Great dining is a big draw for travelers, particularly in big destination cities where the culinary experience is an art form.  However, it can be pricey.  Imagine this – being able to feast on great food, in the best restaurants, at bargain prices! 

Do what the real foodies do - seek out Restaurant Week, usually happening twice a year in an increasing number of US cities. It’s smooth on the palate, easy on the wallet.   

Restaurant Week in participating cities is fun and festive, and everyone wins. Cities showcase their dining options; restaurants feature signature dishes and try out new ones; diners experience the city’s restaurant scene, feast on regional cuisine, sample creations by acclaimed chefs, dine in delightful ambiences, from glam to intimate -all for a great price! 

Restaurant Week usually happens in off-peak months - January through March in cold weather destinations; July and August in hot weather destinations. Initially a marketing ploy by chambers of commerce in concert with local restaurants to entice visitors to a city during slower tourist seasons, Restaurant Week has become wildly popular in cities that host them. For visitors in the know, a week of great dining at great prices is reason alone to visit a city; for locals it’s a chance to try restaurants which might otherwise be outside their budget. 

For the price and the experience, it’s a steal!  The norm for participating restaurants is to offer a special 3-course prix fixe lunch or dinner menu, usually including a choice of appetizer, salad, or soup, an entrée and a fabulous dessert.  Depending on the city, lunch runs around $15-$20 per person; dinner is in the $30 to $40 per person range.  In some high-end restaurants, dinner can run in the $50 per person range, a bargain compared with their usual prices.  All prices exclude beverage, tax, and tip. 

In cities that have them, Restaurant Week has become a celebratory special event, a food festival with hundreds of restaurants participating and thousands of people enjoying.  Besides great food at bargain prices, some cities have enhanced the experience with wine pairings, tasting menus, cooking classes, and celebrity chef book signings.     

Traveling to Washington DC in February?  Great timing!  The recent inaugural festivities postponed the normally scheduled January event until February 16-22.   The list of participating restaurants is huge.  Some are big time politico spots; others smaller, more intimate places; all have wonderful menus.  Scattered as they are throughout DC’s distinctive neighborhoods, trying out several is a great way to really see the Washington DC that lies beyond the museums and monuments.  Can’t make it to DC just now, plan a visit there in August to take advantage the summer one.

Miami’s Winter Miami Spice lasts a whole month!  It’s going on now, but you have just until February 12^th to sample Miami’s eclectic, diverse culinary style, creatively infused with tropical and Latin influences. Check out the great variety in SoBe hot spots, sophisticated places in downtown Miami, intimate ones in charming Coral Gables, and trendy ones in artsy Coconut Grove.  If you miss the winter event, you’ll have a chance to sample Cuban picadillo, Argentine parrillada, Peruvian ceviche, yucca fritters, conch, stone crab during Summer Miami Spice in August/September. 

If snowy vistas are more appealing than sunning on the beach, Denver’s Restaurant Week takes place from February 21-27.  It’s so popular that almost 200 restaurants across the Mile High City are participating in the 5th year of the festive event. 

Sample all different takes on Boston’s traditional “chowda” and more in this historic colonial city of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Taste Italian with a modern twist; spicy Indian exotically prepared; Mediterranean small plates; fresh, succulent, signature seafood; comfort food served with good cheer in a friendly Irish pub.  The 2-week run of Restaurant Week Boston’s winter version is coming up March 15-20 and then again March 22-27.  Besides indulging in wonderful food, it’s a great way to explore Bostons’s charming neighborhood places, as well seaside spots with great views. 

New York City, arguably the best and most ethnically diverse culinary city in the world, is a big player. Not-to-be-missed NYC Restaurant Week happens in both winter and summer with menu selections that span the globe  This year’s winter event just ended, but plan now to attend the equally splendid summer sequel in July. 

In San Francisco, winter Dine Around Town (DAT) just concluded after a fabulous 2 week run.  If you’re salivating at the thought of fresh seafood and regional vegetables straight from California farms paired with great California wines, plan ahead to June for the summer version. 

Cutting-edge, creative California cuisine served in over 100 participating restaurants during dineLA throughout the greater Los Angeles area, in places like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Malibu, Woodland Hills, Redondo Beach, Brentwood, Hollywood, just concluded. However, look for it again at the end of January 2010.  

Just like LA, Philadelphia’s Center City District Restaurant Week wrapped up on February 6^th.  If your plans take you to Philly next year, the offerings are delightfully varied – Nuevo Latino, savory Mexican, seafood classics, and French cuisine. 

Honolulu recently jumped on the culinary bandwagon, holding its 1^st annual Restaurant Week last November.  It was so successful they’re repeating it next year.  Glittery Las Vegas has one in September; San Diego’s concluded in mid January. Charlotte’s 2009 winter culinary extravaganza, Queen’s Feast, just ended, but the Queen’s holds court again in July. Restaurant Week is so popular in Atlanta there’s a friendly summertime rivalry going on between the Downtown Dining District in July and Midtown in August! 

Coral Gables, a lovely smaller city with a distinct European feel within the Greater Miami area, participates in Miami Spice and holds its own summertime event.  Try it for the food and the ambience, much of it al fresco.  On Florida’s west coast, acclaimed chefs have found a receptive home in Sarasota.  They’ll showcase their culinary expertise during Savor Sarasota at the end of May. The weather is great that time of year, and choices range from edgy continental cuisine in sleek, elegant surroundings to seafood specialties in a casual beachfront places.

In New Orleans, the melodious name alone, Reveillon Dinners, is the first clue that these are something special.  Similar in structure to Restaurant Week in other cities – discounted prix fixe menus offered in participating restaurants – they are true feasts which take place during the Christmas season in restaurants throughout a city where dining is a sensual pleasure.  A Creole tradition since the mid- 1800s, Reveillon Dinners were family celebrations following Christmas Eve mass, featuring breakfast-like menus of egg dishes, breads, and smooth  puddings.  Today’s Reveillon menus have broadened to include New Orleans favorites.  Imagine savoring signature Creole cuisine – gumbo, shrimp remoulade, jambalaya, bread pudding soufflé - in marvelous old world French Quarter places: Bombay Club, Commander’s Place, Broussard’s, Galatoire.  Newer restaurants like Emeril’s NOLA, serve a creative contemporary take on Creole favorites for New Year’s Eve Reveillon Dinners.

Helpful tips to fully enjoy Restaurant Week:

• Check online to see if and when your destination city has them.
• Check to be sure that your restaurant of choice is participating.
• Reservations are a must.  Reserve early. You can book online through opentable.com, but not all participants are on their list.
• When making the reservation, let them know that you are reserving for the Restaurant Week menu.  Some restaurants limit seating for Restaurant Week patrons in order to ensure table availability for patrons preferring the full menu.
• The well-known restaurants are sure to draw crowds. Check out the smaller, chef-owned places.  You’ll be delighted.
• Tip well.  Keep in mind that your bill is discounted, but your server is providing the same service they would give if your lunch or dinner were the regular price.  

Restaurant Week – delicious excess, exquisite preparations, and choices, choices, choices in tastes and ambience.  Save on $, if not on calories!

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