Restaurant Week Summer 2007

I have mixed feelings about restaurant week. On one hand, I get very excited when the lists are released and I start racking up reservations. Then, by the time the two weeks arrive, I realize that I end up spending much more than I would spend on dining out otherwise. Regardless, summer 2007 restaurant week is almost here (it runs weekdays from July 16 to July 27) and you can start making reservations (at everywhere except the ones listed at the bottom of this post, which you'll have to call) via opentable.com tomorrow.

There are two schools of thought on restaurant week. Either choose the most expensive spots that you would never be able to afford without your parents or sugar daddy (this year that would be Nobu, Le Cirque, the Carlyle Restaurant, Del Posto, etc.) OR hit up the moderately-priced restaurants (Blue Smoke, Thalia, etc.) in hopes of getting the grand treatment (and the flexibility to afford ordering off the regular menu if you choose).

Just remember that drinks are not included and you have to order off of the (sometimes limiting) special restaurant week menu to get the $24.01 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner deals. And I was surprised to find that many of the restaurants that frequent the restaurant week lists offer prix fixe lunches (and sometimes dinners) that are the same price or less expensive than the restaurant week deals. My experiences so far with restaurant week are as follows (comment with your own recommendations!):

Morimoto: I went during lunch and wasn't very impressed. They offered a standard sushi bento box that I could have gotten anywhere.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea: Delicious and a great chance to try out the romantic, pricey spot.

Artisanal: I ended up ordering off of the normal menu for dinner and spending less (and I got a glass of wine) than the $35 restaurant week menu.

Carlyle Restaurant: My friend tried the restaurant at the Carlyle for dinner during restaurant week last fall and said that this was one of her best dining experiences in New York. I'm going to try it this year.

Kittichai: Great food but no special deal here. I went for lunch and noticed that Kittichai offers a $20 prix fixe lunch every day.

These restaurant week spots don't show up on opentable.com and you'll need to reserve the old fashioned way: 5 Ninth, Arezzo Ristoante, Atlantic Grill, August, Barolo, Ben Benson's Steak House, Bice Ristorante, Black Duck, Blue Fin, Blue Water Grill, Bond 45, Bread Bar, Cafe Fiorello, Capsouto Freres, Carnegie Deli, The Central Park Boathouse, Centrico, Centro Vinoteca, Chin Chin, Dos Caminos (several locations), Duane Park Cafe, Etcetera Etcetera, F .illi Ponte Ristorante, Fiamma, Gabriel's, Gallagher's Steak House, Gigino Trattoria, Gordon Ramsey's Maze, Grotta Azzurra Ristorante, Hatsuhana Sushi Restaurant, Indochine, Isabella's, Mesa Grill, Mr. K's, Nobu, Nougatine at Jean-Georges, Ocean Grill, Palm Westside, Palm Too, Pershing Square, Petrossian, Pigalle, Redeye Grill, Rocking Horse Cafe, Roppongi, Ruby Foo's, Shelly's, Shun Lee Palace, Tavern on the Green, Tratoria Dell'Arte, Trio, Vento Trattoria, ViceVersa, Villa Berulia