The last week in January is Restaurant Week, where participating restaurants around the city serve $20.04 prix fixe lunches and $30.04 dinners. I'm not a huge fan of prix fixe to begin with, and I've had some not-so-good Restaurant Week lunches. Maybe it's the places I've chosen. I know I had a great meal at Molyvos, but it wouldn't have cost me a whole lot more to just pay the a la carte prices. Are there good meals to be had during Restaurant Week? Are there places you can go where you don't feel like a schmuck for order the prix fixe? Is it too late to get a reservation at said places?

A lot of times the dishes just seem kind of assembly line to me, more so than usual. I've gotten so I don't even participate anymore. The winter Restaurant Week usually happens just before my birthday, and I tend to view that as a hassle; I have this idea that reservations are more difficult to get because of it.