San Diego foodies, rejoice! San Diego Restaurant Week is back for its 21st year to give patrons the opportunity to indulge in some delectable eats from more than 100 local eateries.
The eight-day edible extravaganza, presented by the California Restaurant Associations, runs from Sunday, March 3 to Sunday, March 10.
No tickets are needed. Just make a reservation for one (or two or three, we won't judge) of the dozens of participating restaurants during this food-centric week and ask for the restaurant's hand-selected prix fixe menus.
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The prix fixe offerings give gastronomes the chance to sample several courses from top San Diego County restaurants for a fraction of the price. There are both two-course lunch and three-course dinner menus available at both casual and 5-star restaurants, with prices starting at $20.
Sara Arjmand, a spokesperson for San Diego Restaurant Week, told NBC 7 the hope is not so much that participating restaurants will make a profit, but that they will be able to attract new customers.
“San Diego restaurants are suffering,” Arjmand said. “We had a dip that slowly started trickling in September and then October, and in November when we had the major dip, and we haven’t picked back up yet.”
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One of the participating restaurants is Saltwater in the Gaslamp Quarter. Sabrina Martins, the general manager, said she feels the slowdown is partly because of the pandemic and, now, inflation concerns.
“I feel like it’s mostly because, you know, people are more concerned on how to spend money and where to spend it,” she said. "Sometimes a lot of people might feel like going out to a restaurant is a luxury, and they tend not to go.”
That’s why both Arjmand and Martins hope diners take advantage of lower prices this week: they might just find a new favorite spot that they wouldn’t have otherwise tried.
“Of course, the food is the main reason, but there’s a lot more things that make going out to eat a great experience,” Martins said.
Reservations aren't always required but are strongly encouraged. Find a list of participating restaurants spanning the entire county here.
