Due to the economic downturn, many restaurants in San Diego feature a “Chef’s Value” menu where you can pick any appetizer, main dish, and dessert on the menu for around $40.  Restaurants such as Nine-Ten in La Jolla and Savory in Encinitas both pictured here offer a “Chef’s Value” choice.  So even if you happen to miss restaurant week – you can still get similar deals at many restaurants.  Even though restaurant week may be a slightly better deal, your experience may not be as good.  During Restaurant Week  its usually crowded, your choices are limited, and the staff is overwhelmed – so the food and service isn’t up to par.  For example, we went to the Marine Room for Restaurant Week a couple years ago  and it was very crowded, the waiters were frequently dropping dishes, and the food was lackluster.