Despite what the calendar is insisting, the warm weather over the last few days has me fairly convinced that spring is already in full swing. One of my absolute favorite signs of the new season is the return of restaurant weeks.

The Seacoast is up first with what is officially being called Restaurant Week Portsmouth, even though not all the participating restaurants are in the Port City. From March 26-April, you can find special three-course prix frixe menus. Lunch is $16.95 per person and dinner is $29.95 per person. If you have your heart set on a particular meal at a particular locale, reservations are highly recommended.

A growing list of participating restaurants, with links to their menus, is available on the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce site. Some of the hottest new restaurants join familiar favorites, so it’s a truly great opportunity to dig in and try them out.

Not to be outdone, Manchester brings back Eats Week from April 11-15. Unfortunately, I can’t find anything more on the InTown Manchester site, but last year there were some fabulous offerings at Richard’s Bistro, Cotton, the Commercial Street Fishery and Z — just to name a few.

You may have to loosen your belt after they’re both over, but that’s a sacrifice I think is worth making.

Have I missed any others? Are you North Country or Upper Valley folks planning a Restaurant Week.

Are you sick of turkey yet?

Me too.

That’s why I’m looking forward to welcoming December today with lunch at the Commercial Street Fishery in Manchester.

It’s tucked away a bit in an old mill building near Merchantsauto.com Stadium, and serves up lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. Take a look at some of the scrumptious, out-of-the-sea offerings on their lunch menu here.

Want to join me? Today CSF is offering a buy one, get one free lunch deal — an even better reason to leave the dregs of your leftover stuffing in the refrigerator and enjoy a fresh fish meal.

Sorry for neglecting you, O bloggy readers, but I’ve had big things going on for a while, including a visit out of state.

But when I’m back, I’m back.

Eating out is hard in this economy, and every little bit of savings can help when you do decide to splurge. Now, I’m not saying that the 99 Restaurant chain offers the most eclectic or fine dining in New Hampshire, but you can sit down with the family and be fairly sure that everyone finds something agreeable on the menu.

And your wallet will surely find these printable coupons agreeable. Make sure you print ‘em out and make use of them before Oct. 29.

Many local restaurants are offering recession busters to lure their cash-strapped customers out of their houses. One of my favorites is from 900 Degrees in Manchester, home of some darn tasty wood-fired pizza. You might have caught them this weekend on TV Diner.

On Mondays through Thursdays from 3-6 p.m., dine at the restaurant on a Margherita pizza and Caesar salad for $10 (only one order per table, though). I highly recommend planning to take advantage of this deal on a Tuesday. If the weather is nice enough, you can head out to their deck for some acoustic music while you dine.

Giorgio’s has two locations — in Merrimack and Milford — and a fabulous reputation for their cocktails.

Maybe it’s the recession that made them decide to come up with an incredible list of weekly deals. Or maybe they are just that generous all the time. Whatever. I am not here to judge. It adds up to seven awesome reasons to hit one of the Giorgio’s at least once.

Monday dinners at both locations offer buy one entree and get a second one at half-price. Corky Tuesdays at both locations offer $10 off a bottle of wine. Pasta Wednesdays include five courses: a salad, appetizer, pasta, entree and dessert — $16.99 for adults and $8.99 for children 12 and younger. Thursday date night at both locations offers a salad or appetizer to be shared, choice of entree and choice of dessert to be shared, plus a bottle of wine for just $60. Not exactly what I’d call a cheap date, but definitely a nice treat out for the budget-conscious. Weekends offer a special treat for seniors: Between 4 and 6 p.m. they can  order any entree off the lunch menu except for paninis and wraps and pay the lunch menu price. And Sunday brunch at the Milford restaurant goes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you buy one buffet at full price, you get a second one half off. We’re talking omelets, carving stations, salads, pastries, mimosas, a Swan Chocolate fountain… You can’t get much better than that for Sunday brunch.

Mangia already, would you?

And then make sure you swing by the Milford joint on the first Thursday of every month for Latin Night at 8 p.m. in the lounge. An instructor from the Queen City’s Royal Palace Dance Studio comes by to give an hour lesson in salsa, cha cha and mambo for the first hour. The dancing continues until 11 p.m.

Well, there aren’t 99 of them, but they are at the 99. If you’re a fan of this chain, use these printable coupons for $5 off a lunch or dinner of $20 or more and $5 off a lunch of $15 or more. Not a bad deal, but hurry! The coupon expires Aug. 29.

And while you’re loving the number 99, head over to your local Friendly’s to enjoy a 99-cent kid’s cone until Aug. 23. You don’t need to remember a coupon for this deal, and a friend of mine reports that the kid’s cones are quite generous.

I’m a sucker for anniversaries. If there’s a reason to celebrate longevity, I’m there, with mylar balloons and party horns — which is why I’m excited to celebrate Blake’s Restaurant anniversary this week. The Manchester restaurant — which has homes on South Main Street and Daniel Webster Highway - is celebrating its 1963 beginnings this week by offering a 63-cent ice cream cone today through Aug. 14.

It’s pretty impressive to last almost half a century in the restaurant biz. But to do it with a nod to your customers the way Blake’s is — well, that’s just a class act. With a cherry on top.

I’ve posted about restaurant discount sites before, but my absolute favorite has got to be NH Dining 4 Less – and that’s despite the icky use of “4″ to represent “for.” >Shudder<

Like its kissing cousin, Restaurant.com, you can use it purchase gift certificates to a bevy of local dining establishments at highly discounted prices. But I feel like it has a much broader selection of options.

The site design is a little messy, but don’t let it stop you. You can get your gift certificates at half their normal price — at places like the Red Arrow, The Peddler’s Daughter and Cotton. Unlike Restaurant.com, you get actual gift certificates mailed to you — not the receipt printouts. I never wait more than two days for them, either. It’s pretty sweet.

So, what are you waiting for? What? You’re not hungry? You’re all skin and bones! Eat! Eat!

Ate Doors Down, located at the site of the former Gala Cafe on Elm Street, is offering a free lunch today — starting at 11 a.m. and lasting until the food is gone. You can enjoy hot dogs, sausage, corn on the cob, watermelon and drinks. It’s a great summertime menu to ring in your Fourth of July weekend.

Get there quick before the food is gone.

One of Nashua’s culinay treasures, the Black Orchid Grille, has teamed with The Wine Society to offer a complimentary wine tasting on the first Tuesday of every month.

Stop by the Temple Street restaurant from 6-8 p.m. to partake in the tastings, which feature a quintet of wine varieties. Patrons will also receive half off a bottle of one of the restaurant’s featured wines that evening with the purchase of two or more entrées.

As an added bonus, Black Orchid fans can now receive half off a bottle of one of the five wines featured on the first Tuesday wine sampling on any Tuesday during the month with the purchase of two or more entrées.

I just wanted to give y’all a head’s up. The first Tuesday of the month is next Tuesday, so plan accordingly. You don’t want to forget in the hoopla this weekend over the Fourth of July.