Free meals for veterans Veterans, check with your favorite restaurants for Veterans Day discounts or free meals. Here are the ones that I know of for Thursday only. Send me a note if you know of others, and I'll update them on my blog (www.startribune.com/dealspotter).

Treasure Island Resort and Casino south of Hastings offers a free buffet featuring seafood anytime Thursday at Tradewinds Buffet (1-800-222-7077, ext. 2640, www.treasureislandcasino.com). Guests must have a Passport Club card (free but must have a photo ID).

Participating Applebee's (37 Twin Cities locations, including Brooklyn Center, 763-566-1003, www.applebees.com) are offering a free entree from a special menu. Chili's (12 Twin Cities locations, including Roseville, 651-633-7718, www.chilis.com) also is offering a free entree (choose from six) all day.

Outback Steakhouse (seven Twin Cities locations, including Bloomington, 952-854-1950, www.outback.com) is offering a free Bloomin' Onion and a nonalcoholic beverage. The 5-8 Club (Minneapolis, 612-823-5858, also Champlin and Maplewood, www.5-8club.com) will offer a free Juicy Lucy all day.

Bring an active military ID or discharge papers.

Eyeglass frames for $39 The Spectacle Shoppe will have thousands of frames for $39, regularly $150 to $300. A lens purchase is not required. The sale runs Saturday and Sunday at Southdale (Mervyn's former space on the first floor) and Nov. 20-21 at Burnsville Center (second floor, next to Macy's; 651-636-3434). Bring old eyeglasses to be donated to the Minnesota Lions Club Eye Bank.

Time to hit Shakopee Through Saturday, Shakopee is the place to get bargains on candles, gourmet foods, coffee, gift wrap, boxes and bows. The North Aire Market sale (1157 Valley Park Dr. S., Suite 130, 952-496-2887, www.gourmetfoodwarehousesale.com) will have Maggie and Mary's gourmet soups, cheese balls, dip and smoothie mixes and gift packs discounted 40 to 50 percent, with lots of free samples. Cash and checks only. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Gage & Gage gift wrapping, boxes and bows (660 Industrial Circle, 952-233-2081, www.gagewarehousesale.com) are discounted 40 to 90 percent. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends.

Cameron's Coffee (5700 12th Av. E., 952-374-5000) has locally made coffee, cocoa, syrups and mixes discounted 20 to 50 percent, including organic, fair-trade and shade-grown varieties. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

All of the sales run in conjunction with the Canterbury Park Craft Sale ($8 admission) through Sunday (www.canterburypark.com, 952-445-7223).

John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633 or jewoldt@startribune.com. If you spot a deal, share it at www.startribune.com/blogs/dealspotter.