Kimberly Byer and her girlfriends plan to ring in the month of March with dinner, drinks and dancing Thursday night at Imperial Fez. They'll revel at a discount, thanks to Buckhead Restaurant Week.
"I have always loved restaurant weeks," said Byer, who produces health care conferences and lives in the North Druid Hills area. "I typically go for the more expensive restaurants first, but many on the list this year I have been to before except Imperial Fez. Several of my girlfriends have been and recommended it for the fun atmosphere."
Summer Jeter of Decatur, who operates a health-conscious cooking blog called www.lowfatchick.com, is a fan of the discount dining events, too.
"Restaurant weeks expose me to different foods, cultures and flavors, with the bonus of being more affordable," she said. "While finding new places is fantastic, as Atlanta is a food gem, it is more about finding quality food. Once I taste different foods, it enriches my mind and inspires me to continue to cook new things, which adds value to my life. When places inspire me, I often return to these restaurants because if they caught this foodie's attention, then it is a wonderful place worthy of taking family and friends to."
Frugal foodies such as Byer and Jeter are in luck, as the Atlanta culinary calendar is about to fill up with restaurant weeks.
In fact, Buckhead Restaurant Week is already going on and runs through Sunday. More than 30 participating restaurants offer a fixed-price, three-course menu for $25 or $35 per person. Drinks, tax and tip are extra. Participating restaurants include 10 Degrees South, Aja, Anis Bistro, Aria, Atlanta Fish Market, Bistro Niko, BrickTop’s, Buckhead Bottle Bar, Buckhead Diner, Café at the Mansion on Peachtree, the Café at The Ritz-Carlton, Cantina, The Capital Grille, Coast, Dantanna’s, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Flip Burger Boutique, Georgia Grille, Imperial Fez, Kyma, La Fourchette, Latitude, Market Buckhead, Mosaic, Nava, Ocean Prime, Paces 88, The Palm, Portofino, Pricci, Prime, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Season’s 52, Shula’s 347 Grill, Southern Art, Tantra, Tavern 99 and Ted’s Montana Grill.
Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week is planned for July 21-29, followed by Midtown Restaurant Week, Sept. 1-9. Those feature similar deals, but organizers are still finalizing lists of participating restaurants. For full details about all three restaurant weeks, see www.atlantarestaurantweeks.com.
Inman Park Restaurant Week, meanwhile, is planned for March 26 through April 1 with $15, $25 or $35 menus. Participating restaurants include The Albert, Fritti and North Highland Pub ($15 menus); il Localino, One Eared Stag, Parish Food and Goods, Park's Edge, Pure Taqueria, Rathbun's, Sauced, Sotto Sotto and Wisteria ($25 menu) and Kevin Rathbun Steak ($35 menu). For full details, see www.inmanparkrestaurantweek.com.
Kyle Bumpus, a Decatur software developer, has discovered favorite spots over the years by first trying them during Inman Park Restaurant Week.
"I think I first visited Sotto Sotto during Restaurant Week, probably two or three years ago," he said. "They had some kind of butternut squash ravioli which I remember thinking was one of the best things I'd ever tasted at the time. I might never have visited Sotto Sotto had it not been for Restaurant Week because I probably would have balked at the price."
Park's Edge was another Restaurant Week find in years past, said Bumpus, who also noted that restaurant weeks provide good opportunities to catch up with friends as well as dive into new dishes: "It's generally pretty easy to get people to come out for cheap, delicious food."
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