While only the second year of its run, DineLA Restaurant Week has proven to be a major winner with restaurants and foodies alike, where thousands of diners flock to lunch and dinner during what is usually the slowest time of the year for eating establishments. Last year I was able to make it to a few interesting places, including Grace Restaurant. This year I’ve game-planned four spots: The Bazaar by Jose Andres, BLT Steak, Dal Rae, and Citrus at Social. I also already had a bonus lunch at Drago Centro, just steps from my office building thanks to my very thoughtful S.O., Christine.

On our way to dinner Monday night at Dal Rae, Josh and I traded a few thoughts about the significance of dineLA and I wanted to offer a few of these nuggets as food for thought.

First, the idea of a restaurant week is a boon for both diners and restaurants. That is, if each of the parties do their part. Restaurants need to showcase the best of the offerings instead of skimping out. They need to have decent selections for their prix fixe and show that the offered price range (dineLA ranges from $16 for for the cheapest lunch to $44 for the most expensive dinner, depending on the place) is worth the trip for diners. Foodies (or even non-regular diners) need to be adventurous and go to restaurants that are out of their way, or out of their purview of normal choices. Take a trip to the Westside or Downtown if you normally live or work outside of these areas. When you order, don’t get the steak (unless they specialize in steak). Get something different – explore.

Second, restaurants of all spectrums ought to participate like they do in NYC Restaurant Week. While I bet Spago won’t be in the dineLA lineup anytime soon, I think they would garner an even larger following. Sure they might lose money for a few weeks, but they’ll develop a lifelong customer base that will be sure they’ll get quality food for special occasions and expensed meals. I love that Jose Andres’ The Bazaar is participating and even offering their meals at the second tier of price, instead of the highest. This assures diners that a meal at one of the newest and swankiest restaurants in the city is not out of their reach. I’m encouraged to see places like Grace, Valentino, and even the venerable Campanile participating in this year’s restaurant week. Next year let’s see Craft, Rustic Canyon, even Providence offer prix fixe meals. These places can still turn a material profit during the week and build up an immeasurable stock of goodwill.

Finally, take note of every aspect of the restaurant. DineLA isn’t just cheaper prix-fixe time, but really restaurant test-drives. Note the service, décor, ambiance, finesse, and non-food experiences. These are often just as, or perhaps more important than the food. The problem with Restaurant Week is that a diner’s perception of the food at reduced prices isn’t quite the same as with a normal experience. When you’re paying $44 for a meal that’s usually $80-100, you think of it differently. Of course, as food is still one of the main reasons why we go out to eat so take note of what you’re eating. But restaurants will ultimately succeed if they can build a solid customer base, and they’re really shopping for people like you, avid diners who will frequent the establishment for years to come. They can ensure that by making sure your entire dining experience, even at a lower cost, is just as good as it would be on a normal week. So go boldly and buck wild, enjoying the dollars you save. It only comes once a year.