Triangle-area diners will have a great excuse to go out for lunch or dinner next week: from May 12-18, a few self-selected Raleigh-area restaurants (including local favorites such as Frazier's, Irregardless Café and Zely & Ritz) are offering promotional prix fixe menus in order to celebrate the First Annual Triangle Restaurant Week. (Although it's called Triangle Restaurant Week, all 24 of the participating restaurants are located in the Raleigh area, most of them inside the beltline.)

Triangle Restaurant Week is modeled after similar events that have become popular in "big cities" across the country: participating restaurants will offer a three course meal (appetizer, entree and desert) at a relatively low fixed price--in this case, $15.08 for lunch and $25.08 for dinner.

If your mouth is already watering, go ahead and make your reservations--then enjoy some of Raleigh 's finest dining at a discount!