Cleveland Restaurant Week: 5 deals to devour

Cleveland Restaurant Week (OK, two weeks) starts today and runs through March 18, featuring more than 50 local restaurants offering three-course specials.

• Here are some options that will get your mouth watering. All prices are per person.

Batuqui on the Falls

State of play: The Brazilian restaurant has a location on Larchmere Boulevard, but the Chagrin Falls spot feels like a mini-getaway.

The intrigue: The fried bananas are a nice warmup for a main course of moqueca de peixe stew, capped by a lime mousse for dessert.

If you go: $42 plus tax and gratuity.

Bodega Restaurant and Lounge

State of play: The Coventry Village restaurant serves some of the best Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine in Cleveland.

The intrigue: Try the oysters baked with spinach, parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs as your first course, followed by a rack of lamb and split-layer chocolate cake.

If you go: $52 plus tax and gratuity.

Don's Lighthouse

State of play: The longtime Edgewater fixture is known for its seafood.

The intrigue: Start with the soup du jour, before enjoying Faroe Island salmon with sauteed spinach and citrus guajillo tomato sauce as a main course. Finish things off with Don's New York-style cheesecake for dessert.

If you go: $39 plus tax and gratuity; not available on Friday or Saturday.

Lago East Bank

State of play: Lago is one of the best Italian restaurants in town, ideal for the start of a night out in the Flats.

The intrigue: The stuffed peppers are a great starting point. Have the short rib with parmesan polenta as a main course, polished off by the crème brûlée.

If you go: $44 plus tax and gratuity.

Taste

State of play: The Cleveland Heights restaurant has a wide variety of options for Restaurant Week.

The intrigue: The crispy cheese risotto is a perfect warm up for a main course of duck braised in red wine. Close things out with a trio of house-made ice creams and sorbets.

If you go: $40 plus 20% gratuity.