10 Can't-Miss Restaurant Weeks From Coast To Coast

Descending on a new city, you peruse the restaurant recommendations dutifully gleaned from friends, family, and travel guides only to find that you're armed with a list of restaurants only a Donald Trump-sized bank account could withstand. But then you recall, with a sly smile, that you planned well — you arrived just in time for restaurant week. Daniel Boulud? A steal. José Andrés? Cheap!

Even if you're enjoying a well-deserved "staycation," restaurant week in your city can mean trying an exotic cuisine that you'd been holding back on. With discounted prices, special menus, and a vibe around town of restaurant-hopping, there's no excuse to be bored by your food for seven straight days.

New York, which boasts over 18,000 restaurants in Manhattan alone, began their restaurant week on July 11. So as it's fresh on our minds, we thought we'd round up the best restaurant weeks in the country. In search of the best discounts, greatest selection, and how much time we're given to take advantage of it all, we discovered ten exemplary restaurant weeks from coast to coast. Los Angeles' restaurant week, for example, happens twice a year: one week in January and two weeks in October. Three price levels each for lunches and dinners are pre-determined, meaning you know just what you're getting into.

Since everything's bigger in Texas, it should come as no surprise that Houston's restaurant week, which started in 2003 as a mere seven day event is now called Houston Restaurant Weeks and spans the entire month of August. Then, in New Mexico, restaurant week is not limited to one city alone. Instead, it stops in Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque and runs from late February to late March, jumping from city to city. So whether it's booking a table at that lavish eatery you've been eyeing or using it as an excuse to try something completely new, there's a restaurant week coming to a city near you.

Click here to see the 10 Can't-Miss Restaurant Weeks from Coast to Coast Slideshow.