What: Dine in Brooklyn
Where: Over 175 restaurants across the borough
When: March 23—April 2, 2017
Cost: $23 dollars. Beverages, tax and gratuity not included.
Why: According to last week’s poll at New York mag’s Intelligencer, restaurant dining is the expense that New Yorkers need to cut down on the most. But we can’t let you—our fellow bon vivants—give up on one of the world’s greatest pleasures, fine dining. So, for the next 11 days, take advantage of the following Brooklyn Restaurant Week establishments, whose menus are providing dangerously affordable three-course fare despite the battered state of economic affairs.
Owner Paris Smeraldo of NorthEast Kingdom suggests the roast butternut squash as an appetizer, the red deer and Dijon bangers with mash and onion gravy for the main course, followed by a happy whoopee pie for dessert. Chef and owner Jacques Gautier of Palo Santo in Park Slope pointed to one of their most popular dishes, the Pan Roasted Fish and Plantain with Hot Slaw, and at the quaint new Alta Voce, Mario DiBiase recommends the tender Anelli di Calmaari fritti for antipasti or the Roman traditional Bocatini All’Amatriciana. And while not on the “Dine in Brooklyn” menu, the Bonet di Cioccolato is a must-try chocolate-hazelnut pudding or bounet that’s popular in Piedmont, Italy.
Looking for something that takes you south of the border? Mexican cuisine at Alma’s heats up dishes like braised short rib beef and pan roasted Mahi Mahi. Feeling romantic but don’t want to sit for a long heavy meal? Pick up a customizable sandwich and a signature homemade cheesecake at Le Petit Marche, and stroll through the charming, historic streets of Brooklyn Heights. (Save dessert for when you reach a bench on the Manhattan-facing promenade.) If you’re interested in Italian family feasting, but still want to hear yourself speak at dinner, visit Bocca Lupo in Cobble Hill, where the juxtaposition of wooden tables and steel chairs hints at a nontraditional dining experience. Not in the mood for Western food? Head to Williamsburg for Japanese at Zenkichi, where you’ll eat delicious chilled and grilled plates in the company of bamboo and lots of script.
If you’re craving more options, don’t miss these notables: Park Slope’s Italian Trattoria al di la, Fort Greene’s South African Madiba, dual French/American ICI, American cuisine and Manhattan views at the River Café in Dumbo, and The Farm on Adderley in Ditmas Park.
How to get there: All participating eateries are accessible by subway, bike, or foot. Refer to the map below for exact locations.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram