This winter restaurateurs and chefs are enticing people to leave their toasty homes and trek into the cold for a warm reception and fine dining at new and familiar establishments from New York to Boston. Red Bank is no exception, and February 16^th through the 26^th, excluding Friday and Saturday, Red Bank RiverCenter has dubbed February the time to dine fine during its widely anticipated Restaurant Week.

On these ten days, 34 restaurants offer a prix fixe dinner menu, which includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $30. Some restaurants including Earth Pizza, Hansel N’ Griddle, Tommy’s Coal Fired Pizza and Whipped Creperie offer two dinners for $30 (tax, beverage and gratuity not included).

Dinner service starts as early as 4 p.m. and extends late into the night at several of the participating establishments such as Gotham, Danny’s Steakhouse and Sushi, and Teak. Reservations recommended, and many of the venues are family-friendly, so be sure to call ahead.

The special prix fixe menus, a Jersey Shore in Motion favorite restaurant promotion, offer excellent opportunities for the adventurous foodie to try new or often-overlooked restaurants. New players on Red Bank’s culinary scene include Runa Peruvian, Catch, Oriental Empire, The Robinson Ale House and Birravino, recently named a Top 20 Pick for Best New Restaurant by New Jersey Monthly. Familiar favorites are also participating including The Bistro at Red Bank, Dish, Molly Pitcher Inn, Temple Gourmet Chinese, Front St. Trattoria, and The Oyster Point Hotel.

“Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to expereince what local chefs are dishing out and to try new restaurants,” said Anthony Ferrando, Chef/Owner of Dish.

Steak and seafood lovers will also rejoice as places like Char and The Chowda House feature plenty of red meat and lobster on their menus. Though, not included in the prix-fix price, be sure to also treat yourself to a speciality drink at many of the restaurants. Many are also BYOB so bring a bottle of wine along to pair with your dinner. We’ve listed our Red Bank BYOB restaurants here.

“Our hope is that we will attract people who discover everything we have to offer and become permanent customers. We have such a great variety of cuisine and restaurants participating this year,” said James Scavone, Red Bank RiverCenter’s Executive Director. “We hope that guests discover something new. Even if you’ve been coming to Red Bank for 20 years, there is always something new happening. ”

The weekend isn’t the only time to enjoy some much needed time for R&R. When in town, make it a point to arrive early or stay after dinner. There’s shopping, theater performances, movies, dancing, live music to enjoy. With Two River Theater and Count Basie Theatre just doors away from many of the restaurants, purchase tickets for a show when you make reservations.

Guadalupe in the Guest Room opened at Two River on Feb. 14. The play tells the story of two people—with nothing in common but a shared grief—who bond in the most unexpected ways. Written by the rising young playwright Tony Meneses, the play is a deeply moving and very funny celebration of life, new beginnings, and the healing power of telenovelas. Count Basie also has an exciting night in store for you with Rain – A Tribute to The Beatles performing on Feb. 22.

Beat the winter blues by getting out and about during Red Bank’s Restaurant Week. Savor the many flavors of the town’s talented chefs and discover a new favorite dish or two during its ten days of prix-fixe specials.

Be sure to visit Jersey Shore InMotion’s Facebook page and tell us about your dining experiences. We want to hear the news from you, our dedicated foodies.

Click Here for a list of all participating restaurants.

Location: 34 restaurants throughout Red Bank, NJ
What to wear: Casual to semi-formal.
Visitors: Locals, tourists
Hours: Varies. 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Phone: Call Red Bank River Center at 732-842-4244 for more information.
Website: Visit www.redbank.org for a list of  menus.