Thursday, August 13, 2009

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios

Click through for a free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios, along with a $1 coupon, by mail. If the coupon is good on any size, you can get a free single serving bowl at Target, where the regular price on those is $1.

Via Common Sense with Money.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

Get a free potty training kit from Pampers

Pampers is offering a free potty training kit that contains the following:

  • A free sample of Easy Ups Trainers
  • High-value coupons
  • Fun stickers & coloring pages
  • Step-by-step potty training tips
  • Potty Progress Chart
  • Dora or Diego training trophy
I can't say that these types of rewards ever worked with my kids, but I'll take a free diaper sample any day!

Via Bargain Briana.

Free pastry at Starbucks tomorrow (7/21 before 10:30 a.m.)

Print this coupon to get a free pastry at any Starbucks tomorrow, July 21, before 10:30 a.m. Note that you have to buy a beverage, and the coupon excludes certain stores, like those in airports and Barnes & Noble.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Coupon for free Ensure

Fill out this form at Ensure.com to get coupons for a free Ensure 8 oz. shake and one for savings on a six-pack. You can choose to have the coupon mailed to you or print it from your computer. (Note: I got a weird "California residents" message, but when I told it to proceed without downloading some permission slip, my request *seemed* to go through without a problem.)

Via A Full Cup.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Free Mambo Sprouts coupon book

Sign up now and get the next coupon book in September. You can have the coupon books mailed to your home three times a year.

Via A Full Cup.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Free Fiber One samples

Fill out this form for a free sample of Fiber One Honey Clusters cereal and Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bar, plus $5 in coupons. Via Freebies 4 Mom.

Free Ziploc samples

The first 10,000 members of Right at Home to fill out this form will receive one full pack of Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags and one small Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® Container. Via Freebies 4 Mom.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Sitter City: Free trial

Sitter CityClick on the banner and sign up to get a free 7-day trial membership in Sitter City, a service that matches parents and babysitters. The service allows you to run background checks, check references, and conduct interviews. (They have babysitters, nannies, senior caregivers, pet caregivers, house sitters, and tutors.) Baby Cheapskate wrote a review last January.

If you know that you definitely want to sign up for a paid membership with Sitter City, you can earn a $25 cash back rebate through shopping portal Cashbaq. I've yet to review Cashbaq for Chief Family Officer, but I've using it for a few months now and have been satisfied with it (it works a lot like Ebates). If you're new to Cashbaq, I'd appreciate it if you'd sign up through my referral link (you'll get a $5 sign up bonus and I'll get a small percentage of your rebate) - thank you!

Disclosure: The banner link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Free Sample: Kotex Overnight

Kotex Ultra Overnight PadsClick on the banner to sign up for a FREE sample pack including Kotex® Ultra Overnight Pads with Wings. I got my sample a while back and really liked it, especially the way it was narrower at the front than the back.

Disclosure: This link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Two word movie review: Star Trek

Totally awesome.




Oh, you were hoping for more.

Okay.

As a long-time Star Trek fan, I waited more than a month for my chance to finally see the new movie with my darling husband. I spent the last month avoiding learning any details about the movie, and that was worth it too. I knew Leonard Nimoy was in it, but I thought it would just be a cameo, not that he'd be central to the plot. I spent the first few minutes thinking, What just happened? George Kirk doesn't die when Jim is born, Jim Kirk totally knew his dad.

And then: Amanda Grayson doesn't die like this. Spock's mom dies of old age. Oh my God, did they just obliterate Vulcan? Side note: A.C. Crispin's novel about Spock's dad, Sarek,is one of my very favorite Star Trek novels (and yes, I've read many).

So I was absolutely thrilled that they so cleverly created an alternate universe for this generation of characters. They won't be tied down by the stories that have already come to pass - which, I've heard, really hampered the writers for the more recent television series because they'd hear back, We already did that back in Episode 113, or, That conflicts with Episode 25 of the other series.

