The Top 5 Reasons to Dine Out For Life

It’s just a few days away until over 90 area restaurants open up their doors and lure you in with delectable dishes to help raise funds for NO/AIDS Task Force for the 17th annual Dining Out For Life. Just in case you’re having some trouble deciding whether to dine or where to go, we’ve prepared a list of the top 5 reasons you should dine out. And yes, one of those involves you winning a vacation, but you gotta keep reading to find out how.

The Top 5 Reasons to Dine Out For Life on Thursday July 19th (in no particular order):

1. Got a business lunch or dinner coming up? Send this link to your boss or client or person who watches your expense account like a hawk. Not only are there lots of great options, but now you can be doing good and giving back to the community while you plot some vicious corporate takeover. Maybe your boss will be so impressed by your forward thinking, you’ll get that raise you’ve been hoping for. Though it’s more likely you’ll just get to drink at lunch and not have to go back to the office. Either way, you win!

2. Maybe you have some friends visiting from out of town. Sure you could throw them to the wolves and let them partake in tourist trap food and way too many sugary cocktails in questionably-shaped plastic cups . . . Or you could be the Best. Friend. Ever. and swoop in with a recommendation for one of our amazing destinations in the Quarter. Believe us, they’ll thank you later, even if they do go out for hand grenades after.

3. It’s hot out there. Some days it’s like walking on the face of the sun. Why would you ever want to go home and crank up an oven for 30 minutes before you can eat dinner? Instead, you can head out to a restaurant and have them do all the hard work for you. The only heavy lifting you have to do is your fork and knife (or chopsticks, which isn’t really lifting, but more of a pinching . . . we digress).

4. Because you need a vacation. Now, you probably think we’re going to tell you that going to one of the more exotic restaurants on our list, will let you pretend you’re in Spain or Tunisia, or France or where ever for an evening. While that’s true, that’s not what we were going to say.

We were going to tell you that when you are done with your meal, and you’ve settled up and tipped your server (generously, we hope), you’re going to notice these donation envelopes on your table. And all you have to do is put a measly $5.00 (though we’ll take more if you’re feeling generous, or the wine has taken effect) in the envelope and fill out your info, and you are entered into a raffle to win a 7 night luxury vacation at the St. James Club Resort & Villas in Antigua. Isn’t that better than an after-dinner mint?

5. Because we love our servers and waitstaff, and they’re the ones who really have to do all the hard work that night, when you enter the raffle, your server is automatically entered as well. And they don’t lower your odds of winning, we have a separate trip to Antigua for them. Which means, if you think your server is cute, you should enter the raffle in the hopes that they win and when they do you can have this Bridget Fonda and Nicholas Cage (pre-crazy) “It Could Happen To You” moment and fall madly in love and live happily ever after. Note: leave out the part where you make that donation you server’s tip. If they don’t win, you’ll just be a jerk.

We know we said top 5 reasons, but this is New Orleans. Consider #6 lagniappe

6. Because you want to make a difference in our community. You want to help people. You care about the work NO/AIDS does in our community. And really, there’s no easier or more fun way to do that, than by just making a date to make a difference on Thursday, July 19th.