What's New: SF and Oakland restaurant weeks

For San Francisco restaurants and diners alike, the month of January has become synonymous with Dine About Town, the city's bi-annual fortnight of special fixed price menus. This time around, the event has a sibling.

Buoyed by a burgeoning restaurant scene, Oakland is putting on its own version. Billed as the first-ever Oakland Restaurant Week, it will run Jan. 23-29 and will feature prix fixe menus of $20, $30 or $40.

Participating restaurants include Chronicle three-star venues Plum and Camino, plus Oliveto, Ozumo and about 20 others. Check with each restaurant for its special deal, because prices and menu offerings vary. For more information, go to visitoakland.org/restaurantweek.

On the other side of the Bay, San Francisco's Dine About Town will take place Jan. 15-31. The specials are as follows: a two-course lunch for $17.95 or three-course dinner for $34.95.

More than 100 places are offering one or both of those deals. Participating restaurants are led by hot tickets such as Absinthe, One Market, Nombe, Spruce and Waterbar. To learn more and make reservations, go to dineabouttown.com.

This article appeared on page K - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle