Dine Around Seattle's Back, With Experimental Fine Dining at Affordable Prices

​Seattle gourmands, rejoice! Dine Around Seattle, a veritable sampler plate of Seattle restaurants, is back again for the entire month of March, serving up dandelion green salad with lamb bacon and honey vinaigrette, house-made butternut squash gnocchi with wild boar ragu, and apple and cherry pie with hazelnut crumb, among hundreds of other fine dining options from chefs in the area.

In its ninth year, this Seattle dining deal brings premier restaurant entrees to a more affordable price, knocking down three course meals to $30 for dinner and $15 for lunch every Sunday through Thursday of March. And the benefits aren't just for the customers; owners and chefs take this opportunity to experiment with menus as well.

"Its really not a money maker...but it kind of serves a dual purpose for regulars that can try new things and new guests that never tried any of our foods and can come back and try the regular menu that doesn't have the specials," says Leo Varchetta, owner of Barolo Ristorante, which is a third-time participant and will be serving lunch and dinner specials. "We find that Dine Around has a younger following and is good for people just moving into town,...and that gets us exposure to new guests."

The 28 restaurants include five new additions, like the lavish Salish Lodge & Spa Dining Room or the homey U-District Italian restaurant Mamma Melina. Steelhead Diner, a six-time Dine Around veteran, will be featuring entrees including a black eyed pea soup with collard greens and braised ham hocks-- which owner Kevin Davis says "grabs you by the soul"--lemon-crusted Bristol Bay sockeye, and fresh asparagus .

The Dine Around Seattle website has a full list of restaurants and some meals offered (including recipes from star Seattle chefs), with a "Table Tonight" application that shows you where and when to eat, and lets you know if there are reservation slots open for any night you choose. So mark your calendars and don't feel the need to be picky.