A regular restaurant promotion in the Seattle area is called Twenty-Five for $25 (The “$” is silent). Other cities have their own versions of this. New York’s is called Restaurant Week, for example, and Toronto’s is called (I am not making this up) Winterlicious.

The common theme is that participating restaurants offer a prix fixe menu for a reduced price. Twenty-Five for $25 offers dinner for $25 or lunch for $12.50. Restaurant Week offers lunch for $20.05 (the price goes up by a penny each year); some restaurants also offer dinner for $30.05. Winterlicious’s menus are C$10/$20 for lunch and C$20/$30 for dinner.

If your city offers these promotions, I strongly encourage you to give them a try. It’s a great way to eat at a fine restaurant without destroying your wallet. Plus, the portions are much more reasonably-sized.

One thing that I do miss in Seattle is “pre-theater dinners”. In London, the restaurants in the theater district have special menus designed to offer you a leisurely dinner while still getting you out in time to catch your show. In Seattle, you’re on your own to make sure you get out in time, which can be a challenge when the restaurant doesn’t seem to be playing on your team.