Ever seen the phrase "corkage fee" on a restaurant menu and wondered what it meant? Here's the 411: some restaurants let you BYOB, but they charge a small amount ($5-35) to cover the glasses, service, etc. While $20 might seem like a hefty fee for the server to spend 15 seconds pulling a cork, the corkage fee is really just a gentle reminder to you that your BYOB is cutting into their profit margin. Restaurants make a lot of money from drinks markups, including wine, and when you bring your own they aren't raking in the dough.

BYOB is a good dining strategy whether you're a connoisseur or a cheapskate. As a connoisseur, you can bring a special bottle the restaurant wouldn't possibly offer. As a cheapskate, you can save money by paying the corkage fee instead of exorbitant markups.

Just remember the rules of etiquette when you BYOB:

• Call ahead and ask first so you don't show up with your $8 Merlot only to find out the corkage fee is three times that.
• Don't bring wine that's on the restaurant's list. It's rude.
• Offer your server/sommelier a taste. (He or she may say no, but it's the right thing to do.)
• Don't stiff the server: factor the wine in when you calculate the tip.

Anyone who lives in, or around, Chicago might want to take a peek at this great map put together by Dr. Vino. According to him, the city has over 400 restaurants that allow customers to bring their own drinks to dinner, but even with so many places, it is hard to figure out quickly what restaurants permit this. The Chicago BYOB map is a start at cataloging all of these places so that diners know where they can - and can't - BYO. As of now, the map only lists about 45 or so places, but you can always write in and submit your favorite spots if they're not already listed.

And diners who are interested in BYO dining might want to check out the companion map of Chicago wine shops to pick up a bottle or two o the way to dinner.

There is now an extremely useful tool for anyone who dines in New York City and is tired of paying exorbitantly high markups on their alcohol at restaurants. Amuse-Bouche.net has created an interactive BYOB map of NYC. The idea of the map is that it will enable people to find a BYOB joint in the area where they are, or where they are going, with ease, as other lists of restaurants that are sorted by name, not proximity. So far, it looks like the map has quite a few listings, including restaurants which charge no corkage, no corkage on some nights or a small (under $10) fee.  As a reader-submitted list, the BYOB map is likely to be the best, most current source of information, and since it is a subject that appeals to many, there is no doubt that the database will grow quickly. If you (or the restaurant) can verify the BYOB status of your favorite eatery, they'll happily add it to the map.

[Via The Food Section]