San Diego Restaurant Week 2013: Prix Fixe Perfection

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 7 MIN.

For every party involved, the prix fixe menu is a beautiful thing. It gives an establishment the low-cost opportunity to pour its heart into a sequence of courses and present its best flavors to form a long-lasting impression that will keep us coming back.

For the diner, it's a sensory experience with all the risk of disappointment removed because the best has been chosen for us - no encyclopedic menus to overwhelm.

To indulge in San Diego Restaurant Week (SDRW) 2013, just put your faith in the expert hands of 180 of San Diego County's culinary masters from Sunday, September 15 to Friday, September 20. No admission fees to worry about, coupons to cut, cards to punch or tickets to pay for. Just make your reservation and mention SDRW. In fact, with the participant list so large this year, the only difficult choice you'll have to make during the festivities is deciding where NOT to eat!

To help us pick from an entire county of gastronomic diversity, SDRW welcomes back the 2nd Annual #SDRWTaste2013. Think of this event on Thursday, September 12 as a delicious trailer to a week-long culinary blockbuster. Taking place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Downtown San Diego's Broadway Pier, #SDRWTaste2013 is a sneak peek to the main event, featuring sample-sized offerings from 40 of SRDW's participants, with each morsel to be paired with a "unique beverage." This particular event will require the purchase of a ticket, individually priced at $60 and made conveniently available at Cucina Urbana (505 Laurel Street) and Ruth's Chris Steak House (11582 El Camino Real). #SDRWTaste2013 ticket sales are cash only.

To sweeten the deal for the weeklong celebration of hospitality, price points have remained at very reasonable levels: $20, $30 and $40 per person for a three-course dinner. Even more incredible are the prix fixe lunch deals: $10, $15 or $20 depending on your choice of venue. Always growing in popularity, January's SDRW attendance was approximately 140,000. With even larger numbers of diners projected to participate this September, it would be wise to begin planning out a meal path and make your reservations as soon as possible to ensure that your seat isn't snatched away!

52 WEEKS OF DINING

As if this all weren't enough of a reason to celebrate, how about a chance to win 52 weeks of food? Sound too good to be true? Just log on to sandiegorestaurantweek.com and look for the large words, "Dine Out Free" and click away. A short survey and newsletter subscription enrolls you in the fantastic contest to win 52 gift certificates from SDRW-approved restaurants. Good eating doesn't get much easier.

Below is a current alphabetized list of participants in SDRW. For more information call 619.233.5008 or go to sandiegorestaurantweek.com.