Plus, except for Uhura, the characters were perfectly cast. (There wasn't anything wrong with her, and she has a great look - although her similarity to Jada Pinkett Smith kind of bothered me - but her performance was very blah compared to the rest of the cast.) There were many laugh-out-loud moments, although if I had to pick a favorite scene, it would be when Bones is chasing Kirk around injecting him with various antidotes.

It really was a great movie - non-Star Trek fans got to see a great action film, while die-hard fans got a movie that stayed true to the things we love dearly but that was also fresh and exciting and new at the same time. So I'll say it again:

Totally awesome.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Free iTunes downloads for Facebook fans

Fans of iTunes on Facebook in the U.S. get a 10-song download that includes "two exclusive songs from Dave Matthews Band." (Exclusive to iTunes? I'm not sure.) Go to the "Featured" tab to get a free download of Depeche Mode's new song, "Wrong."

Via My Good Cents.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Free Burt's Bees lip balm

Burt's Bees is giving away 25,000 free lip balms – 1,000 every day for 25 days. It started a few days ago, but I wanted to wait to post this until I saw how it was working out – all too often, these free offers seem to run into snags (like the Oprah-affiliated free KFC promotion a few weeks ago).

The giveaway is between 9 a.m. to noon EDT every day through June 22, 2009. They've set it up to start at a random time during that window, so you'll just have to keep checking the site in the morning. I had some trouble getting it to load properly, probably because thousands of other people were also trying to do the exact same thing. I found it worked best to go to this page on the Burt's Bees site, and then periodically click the "sign up now" button on the bottom left until the form loaded.

Via Freebies4Mom. Congratulations to Heather, who is going to be on tomorrow's Tyra Banks show!

(Although, I must admit, I can't take Tyra seriously anymore after watching The Soup.)

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Free subscription to CBS Watch! Magazine

The first 50,000 to sign up here get a free 2-year subscription to CBS Watch! Magazine. I've become a huge CSI:NY fan (thanks to the reruns on Spike, which were on when I was making dinner until just the other week), so I signed up immediately and am looking forward to getting my first issue!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Free Nexcare bandage sample

Nexcare is giving away free bandage samples to encourage the donation of blood. A limited number of samples are given away each day, so you can always try again the next day if the samples are gone.

Via A Full Cup.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Free Coldplay live album download

Starting today, you can download Coldplay's live album, Left Right Left Right Left, for free at Coldplay.com. It appears the download will be available for the rest of their tour, which to me looks like it ends on September 19 (but don't quote me on that). The album will also be given away at the remaining live shows starting today.

You can see a list of songs on the album, and yes, it does include "Viva la Vida" (yay!).

Note: The site is working beautifully for me right now (I've got 2 minutes remaining in my download) but it wasn't loading right an hour ago, so just be patient if it seems slow!

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Free 8x10 at Walgreens - May 6 only

Get a free 8x10 from Walgreens Photo with code MOTHER. Select in-store pickup and get it totally free because you don't have to pay for shipping!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Free lifetime membership to Freepeats - today only

Freepeats is a site where you can swap baby gear with other local moms. Lifetime membership usually costs $4.95, but today only, you can join any of the groups for free!

One more Earth Day freebie: Reusable tote + 15% off at Walgreens

There's a Walgreens printable coupon good today only for a free reusable tote bag plus 15% off most items in the store (and 20% off store brand products). Happy Earth Day!

Via Common Sense with Money.

Previously: Earth Day Freebies
Previously at Chief Family Officer: The Drugstore Game: A Primer

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

More free stuff today & tomorrow

You can get free ice cream at Ben & Jerry's today from noon to 8 p.m. Via The Bargain Jargon.

This next one might be a regional deal because I can't find anything about it at the Starbucks web site, but a quick Swag Bucks search showed that it's in more than one place: Get free coffee at Starbucks when you bring in your own cup on Earth Day (tomorrow). Although if you're in Atlanta like Ebay Selling Coach, you might be able to get free coffee all week!

