By Anthony DeAngelis
Correspondent

PORTSMOUTH — Celebrate fine dining at affordable prices, as the Granite State kicks off Restaurant Week Portsmouth in the Seacoast area this weekend.

Restaurant Week Portsmouth offers dining-deal seekers a chance to eat at some the finest Portsmouth area restaurants for a fraction of the normal menu prices, with a number of specially prepared dishes from some of the area’s best chefs in honor of the week-long extravaganza.

From Sunday, Nov. 8 until Sunday, Nov. 15, hungry patrons will be treated to some of best food New Hampshire has to offer. Thirty-five eateries will provide special three-course meal prices of $16.95 per person for lunch and $29.95 per person for dinner.

“You can’t go out and get a dinner like this for that kind of price,” said Nicki Noble, tourism manager of the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. “In that sense, it is a really good value.”

Chefs are getting creative with seasonal and local ingredients, whipping up dishes that are both unique to each restaurant and the New England region.

In addition, many hotels and inns are offering special rates and packages throughout week, so people can enjoy fine dining and the New Hampshire Seacoast for more than just one night.

“It’s really a great way to spend time out with friends and enjoy yourself,” Noble said. “A lot of new restaurants have joined in this year and they have gotten really creative in adding something new to their menus.”

Now in its second year of operation, Restaurant Week Portsmouth features member restaurants throughout the Seacoast area, including Portsmouth, New Castle, Dover, Exeter, Durham, Rye, North Hampton, Hampton, N.H. and Kittery and York Harbor, Maine.

Restaurant Week Portsmouth is organized and promoted by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. It began in November 2008 and included 18 local restaurants, drawing over 3,000 diners. In March, the event took off, as it featured 30 restaurants and drew more than 6,000 diners. This fall, those numbers are expected to increase with the addition of five more restaurants to dining options.

“The price point is really the draw,” said Noble. “This is such a great value, especially with the way people are watching their spending these days. Getting a meal like this for such a price is unheard of.”
Participating restaurants are highly recommending reservations.

If You Go
What: Restaurant Week Portsmouth.
When: Sunday, Nov. 8 to Sunday, Nov. 15.
Where: Abercrombie & Finch, Anneke Jans, Black Trumpet Bistro, Blue Mermaid Island Grill, Bonta, Brazo, Café Mediterraneo, Cava Tapas & Wine Bar, The Carriage House, Common Man Portsmouth, The Dolphin Striker, Epoch at The Exeter Inn, FOUR, The Green Monkey, Harbor’s Edge at the Sheraton Harborside, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, The Library Restaurant – A Steak House, The Oar House, Orchard Street Chop Shop, The Page, Pesce Blue, Portsmouth Gas Light Co., The Portsmouth Brewery, Radici, Redhook Brewery, RiRa Irish Pub, Ristorante Massimo, River House, Robert’s Maine Grill, Rudi’s Portsmouth, Stage Neck Inn, Three Chimneys Inn, The Wellington Room, Wentworth by the Sea, and York Harbor Inn.
For more: Visit ww.portsmouthchamber.org/restaurantweek.cfm.