Win-Win Situation

Interested in doing good while eating well? During Las Vegas Restaurant Week from Monday through Sept. 7, 79 top Las Vegas restaurants will offer special lunch and dinner menus and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Three Square, which works to provide nutritionally balanced meals for hungry people in the valley.

Most of the restaurants will offer special menus for $50.08 at dinner, and some will charge $25.08 per person at lunch. Among the participating restaurants are Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro at Palazzo, Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York, Craftsteak at the MGM Grand, Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn Las Vegas and Sonoma Cellar at Sunset Station. (For a full listing, visit the Vegas Voice blog at www.reviewjournal.com; for menus and more information, visit www.threesquare.org.)

Scott Hamilton, food and beverage director at the MGM Grand and Restaurant Week chairman, said the event, now in its second year, grew from 50 restaurants last year. He said he sees Restaurant Week as an opportunity to bring the city's restaurants -- especially those in the tourism corridor -- together for a common cause, and also to spread their message to locals.

"At the end of the day, it allows us to show the best of what we can do," Hamilton said. "It's great to provide value and encourage some locals to come down here and deal with the traffic and other stuff. It's a great week for the city to celebrate what we do best in our restaurants."

Some restaurants outside the tourism corridor also are participating, including Agave Comida y Tequila, Austin's Steakhouse, Louis's Las Vegas and Louis's Fish Camp, Martinis, Panevino Ristorante & Gourmet Deli, Steeles and Vintner Grill.

In addition, Restaurant Week will include several special events. A four-course dinner with pairings from a boutique Napa Valley winery is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro. It's $150 per person plus tax and tip. The chef and sommelier will introduce and discuss the pairings before each course, and those attending will each receive a recipe booklet and wine list to take home.

And "Three Square -- Three Senses" after-hours events are scheduled for three restaurants at the MGM Grand. From 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sept. 3 at Shibuya is "Welcome to NeoTokyo," a tasting of premium Japanese sake, lychee vodka cocktails and light Japanese hors d'oeuvres, with Japanese arcade games and live karaoke and Japanese pop music. It's $15 per person.

From 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sept. 4 at Diego is "Agave Jueves," with tequila flights and Mexican passed appetizers and music by the resident DJ. It's $15 per person.

And Sept. 5 at Fiamma are Rock 'N Roll Wine dinners and a performance by Jeremy Cornwell. They include a $50.08 three-course dinner served from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. and a $35.08 three-course dinner paired with Rock 'N Roll Wine's own line of music-themed wines from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. in the bar and lounge.

For reservations for any of the dinners or other events, contact the restaurant.

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474.