restaurant week is back!

The only thing better than being served a full course meal is being served a full course meal at a fraction of the cost.

This past Sunday, Jan. 22, marked the beginning of Restaurant Week in Easton. Eleven eateries are offering lunch for $8 and three-course dinners for $30. This weeks offers locals the opportunity to eat great food for a great price, while also helping out the local restaurants. Sette Luna, Mangia Italian Restaurant, Colonial Pizza & Pub, Ocean, Mex Tex Trio, River Grille, The Standard Restaurant, Vintage, Widows Tavern & Grille, Phoenicia Middle Eastern Cuisine and Porters' Pub will be offering tasty food for a lower price through Saturday.

Also, you can enter to win four tickets to "Shrek the Musical" at the State Theatre in Easton while dining at any of the restaurants participating in Easton's Restaurant Week. Maybe not a show you would normally opt to go to, but hey, if you win free tickets, you gotta go!

I'm always looking for the good deals or specials, and when it comes to eating out, Restaurant Week is just about the cheapest way to get quality dishes for less.

So the best part of Restaurant Week is that it is coming to Bethlehem next week, beginning on Sunday, Jan. 29. With varying price points, 32 restaurants will offer breakfast, lunch and/or dinner menus all week long. Some participants are Apollo Grill, Blue Grillhouse and Winebar, Burger's and More by Emeril, Mama Nina’s Foccacheria, The Melting Pot, Starters Riverport and many more. For a full listing of the restaurants, and links to their menus, visit the Downtown Bethlehem Association's Bethlehem Restaurant Week page. An added bonus: when you dine at any participating restaurant, fill out a entry form for their gift card drawing. Five winners will be awarded gift cards for two to every participating restaurant.

Restaurant Week can also be a time to try out new foods or new restaurants. Since the prices are considerably lowered, maybe try a new appetizer or entree, or a whole new eatery altogether (Might I suggest Blue, one of my favorite places to go in the area).

So start planning now because the deals are only here for a short time. And make sure to take advantage of all the food and sweepstakes opportunities.