Warning: Restaurant Week is less than two weeks away, and if you don’t book a table immediately, you risk missing out on the best tables at the most-desired eateries.
San Diego’s twice-annual Restaurant Week (September 13-18) is five years old. It can serve as an entrée to places where price might ordinarily dissuade you from dining. About 180 restaurants will offer a three-course meal for $20, $30 or $40 per person.
“Consumers will see more value than ever this year,” says Lehn Goetz, president of the San Diego County chapter of the California Restaurant Association. “There are more $20 and $30 price points than ever. And there’s a lot of buzz—because this week really becomes an event. We see a lot of bigger groups going out on a Wednesday night, for example, because people are tired of staying home.”
You can research prices at SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com. At the site, you can also look for tips on how to “Dine Like A Pro” from Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien. He urges viewers: “Don’t do the same thing you always do. Be adventurous. Go to a restaurant you’ve never been to before, and eat something you’ve not had before.”
The Cooking Guy has two other tips: Use servers for their knowledge of food, and eat things that are fresh and seasonal. FYI, don’t order butternut squash—it’s out of season during Restaurant Week.
If you miss the (gravy) boat for reservations during the big week, consider another week at the tres-chic Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe. It does the $40 for three courses every Sunday-Thursday of the year.
Ron Donoho is a regular contributor to NBCSandiego.com, editorial director of “Pacific SD” magazine and a contributing editor to sandiego.com. His Web site (sandiegoDTOWN.com) is dedicated to news, sports, culture, happy hours and all things downtown.