Previously: Earth Day Freebies
Previously at Chief Family Officer: About Swag Bucks

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Earth Day Freebies

Earth Day is April 22, and there are deals galore. I'm sure more will appear in the coming week, but here are a few to start with:

Get a free Mickey totebag from The Disney Store when you bring in 3 plastic bottles on April 22 - click through for a picture, it's a pretty cute bag. I think I'll be doing this one. (Via The Bargain Jargon.) - Update 4/20 from The Bargain Jargon: The free item is actually a water bottle. Thanks for the clarification, Christy!

Get a free box of recycled Reynolds Wrap Foil after mail-in rebate. The rebate form will be downloadable on April 22 only and quantities will be limited. You can sign up for an email reminder when you click through. (Via Common Sense with Money.)

Get a free CFL bulb from Home Depot on April 19 (note: not actually Earth Day). In store only. (Via Bargain Briana.)

Free MP3 of Dave Matthews Band's new single

Enter your email address to download the new single from Dave Matthews Band, Funny The Way It Is.

Via FatWallet.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Free Precious Places (Princess) DVD

Fisher Price is giving away free Precious Places DVDs. Having boys who love trucks, I've never heard of Precious Places, which appears to be a princess-themed line of toys.

Via Bargain Briana.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Free Miley Cyrus poster


Make your tween's day and get a free Miley Cyrus poster from Glamour (first 15,000).

Via My Good Cents.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Free Kotex + overage at Ralphs

At my local Ralphs, the 22-count box of Kotex Lightdays liners are $1.49. There was a 75-cents off coupon for Kotex liners in yesterday's newspaper, and there's a $1 off any Kotex electronic coupon at Cellfire.com. The newspaper coupon doubles to $1, so you get a total of $2 off, resulting in 51 cents overage.

If the Cellfire coupon is no longer available, or if you have more than one newspaper coupon, just be patient. The Kotex coupon has been available more than once on Cellfire - hopefully they'll have it again when they next add more coupons (which should be in a week or two).

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

66 free kids' music downloads

Megabloks is offering six kids' music albums for free download. And if you click the link at the bottom of the box, it looks like you can download the French version of all of the albums as well.

Via Coupon Cravings.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Free 5x7 card from Hallmark

Get a free 5x7 folded card at Hallmark.com by using promotion code TRIAL at checkout. You must be a registered at Hallmark.com to use the code.

Offer valid in USA only through 4/12/09; includes postage and taxes. Free card must be sent directly to the recipient.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Win a Wii package & other prizes at Amazon

There's a new sweepstakes at Amazon: the Ultimate Gamer Sweepstakes.

Sixteen grand prize winners will receive a Nintendo Wii Gaming System, 5 Video Games, and a Wii 15 in 1 Players Kit. Twelve first prize winners will each receive a Braun cruZer shaver, a Gillette Fusion Power Gamer Razor, and 3 video games of Sponsor’s choice. Forty second prize winners will each receive a Gillette Fusion Power Gamer Razor and Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel Ultra Sensitive. You can enter once a day until April 20, 2009.

You can also get $10 off when you spend $49 or more on eligible Gillette, Zest, and Old Spice productssold by Amazon when you use the promotional code MAR9GWII at checkout.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Free unreleased tracks from Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails & Street Sweeper

Enter your email address here to receive a link to download the free NIN/JA EP, "featuring exclusive unreleased tracks from Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails & Street Sweeper."

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Free shipping at Shutterfly

Shutterfly.com


When it comes to photos, I've gotten used to getting amazing deals online. Free shipping is pretty much a must for me when ordering photos, and right now, you can get free shipping at Shutterfly on orders of $25 or more with code SHIP25. It expires on March 25.


Disclosure: CFO Reviews is a Shutterfly affiliate.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

$3 off $3 Toys R Us purchase coupon

Sign your kids up for Geoffrey's Birthday Club and shortly before their birthday, you'll receive a $3 off $3 Toys R Us purchase coupon. The web site actually just says you'll receive a "card and gift," but a $3 off $3 purchase coupon is what arrived for both Alex and Tyler. For one of them, I received a party planner that had another coupon (I think it was $5 off a $25 purchase), but I didn't get one of those for the other kid. It's too bad, I probably could have used it!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Free Diet Dr. Pepper still available

The printable coupon for a free bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper is still available at Coupons.com!

