Cheap and Charitable

Even if you didn’t major in math, this is an easy equation: Gourmet food at a discount plus a tax write-off equals what? A no-brainer. Fancy Dallas-area restaurants with names that roll off the tongue, like Abacus and Sullivan’s Steakhouse, have signed up for KRLD Restaurant Week. For the next week or longer, more than a hundred local restaurants from Weatherford to Rockwall are offering special three-course menus (appetizer, dinner, dessert) for $35 a pop. Seven bucks from each meal goes to the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home. More than a few joints have posted Restaurant Week menus online for perusal. At Rick’s Chophouse, channel Elvis and order fried okra, game hen with summer squash and a chocolate banana tart. At Ferrari’s Italian Villa in Addison, think about going for the fried calamari, Chilean sea bass and tiramisu. My advice: Wear loose pants. The 14th Annual KRLD Restaurant Week, presented by Central Market, officially begins Monday, with previews at select restaurants Saturday and Sunday. Each three-course dinner costs $35, not including drinks, tax or tip. Restaurant Week runs through August 21 at most participating restaurants, and as late as September 4 at select restaurants. Visit ntfb.org for a full list of participating restaurants and menus.

Aug. 15-Sept. 4, 2011