Restaurant Week is like Christmas, birthdays and every other holiday wrapped into 11 days of dining bliss for Columbia foodies.

In fact, diners in Columbia like Restaurant Week so much, the Capital City gets two weeks each year.

And one is here: From Oct. 12-22, diners can feast in the Columbia, Irmo and Lexington areas off special menus offered at a special price.

“Restaurant Week Columbia creates so much buzz and excitement about the area’s culinary scene, we’ve decided to offer it twice a year,” says Katie Montgomery, director of communications for the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. “In January, Restaurant Week Columbia runs the same time as Restaurant Week South Carolina (Jan. 11-21). In the fall, it’s all about Columbia.”

Restaurant Week Columbia is organized locally by the Greater Columbia Chapter of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. The fall Restaurant Week campaign is specifically for the Columbia-Lexington areas. Restaurant Week in January is part of the statewide Restaurant Week South Carolina campaign run by the SCRLA.

Participating restaurants offer a special multicourse menu at a special price.

“Restaurant Week gives food lovers the opportunity to experience special lunches and dinners in Columbia’s casual and high-end restaurants,” Montgomery says. “So there really is something for everyone and every budget.”

Montgomery suggests using the website, www.RestaurantWeekColumbia.com to plan your Restaurant Week dining experience. The website lists all participating restaurants, and the special menus they will offer.

“I personally love to drool over the website,” Montgomery says. “It’s fun to cruise the site and check out all the participating restaurants and their menus. You can search by cuisine type, make reservations through the website and more.”

Reservations are encouraged.

Go to the Restaurant Week Columbia Facebook page, Instagram at @restaurantweeksc and Twitter at @restaurantsc and post food photos, using the #rwsc hashtag when posting photos of Restaurant Week.

Here are a couple of example menus for Columbia’s restaurant week. Check the website for a complete list of participating restaurants, changes, or for hours these specials are offered:

Alodia’s

Where it is: 2736 N. Lake Drive.

What you pay: $60 per couple; $10 off any bottle of wine.

What you get: Any one appetizer, any one dessert, and any two entrees from a selection that includes: portobello pork ribeye, Tuscany chicken, baked spaghetti, eggplant Parmesan, chicken Parmesan, lasagna, bow tie gratinata, tuna carpaccio, baked ziti, pasta primavera.

Blue Marlin

Where it is: 1200 Lincoln St.

What you pay: $35 per person.

What you get: A three-course meal. For the first course, choose from petite shrimp and grits, a cup of she crab soup, a Southern candied pecan salad, and a signature BLT salad. For the main course, choose from pesto ravioli, firecracker flounder, blackened trout, salmon Pontchartrain, and chargrilled New York strip. For dessert, choose from pumpkin cheesecake, blackout cake, and key lime pie.

Lizard’s Thicket

Where it is: Chances are, nearby. See www.lizardsthicket.com/locations.

What you pay: 99 cents.

What you get: Any dessert.

Liberty Tap Room

Where it is: 828 Gervais St.

What you pay: $20.95 per person.

What you get: A three-course meal. For the first course, choose between house and Caesar salads. For the second course, choose one of the following: tenderloin medallions, Southern smothered chicken, or shrimp and grits. For the third course, choose between bananas Foster cheesecake and a chocolate brownie.

Kaminsky’s Dessert Cafe

Where it is: 930 Gervais St.

What you pay: $10.

What you get: Creme brûlée cafe mocha and a macaroon sampler (salted caramel, Bailey’s irish cream, Frangelico candied hazelnut).

Yesterdays

Where it is: 2030 Devine St.

What you pay: $16.99.

What you get: A three-course meal. For the first course, choose from the soup of the day, a dinner salad, and Cuban black bean soup. For your entree, choose from fresh broiled salmon with a side of dill sauce and choice of two sides; hand battered and fried catch of the day over creamed grits with a choice of one side; sauteed Tasso shrimp and creamed grits with a choice of one side; London broil and a baked potato. For dessert, choose caramel apple pie or key lime pie.