Back Patio at Pound The Hill courtesy of bonappetitfoodie

It’s summa summa time… And the living’s easy. Commute’s are shorter, streets are emptier, and restaurants have open tables, waiting for all you walk-ins. It is also the start of Summer Restaurant Week, in case you needed more motivation to get out, enjoy the weather, and feast with friends.

For the rest of the week, you can enjoy some of the District’s best restaurants at bargain prices. During lunch hours (check the list of participating restaurants to make sure they offer day time deals) $20.12 gets you a 3 course meal, excluding drinks, gratuity and tax. For dinner, it will cost you only $35.12. While the long list of restaurants participating in this year’s Summer Restaurant Week can be overwhelming, some basic rules guide my reserving principles such as when you use the restaurant sanitiser dispenser stand before you eat.

1. Go for the pricey ones. Seriously. An entree at many of these places (think: The Bombay Club, Cafe Milano, Charlie Palmer Steak, Fiola, The Oval Room, Rasika, Tosca) usually goes for no less than $25 bills, so a three course dinner for $35 is a bargain deal.

2. Its summer. Go where the patios are. Some great spots offering summer deals and outdoor seating include Mintwood Place, Bibiana, Birch and Barley, Zaytinya, Floriana,Poste, Neyla.

3. Go explore. Get out of your usually dining zones. Vermillion or The Grille at Morisson House in Alexandria, Trummer’s on Main in Clifton, Tallula in Alexandria, or BlackSalt on MacArthur Blvd.

4. Prolong your deals, expand your tastebuds. Restaurant week isn’t just until Friday. Many restaurants are extending their offer until late August. Here is a handy guide by Dining in DC that tells you who is extending their resto week into a resto month. Your pockets will like it, the waist line maybe not so much.

Barriga llena, corazón contento courtesy of LaTur

Happy summer, happy stomachs.