Monday, March 09, 2009

25 free resumes from FedEx Kinkos

Tomorrow only, FedEx Kinkos is giving customers 25 free resumes to help in the job search that all too many of us are doing these days. From the press release:

The company invites customers to take advantage of this one-day event by visiting any of its 1,600+ FedEx Office Print and Ship Centers in the United States during regular business hours. This offer is good for 25 black-and-white resume copies per customer and is only valid for orders placed and picked up in-store. Customers may place orders by submitting their resume in printed format or as a digital file, and the copies will be printed single-sided on resume-quality paper.
Via Fabulessly Frugal.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Free Betty Crocker Warm Delights sample

If you haven't signed up for the free Betty Crocker newsletter yet, then you'll get a free sample of Warm Delights Minis when you sign up now. Past newsletters have had links to coupons and recipes, like Indulgent Brownie Tort.

Disclosure: This link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Sign up for a free Home Depot class and get a $10 coupon

Home Depot Sign up for an in-store Home Depot class on how to tile a floor and get a $10 off coupon. (It doesn't say you have to use the coupon on tile - so if you're interested in home improvement, you could attend the class for background and then use the coupon on your current project!)


Disclosure: This link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Free sample of Pantene

Of all the free samples out there, shampoo and conditioner products are among my favorites because I know I'll use them. Except for the special dandruff shampoo that I use three times per week, I am not brand loyal when it comes to shampoo and conditioner, so I love trying out new products. And although I've read that Pantene can be hard on hair, it's always worked great on mine (but then again, mine isn't color-treated or permed).

You can get your own free sample here. This offer is no longer available.

Disclosure: This link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Get a free box of Touch of Gray

Touch of GrayThe mail-in rebate for a free box of Touch of Gray is back. Print the form and mail it in with your receipt for up to $9.50 back.

Disclosure: This link is served by MySavings.com, and CFO is a MySavings.com affiliate.

Review: Lawry's Carvery at L.A. Live

For my first trip to the new L.A. Live venue near Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, I went to Lawry's Carvery for lunch. Lawry's in Beverly Hills is one of our favorite restaurants, but we've only gone once since Alex was born nearly four years ago.

So Lawry's Carvery for lunch was the perfect opportunity for me to get my Lawry's fix. And the prime rib didn't disappoint. The horseradish cream was even better than I remember. Ditto for the au jus. The broccoli was cooked perfectly, but the asparagus was a little, um, woody. Overall, the food was good.

The menu had other tasty-sounding options, like roast beef and sandwiches. But how could I get anything other than prime rib?

The only thing missing was Yorkshire pudding. I don't understand why they didn't have any, and I sorely missed it. (I do realize that it's incredibly easy to make at home, and now that I've thought of it, I probably will soon, but I really would have enjoyed it with my prime rib.)

The set up of the restaurant is, to put it mildly, strange. You go through a cafeteria line to order your food, but then you get your condiments at a hooded counter (like a salad bar) and sit down. Then a server comes up and takes your drink order. He brings your drinks, checks up on you while you eat (he brought me more au jus and iced tea), will take your dessert order if you want any (I was too full of prime rib, and strawberry trifle was not one of the options), and brings the check. So despite the initial cafeteria set up, you pay at the end of your meal at the table - and of course, leave a tip. Strange, I tell you.

And depending on your interest in sports, you'll either love or hate that ESPN is on in the background no matter where you sit. Normally I wouldn't mind, but pretty much the only story they covered the entire time I ate was Tiger Woods's return to the golf course. Even Outside the Lines was going to be about "the ramifications of Tiger Woods's return."

Prices are definitely high. I paid $19.99 for my small (8 oz.) prime rib - with tip and drink, my lunch came to $27.50. I wouldn't blink at that for dinner at Lawry's in Beverly Hills, but that's a really expensive lunch for a place that's definitely not fine dining.

Even so, I'll probably go back sometime - as long as I can't get to Lawry's proper, the Carvery will certainly satisfy my prime rib craving. They do make it better than any restaurant I've ever tried.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Free Quiznos Sub

Go to MillionSubs.com and register to get a printable coupon for a free Quiznos sub. The coupon expires 5 days after it's printed. It's also personalized, and you'll need ID when you use it.

