Restaurant Week - need help deciding

[lrhewes]

My friends and I are arguing over where to go for restaurant week. We usually go twice. We narrowed the choices to: Ava, GiGi, Joseph Poon, Lolita, Paradigm, Rum Bar, Salento and Valanni. Can you all help us pick?

[amycakes]

I'm considering the following for RW/my birthday...
Bindi, Bistro 7, Bistro St. Tropez, Django, Farmicia, Gioia Mia, Mercato, Meritage, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, Ristorante Panorama, Valanni, and Twenty 21, and XIX.
Thoughts???

[lrhewes]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. We usually go to the more expensive places during RW, too, but we've been to all of those that are on this list this time.

[Beulah]

Our practice is go to the more expensive places for Restaurant Week, which would not include any that you have listed. In past RWs, we've gone to Brasserie Perrier and others of that ilk. Of your list, I'd choose Lolita and Salento -- but you can probably eat there fpr 30 when it's NOT RW.

[bentley1530]

I went to Bistro St. Tropez last time with a group and we all had a good time.

[Buckethead]

I'd skip Ava based on my own experience, and I've heard GiGi is horrible. Lolita is very good, I'd go there and also either Valanni or Salento (neither of which I've been to). Skip Paradigm.

[saturninus]

2nd Buckethead's choices. Even though I am not a fan of restaurant week these are good picks, but I'm not sure if it's worth $35 at any of the three considering that you rarely get the same quality of service and food during restaurant week compared to any other night, plus I don't feel 3 courses would be much more than $35 on a regular night.

[Gorp512]

And Poon is running a 35 dollar pf for Chinese New Year all the way until march.

[Elaine]

I'll vouch for Valanni as a good choice.

[mitchh]

I would skip Paradigm. My wife and I went there during the summer Restaurant Week and were disappointed. We left there hungry and ended up spending more at Haru for a 2nd dinner.