San Diego Restaurant Week returns

Foodies, this one’s for you.

Starting this Sunday, San Diego Restaurant Week is back for the second time this year, and with over 180 restaurants to choose from plus a new lunch program, it promises to be one of the best yet.

Home to a wide variety of flavors, from traditional American to Seaside cuisine to everything else in between, and prepared by some of the world’s top chefs, it’s hard to argue that San Diego truly has a collection of some of the most delicious food in the world.

Ever dined at the award-winning Bertrand at Mr. A’s or splurged for a delicious steak at the world-renowned Donovan’s Steak and Chop House?  How about dinner at sunset next to the ocean at George’s in La Jolla?

If not, it’s understandable.  Some of San Diego’s most delicious restaurants also happen to be the most expensive.

Any other week of the year, that is.

San Diego Restaurant Week offers consumers a chance to enjoy all the culinary gems that San Diego has to offer for a reasonable price.  Each participating restaurant is offering a three-course dinner prix-fixe menu for just $20, $30 or $40 per person, depending on the restaurant.

And for the first time ever this year, afternoon diners can enjoy San Diego’s most delicious eateries for half the cost as well.  The new lunch program will feature some of those same dinner restaurants offering a two-course prix-fixe lunch menu for $10, $15 or $20 per person, again, depending on the restaurant.

What does this mean for you, foodies?  You can try that new tapas bar down the street for lunch, some award-winning Italian food for dinner, and desert or wine from a five-star restaurant somewhere else in the city afterwards, all in the same day, and all for a relatively cheap price.  And then you can do it all again the next day!

If you’re not asking how to participate by now, you should be.

And the answer to that is simple, just show up.  You don’t need to buy a pass or a coupon book or a punch card,  you are free to sample different restaurants throughout the San Diego area as you please, it’s that easy.  If you can get a seat.

This past January, over 140,000 people participated in the San Diego Restaurant Week, and even more are expected to turn out next week, so if you have a certain restaurant that you would like to try in mind, advanced reservations are strongly recommended.  For a complete list of all participating restaurants, phone numbers for making a reservation, and menu’s for what will be served next week, check out San Diego Restaurant week’s website.

After that, there’s only one thing left to do: make your stomach smile.  Your wallet won’t be too disappointed either.  In fact, I think I can hear that ordinarily $100 lobster dinner calling your name.  Happy eating, San Diego!

photos courtesy of djjewelz via flickr