RESTAURANTS: Atlantic City's first-ever restaurant week...hold your nose

Is it just us, or do restaurants seem to be getting a little desperate of late? By desperate, we mean for attention, because if it were for patronage during these hard economic times, perhaps some of them could try a little harder. For instance, West Village Mexican cantina Cabrito is offering a taco and beer combo for $10…after 10 p.m. Last time we checked, a taco was $6 and so was a beer, which would amount to a grand savings of a whopping $2 for dining later than usual. But we’re penny pinching these days, so fine.

Then, Terrance Brennan over at Picholine has introduced Tastes of Picholine, a three-course tasting menu offered Monday through Thursday nights for $58 with each additional plate costing $12. Borscht soup made with “mustard ice cream” and Maine lobster poached in butter and served with vanilla fried milk sure sounds good to us, but it makes us feel a little unconscionable to be indulging in such luxuries during a recession. Plus, it’s not exactly cheap. So we’re saying pass to the steamed black sea bass and heading to…Jersey?

Actually, yes. Starting this Sunday, March 1^st, Atlantic City, which has seen a bit of a renaissance of late, will be hosting its first ever Restaurant Week with over 60 restaurants joining in on the prix fixe lunches ($15.09) and dinners ($33.09). With New York imports like Buddakan, Carmine’s and Il Mulino participating, all you have to do is close your eyes and ignore that landfill smell and you’ll feel like you’re still in Manhattan! The new ACES express train service will get you there in two and a half hours and you can always hit the slots to make up the train fare, and possibly even cover the meal. It’s a win-win situation. Unless, of course, you lose.