Currently DineAroundSeattle (http://classifieds.nwsource.com/sites/dinearoundseattle/) is offering $25 dinners and $12.50 lunches at various restaurants throughout the city.

I know New York does a very similar program as well.

Any other cities do this? And when?

I believe San Francisco did this last year, but I haven't seen anything recently.

Raffy - any info?

There were recently ads in the New York papers that all the downtown restaurants are offering pre fixe dinners at modest prices.

Nice!

In Fort Lauderdale, there is a restaurant called Cafe de Paris on Las Olas Blvd-
GREAT Fixxed price dinners!!!
Incredible French Onion Soup and Lamb Chops- and desserts to die for!!!

San Francisco will do it again this January $20 lunch $30 dinner.

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lili,
shopping her way to first class

Dallas does this once or twice a year to benefit various causes.

Last year, I hit a different restaurant for every night I was in town during the eight or nine day promo.

Washington, DC does this at least once a year - the next one is next week - January 13-19, lunch is 20.03 and dinner is 30.03.

Details at http://www.ramw.org/

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Cheers,
Jeff

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"... HST

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by JerryFF:
I believe San Francisco did this last year, but I haven't seen anything recently.

Raffy - any info?</font>

Talk about a win-win situation. Last year's Dine-About-Town, a promotion in which upscale restaurants offered fixed-price meals during much of January, was prompted by the post-Sept. 11 slump.

But it was so successful that restaurateurs and customers alike clamored for seconds. They're getting them with a bigger and better 2003 version of the program designed to give the local restaurant industry a shot in the arm during a slow month. This year, the program - running through the end of January - offers more restaurants, more hours and more choices.

Last year, 120 establishments served 56,501 meals and took in almost $1.8 million . This year, 161 restaurants have signed on for three-course $19.95 lunches and $29.95 dinners.

Is that a deal? Definitely - some of these places' regular entrees hover in the over-$25 range, and restaurateurs promise that they will give bargain diners an uncompromised experience of their food and service. "Nothing too low end," vows Doug Biederbeck of Bix, which is doing lunch and dinner.

Boulevard's Nancy Oakes agrees. This is a chance to show first-time guests, lured by bargain prices, what her restaurant is all about.

Boulevard is only doing lunches, offering soup or salad and a different entree - grilled tombo tuna, boned pressed half chicken and pot roast - and dessert each week of the three-week promotion.

Grand Cafe's Paul Arenstam is serving the specials all week, except for Sunday brunch. And yes, the cafe's fabled banana cream pie is one of the options, as is a choice of soup, salad or terrine for starters and sauteed skate, roast chicken or braised shortrib for main courses.

Lunch at trendy Asia de Cuba allows many choices: four appetizers, seven entrees (two more with a $5 surcharge) and three desserts, including an Asian soda float.

The extensive lunch and dinner specials at Washington Square Bar & Grill lure diners with appetizers like duck confit and Caesar salad, several pasta entrees at lunch and substantial dinner main courses (leg of lamb, for example) and three desserts.

A few of the restaurants serve the specials on certain days only, so it's best to check ahead.

Sponsored by the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visa USA and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, Dine-About-Town has one big catch: The deals are only good if you use your VISA card or pay by cash.

For participating restaurants and to make reservations, visit www.sfdineabouttown.com (http://www.sfdineabouttown.com) or call (415) 391-2000.