Via Coupon Cravings.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Free Kashi frozen entree

Fill out a form to get a coupon for a free Kashi frozen entree. I love being able to try new products for free!

Via A Thrifty Mom.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Walgreens: 20 free 4x6 prints

Tomorrow (Feb. 20) only, you can get 20 free 4x6 prints from Walgreens photo. Use coupon code ONEDAY when you check out, and select in-store pick up to get totally free photos.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Free organic baby food (Los Angeles only, pick up required)

If you live in the LA area, you can pick up a case of frozen, organic baby food by Tasty Baby for free this week. Details are at the Tasty Baby web site.

Via Common Sense with Money.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Buy a DVD from Amazon by Feb. 28 and get three $1 magazine subscriptions

I bought some "All About" kids' DVDsfrom Amazon and received an email saying that my purchase had made me eligible for $1 subscriptions to Rolling Stone, Men's Journal and Us Weekly. I didn't remember reading about any promotion when I bought the DVDs, but when I went back, I saw this text:

Purchase a DVD in February, and you can get a magazine subscription to Rolling Stone, Us Weekly and Men's Journal for just $1 each. Here's how (restrictions apply).
The Rolling Stone and Men's Journal subscriptions are for one year; the Us Weekly subscription is only for 8 weeks. It's a total $34.90 value for $3, but you can choose one, two or all three - they'll just be $1 apiece.

Disclosure: I'm an Amazon affiliate, so any purchase you make after entering Amazon through a link on CFO Reviews supports this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Did you know that you can make your own ringtones for free?

It wouldn't have occurred to me that this was possible, but Bargain Briana has a tutorial on how to make your own ringtones for free with iTunes. I'm still sort of obsessed with Coldplay's Viva la Vida, so I might make that my new ringtone.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Free Multigrain Cheerios at Ralphs plus overage

Now through Tuesday, Multigrain Cheerios are 2 for $3 at Ralphs. There was a 50-cents off coupon in the Jan. 18 SmartSource insert, and there was, for a while, a 75-cents off printable coupon from Coupons.com. There are also 75-cents off coupons that can be loaded onto your Ralphs Rewards card at Cellfire.com and Shortcuts.com. Each electronic coupon can be used once, so buy two boxes of Multigrain Cheerios in separate transactions and get 50 cents overage total.

Here's how your transaction should look:
$1.50 per box
- $1 paper coupon (75 or 50 cents off, doubled)
- 75 cents Cellfire or Shortcuts
Total: -25 cents

Keep in mind that if you buy both boxes in the same transaction (like I did, since I wasn't thinking clearly), you'll only get 25 cents overage for two boxes because only one of the paper coupons will double. That's why it's best to do it in two transactions.

Also, if you need toilet paper, the Cottonelle 4-packs aren't quite free (like they were a few weeks ago), but they are 2 for $3. There is a printable coupon at the Cottonelle web site (create a pledge to get it) for either 50-cents or $1 off, and there is a 25-cents off electronic coupon at Cellfire. So you'll pay 25 cents for the 4-pack, which is still a pretty good deal for toilet paper.

Image credit: Amazon.com.

Free Valentine's card with a $10 purchase from Shutterfly

Shutterfly.comI really wish I'd waited to order Alex's birthday party invitations because now I'm missing out on the offer that came by email today:

Place an order of $10 or more and you’ll receive a free greeting card. Select a picture, add your message and choose a recipient. We’ll stamp, seal and mail it—in time for Valentine’s Day.

Offer ends February 6, 2009.

Enter code SENDFORYOU in your shopping cart.
I'll definitely have to remember to wait til it's closer to Valentine's Day next year before ordering the invitations!

Disclosure: CFO Reviews is a Shutterfly affiliate.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Do you know a Huggable Hero?

