Food

You have five days and counting to see how the other half eats.

Through Friday, many of New York City's top restaurants will be offering prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner in the citywide tradition affectionately known as Restaurant Week. In 2002, the event was expanded to two weeks, twice a year, but the first has drifted away like a truffle in the wind and summer is still a thesis away.

Consider this your chance to trade in Nussbaum for Nobu and venture below 110th St. The sushi won't warm you up from the cold, but the fine food will make you feel like Ferris Beuller on a well-deserved day off.

While the offerings range from barbeque at Blue Smoke to le oysters at Le Cirque, you can count on three courses and two prices--$20.04 for lunch and $30.04 for dinner--across the board. Be warned: not every one of the 174 participating restaurants is worth the trek and the cash. Some, like Artisinal and Gotham, offer prix fixe menus year round. At others--Carnegie Deli seems to stand out from the list--you could have your pick of the entire menu for less.

Don't be afraid of fancy restaurants. A few tips: avoid white sneakers, drop the last letter of every word that looks remotely French, and when the waiter asks you "how are the flavors?" he's not asking your opinion about the hostess.

You can check out the options and make reservations at www.opentable.com.