses, cheaper price

Il Palio Ristorante (1505 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 929-4000; www.sienahotel.com/ilpalio.cfm) offers a two-course weekday lunch special for $15.95. The first courses include an arugula salad or a roasted stuffed pepper, to be paired with cedar-planked salmon, chicken piccata or grilled flatiron steak, among other choices.