Pork belly from Three Peaks Kitchen + Bar is photographed at the Inlander in Spokane, Wash., Friday, Jan. 18, 2019. (Maddie Pearson/The Communicator)

This year, the event takes place from Feb. 21 to March 2.

Tamara McGregor, the event director of the annual event, calls it “the 10 most delicious days of the year.”

Now in its seventh year, there are over a hundred restaurants involved; 108 to be precise. That’s the largest number to date for Spokane’s Restaurant Week.

“A really fine meal at a discounted price,” McGregor said, “I think would have tremendous appeal to students.”

An example of this is a ribeye steak, available at Masselow’s Steakhouse, that normally costs $49 but that is $31 with an appetizer and dessert during Restaurant Week.

Involved from the beginning, McGregor and her husband were visiting Puerto Vallarta about a decade ago and encountered a restaurant week there.

Ted McGregor, Tamara Mc- Gregor’s brother-in-law and the publisher of the Inlander had been looking into the concept around the same time. A partnership between Visit Spokane and the Inlander was formed and together they launched Restaurant Week.

Every restaurant that participates in Restaurant Week has a prefixed three-course menu with a set price of $21 or $31. Available Jan. 31, you can check out the menus online or find a paper copy available throughout Spokane.

A theme this year is the increased variety available of vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and gluten friendly dishes. Central Food has an entire gluten-free menu. You can find it online or in the restaurant.

Patrons can order comfort foods or new dishes created for the event. Chef Blerita Kaba, of Three Peaks at the Spokane Tribe Casino, has an appetizer comprised of watermelon, cotton candy and pork belly.

When talking to restaurants while pursuing the idea of Restaurant Week, it was discovered that one of their slower times of the year is after Valentine’s Day till Mother’s Day. The event takes place during this time and restaurants aren’t hav- ing trouble filling tables. Last year, Clinkerdagger had an extra 100 guests every night.

The James Beard Foundation works to “celebrate, nurture, and honor” those working to make the culture of America’s food “more delicious, diverse, and sustainable” for all. This year, there are four James Beard nominated chefs participating in Restaurant Week. Adam Hegsted of the Gilded Unicorn, Wandering Table and Republic Kitchen is one of them.

Restaurant Week is a chance to explore Spokane and its culinary scene and beyond.

Tamara McGregor encourages people to not just do dinner but to pair it with an event.

“We really hope people will go to something and dinner,” she said. “It’s an excuse to just get out.”