100 Wines Hillcrest - Dinner $30
1500 Ocean - Dinner $40
333 Pacific - Dinner $30
94th Aero Squadron Restaurant - Dinner $30
Acqua California Bistro - Dinner $40
Acqua Al 2 - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Amaya at the Grand Del Mar - Dinner $40
Americana Restaurant - Dinner $30
Aladdin Hillcrest - Dinner $20
Aloha Sushi Lounge - Lunch $15 - Dinner $20
Amardeen - Dinner $20
Anthony's Fish Grotto (San Diego Bay AND La Mesa) - Lunch $10 - Dinner $30
Apollonia - Dinner $20
Arterra - Dinner $40
Athens Market Taverna - Dinner $20
Avant - Dinner $40
Azuki Sushi Lounge - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Bali Hai Restaurant - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Banbu Sushi - Dinner $30
Bandar Restaurant - Dinner $30
Bankers Hill Bar + Restaurant - Dinner $30
Barrio Star - Lunch $20
Bentley's Steak & Chop House - Dinner $30
Bernini's Bistro - Dinner $30
Bertrand at Mister A's - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Bleu Boheme - Dinner $40
Blue Point Coastal Cuisine - Dinner $30
Blue Wave Bar & Grill - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
BO-beau Kitchen + Bar - Dinner $30
Boathouse Restaurant - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Brooklyn Girl Eatery - Dinner $30
Bunz Gourmet Burger Joint - Lunch $15
Busalacchi's A Modo Mio - Dinner $30
Buster's Beach House Seaport Village - Dinner $20
Butcher Shop - Dinner $30
Caf� Athena - Dinner $20
Caf� Chloe - Dinner $30
Caf� Coyote - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Caf� Japengo - Dinner $40
Cannonball - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Casa De Bandini - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Casa De Pico - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Casa Guadalajara - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Chaplos Restaurant and Bar - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Chart House - Dinner $30
Chedi Thai Bistro - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Chris' Ono Grinds Cafe + Grill - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Cicciotti's Trattoria Italiana & Seafood - Lunch $15 - Dinner $20
Cosmopolitan Restaurant - Dinner $30
Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Crab Hut - Lunch $15 - Dinner $40
Crab Catcher Restaurant - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Croce's Restaurant + Jazz Bar - Dinner $40
Crush - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
CUCINA Urbana - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Currant American Brasserie - Lunch $15 - Dinner $40
Current Restaurant Coronado - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Cusp Dining+Drinks - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
D Bar Restaurant - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Davanti Enoteca (Carmel Valley AND Del Mar) - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Del Mar Rendezvous - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Delicias - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Devine Pastabilities - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Donovan's Prime Seafood - Dinner $40
Donavan's Steak & Chop House (Gaslamp AND La Jolla) - Dinner $40
Edgewater Grill - Dinner $40
El Agave Restaurant & Tequileria - Dinner $40
Entwined Bistro & Wine Bar - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Farm House Caf� - Dinner $30
Fig Tree Caf� - Dinner $30
Firefly at the Dana in Mission Bay - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Firenze Trattoria - Dinner $40
Firehouse American Eatery & Lounge - Dinner $30
Fish Public - Dinner $30
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (La Jolla AND Gaslamp) - Dinner $40
Fox Sport's Grill - Lunch $15 - Dinner $20
George's at the Cove California Modern - Dinner $40
Greystone Steakhouse - Dinner $30
Gaijin Noodle + Sake House - Dinner $20
Grant Grill - Dinner $40
Greystone Steakhouse - Dinner $30
Harbor Restaurant - Dinner $40
Hexagone - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Hooley's Irish Pub and Grill - Lunch $20 - Dinner $20
Hornblower Cruises & Events - Dinner $40
Humphreys Restaurant - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Hunter Steakhouse (Mission Valley AND Oceanside) - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Imig's Kitchen and Bar - Dinner $30
Indigo Grill - Dinner $30
Inn at the Park - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Isabel's Cantina - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Island Prime - Dinner $40
Isola Pizza Bar - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Jake's Del Mar - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Jsix Restaurant - Dinner $30
Katsuya by Starck - Dinner $40
Kelvin - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Kitchen 1540 - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
La Gran Terraza - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
La Jolla Strip Club - A Steak Place - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Leroy's Kitchen & Lounge - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Leucadia Pizzeria - Dinner $20
Marina Kitchen - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Marine Room - Dinner $40
Market Restaurant + Bar - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Mediterranean Room - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Mia Francesca - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Mille Fleurs - Dinner $40
Mint Downtown Thai - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Morada - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Morton's The Steakhouse - Dinner $40
NINE-TEN Restaurant - Dinner $40
Nobu San Diego - Dinner $40
Old Venice Restaurant - Lunch $10 - Dinner $30
Osetra Fish House - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Osteria Origano - Dinner $30
Osteria Panevino - Dinner $30
Pacific Coast Grill - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Pacifica Del Mar - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Palm Restaurant - Dinner $40
Pampas Argentine Grill - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Pamplehouse Grille - Dinner $40
Peohe's Coronado Waterfront - Dinner $30
Pinzimini - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Pita Jungle - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Playa Grill & Margarita Bar - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Poseidon - Dinner $40
Prepkitchen (Little Italy AND Del Mar) - Dinner $30
Rei do Gado Brazilian Steakhouse - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Rockin' Baja Lobster - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Roppongi Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Lunch $15 - Dinner $40
Ruth's Chris Steak House (Del Mar AND Downtown) - Dinner $40
Sally's Seafood on the Water - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Saltbox - Dinner $40
Sbicca - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Season's 52 - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Sheerwater Restaurant - Lunch $20
Shimbashi Izakaya - Dinner $40
Soleil@K - Dinner $30
Taste of Thai (Del Mar AND Hillcrest) - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Tapenade Restaurant + Fine Catering - Dinner $40
Terra American Bistro - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
The Atoll Restaurant at the Catamaran Resort Hotel + Spa - Dinner $40
The Fish Market - Dinner $30
The French Gourmet - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
The Grill Restaurant at the Lodge at Torrey Pines - Dinner $40
The Marble Room - Dinner $30
The Melting Pot (Gaslamp AND La Jolla) Dinner $30
The Oceanaire Seafood Room - Dinner $40
The Patio on Lamont Street - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
The Prado at Balboa Park - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
The Red Door Restaurant and Wine Bar - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
The Shores Restaurant - Dinner $30
The Steakhouse at Azul La Jolla - Dinner $40
The Steakhouse on Broadway - Lunch $10
The Venetian - Dinner $20
The Wellington Steak and Martini Lounge - Dinner $40
The Westgate Room - Lunch $20 - Dinner $40
Toast Enoteca & Cucina - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Tom Ham's Lighthouse - Lunch $15
Tony Roma's Pacific Beach - Dinner $20
Top of the Market - Dinner $40
Twenty/20 - Dinner $30
Vela Restaurant - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Vessel - Dinner $30
Via Italia Trattoria - Lunch $10 - Dinner $20
Via Lago Trattoria by Busalacchi - Dinner $20
Vigilucci's Ristorante Coronado - Lunch $15 - Dinner $40
Vincent's - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Vine Cottage - Dinner $30
Vintana Wine + Dine - Lunch $20 - Dinner $30
Whisknladle - Dinner $40
Wine Vault Bistro - Dinner $20
Wild Note Cafe - Lunch $15 - Dinner $30
Zanzibar - Dinner $30


by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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