Budget-minded food lovers won't have to wait for August's Miami Spice for dining-out deals. The first Coral Gables Restaurant Week is slated for June 2-9, with three-course, prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus in the $20-$40 range at dozens of participating Gables eateries, from La Cofradia and Cacao to JohnMartin's and Fritz & Franz Bierhaus. Look for menus beginning Monday at coralgablesrestaurantweek.com.
MORE DEALS
• The Food Gang, 9472 Harding Ave., Surfside, is offering a three-course pre-theater special -- salad or soup; grilled hanger steak with shallots in red wine sauce and fries; coq au vin with fettucine; pasta of the day or salmon and tuna skewers with saffron rice plus dessert du jour -- for $19.95 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; 786-228-9292.
• China Grill, 404 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, has added a three-course, $22-per-person weekday lunch menu for parties of two or more. Main plate options (choose one for two guests, two for three guests, three for four or more) include pan-seared spiced tuna, sake-marinated drunken chicken, sweet soy-marinated skirt steak or noodles of the day; 305-534-2211.
PUTTING ON THE RITZ
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a day early at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne's Cantina Beach, 455 Grand Bay Dr., where you can order tacos, carnitas, etc., and any of 85 tequilas from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, with a Mexican trio booked 5:30-8:30 p.m.; 305-365-4286.
Elsewhere on the property, the new Dune Oceanfront Burger Lounge offers plush divans, VIP cabanas, champagnes, international beers, light bites ($14-$24) such as chilled cucumber soup with crab mayonnaise and luxe burgers ($18-$28) including Kobe beef sliders with sautéed foie gras. Hours are 11 a.m. to sunset Wednesday through Sunday, with the full menu available 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. except Sunday, when you can order until closing; 305-365-4500.
NORMAN REDUX
We stand corrected: Though we remarked last week that he's no longer cooking for the public, Norman Van Aken nicely notes that he's planning a fifth anniversary celebration in August at Norman's in Orlando. In other news, son Justin is heading to Chicago to cook. And Van Aken is working on his memoirs in Key West and ``looking for the right home to be back in the general Miami area before too long.''
MADE WITH LOVE
Entrée Vous, 13758 Kendall Dr., has a meal-assembly special for dads and kids planning ahead for Mother's Day May 11: Assemble two family-size breakfast frittata and hash browns entrees to serve Mom -- in bed! -- on her special day and get one free. Sessions are available Saturday and May 8-10. Reserve at 305-752-5171 or entreevous.com (use the promo code MomsDay).
CHAIN, CHAIN, CHAIN
• Benihana has added a premium sake flight -- three cold sakes -- for $12-$12.50. The under-age set can get a free kid's drink, edamame and paper samurai helmets Sunday through Wednesday in celebration of Japan's Children's Day; benihana.com.
• Au Bon Pain's new Portions line features 14 dishes with 200 or fewer calories. Priced at $2.99 (vegetarian) or $3.49 (with meat), they include chickpea and tomato salad, asparagus and almonds, Thai peanut chicken, Mediterranean tuna salad and brie with fruit and crackers; aubonpain.com.
• Krispy Kreme is offering a tropical-fruit-flavored doughnut and Chiller drink through June 2; krispykreme.com.
SHORT ORDERS
• Island Grill, 85501 Overseas Hwy., Islamorada, represents South Florida on Coastal Living magazine's list of 25 favorite seafood dives; 305-664-8400.
• Fleming's executive chef Russell Skall offers doggie-bag options at a new website, leftoversteakrecipes.com.
Send material to kmartin@miamiherald.com by noon Monday for consideration in next week's column.
