Restaurant Week in New York is a celebration of the city's cuisines and an attempt to make the often expensive experience of dining out in New York more accessible to everyone. The three course Prix-Fixe menu is a great way to experience restaurants far out of your price range.

Of course, restaurants do have to stay in business. Customers who take the Restaurant Week deal will often have smaller portions than a regular meal. This is doubly true in more expensive establishments. The general rule is that the fancier the restaurant, the less filling the prix fixe menu will be.

There are some interesting choices available for the 2010 Restaurant Week. For instance, Top Chef host Tom Colicchio's Craftbar has lunch and dinner menus available. Another highly recommended Restaurant Week special is at the Blue Water Grill, located near Union Square. A moderately priced, atmospheric dining experience made all the better by the reduced fares. The full list of venues participating in Restaurant Week can be found here.

The Blue Water Grill is one of the 275 participating restaurants in NYC's Restaurant Week.

Restaurant Week is extremely popular. Diners are strongly recommended to book seats at least a week in advance, perhaps even longer for more popular locations. Some locations will still feature walk-ins, especially during lunch.

Those who enjoy this event should also look out for the Brooklyn Restaurant Week, which typically occurs annually in the spring. The format is the same but the meals are cheaper.

Editor's note; get $15 back:
If you use an "eligible American Express Card" on three separate dining occasions at any of the participating restaurants during the event, you can get $15 back. See details at the above referenced site; you have to sign up.