Build-A-Bear Workshop is looking for twelve young people between the ages of 7 and 18 who are doing extraordinary things in their community or around the world to better the lives of others. Each Huggable Hero will a $7,500 educational scholarship and $2,500 in the form of a donation to the 501(c)(3) charity of his/her choice. Visit the Build-A-Bear Workshop web site to obtain a nomination form and read the official rules. The deadline to nominate someone is February 27.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Free magazine downloads at Amazon

Get 20 free downloadsfrom Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and Mental Floss at Amazon.com.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Free Diet Dr. Pepper

The first 2 million people to sign up at http://www.freedietdrpepper.com/ get a coupon for a FREE 20-ounce or 2-liter bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper.

Via Bargain Briana.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

For Twilight fans: Read fan fiction at Twilighted

As I've previously confessed, I've had a hard time saying good-bye to the Twilight universe.(Read my review of the Twilight series and an update.) I've been able to extend my stay in the Twilight universe through the fan fiction site Twilighted.

As you might expect, there's a huge variety. The quality ranges from awful to amazing – the reviews and star ratings help, but really you just have to start reading to see if you like something.

You'll find stories set during the series, before Twilight, and after Breaking Dawn. There are stories that simply fill in the blanks, stories that are set in alternate universes (i.e., what might or could have happened), and even alternate universe stories where everyone is human (those are rather weird, in my opinion, and have nothing to do with Twilight except that the characters have the same names).

I won't recommend anything specific, since I haven't kept track of the stories I've read. I just kind of browse and read whatever has an interesting summary. If you enjoyed the series and have wished for more, I highly recommend you check out Twilighted.

Note: The site has some NC-17 rated stories that some people might wish to avoid. And I don't think there's anything to prevent a minor from visiting the site so parents might want to look into their site blocking options.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival starts on Monday

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival ButtonThe Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival starts on Monday! If you've never participated before, you're going to love it! There are literally thousands of giveaways posted in the Mr. Linky at Bloggy Giveaways, with a wide range of prizes from very small to rather huge. And even the biggest giveaways end up with just a couple thousand entries, so your chances of winning are actually fabulous compared to a national sweepstakes.

And if you're a participating blogger, you'll get quite a few new visitors. The trick, of course, is to convert those new visitors into regular visitors, so be sure to (at a minimum) include a snippet about your blog in your contest post.

Have fun!

P.S. I'll be participating with a giveaway over at Chief Family Officer . . . although I'm not sure what I'll be giving away just yet!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Free bottle of Suave - today only

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of Suave - I find the super cheap shampoos just don't work for me. But, I'm also not one to pass up anything easily gotten for free - especially since free-after-coupon items help me get my total up to $75 so I can use my $5 off $75 purchase coupon at Ralphs and still keep my total out of pocket expenses to a minimum.

So, don't forget to get your coupon for a free bottle of Suave at the Suave web site. The offer is good today only.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Review: Katsu-ya

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Marc and I recently got to go out to dinner and discovered a new favorite restaurant: Katsu-ya. My friend K. has raved about this place many times, but we already had a favorite sushi restaurant so whenever we got the chance, we always went there. Unfortunately, they've gone out of business, so when we wanted to go out for Japanese food, I remembered K.'s effusive praise and made reservations.

We ordered the omakase menu (Japanese version of prix fixe), and were absolutely delighted. Unfortunately, I only have a clear memory of the first and last courses. We started with scallops and cucumber in a sunomono (vinegar) style dressing. Very refreshing and delicious. The subsequent dishes included ahi sashimi (raw tuna) with crispy onions on top, and a different kind of fish in some sort of soy marinade. We finished with a dessert trio of green tea tiramisu, chocolate cake, and banana tempura. There were seven courses in all, so I'm obviously missing a few dishes due to a faulty memory, but I do recall that they were all very tasty.

At $48 per person, this meal is obviously for special occasions only. The rest of the menu, while not cheap, is perfectly affordable. If we hadn't gotten the omakase, I would have ordered the chirashi sushi, which is a bed of sushi rice topped with sashimi, roe, egg, and other delicious components. That would have been a very reasonable $12.50.

The verdict: Katsu-ya is our new favorite Japanese restaurant. And I can't wait to go back!