Las Vegas: New Restaurant Week added just in time for spring

Foodies visiting Las Vegas (and those who live there) won’t have to wait until summer for restaurant week. Organizer Three Square Food Bank for the first time has added a spring Restaurant Week from Feb. 27-March 4 that allows guests to sample fixed-price meals at some of the city’s top dining spots.

Restaurant weeks around the country started as a way to fill tables during the winter doldrums. But some, like Vegas, also have a charitable goal. Three Square receives $4 to $6 for each dinner sold to help the one in six residents of southern Nevada who struggle with hunger.

During the spring restaurant week, diners pay $20.12, $30.12 or $50.12 to sample a specially created lunch or dinner menu. So far, the website shows only three restaurants have signed up: Aureole at Mandalay Bay, Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons, the Steak House in Circus Circus -- but more are expected to come to the table.

Charlie Palmer Steak, for example, has posted the details of a three-course meal for $50.12 a person that includes beef short ribs as the main dish and orange-scented cheesecake or poached pear with pistachio ice cream for dessert.

If you miss the spring dates, restaurant week will unfold at its usual time Aug. 27 to Sept. 2. Check out the details at the food bank’s website.