Denver Restaurant Week is one of the biggest food events on the metro calendar, drawing thousands of curious and hungry patrons to new spots and familiar favorites to sample discount menus every year. This year marks the first time in Denver Restaurant Week's history that the event is split into different seasons. The first took place in February, but the second week, scheduled for August 23 through Aust 29, is fast approaching. Landing a table at one of over 200 participating restaurants can be tricky, especially for the hottest eateries, so getting a head start on reservations is crucial. Today at noon, Visit Denver will be rolling out the menus of over 100 restaurants (with more being added each day) at DenverRestaurantWeek.com to help you decide where you want to spend your Restaurant Week dollars.

See also: Denver Restaurant Week splits into two weeks in 2014

This is the tenth year that Visit Denver has run the event, which was originally a one-week affair to help promote the Denver dining scene. During the recession, when restaurants were hit hard, Visit Denver added a second week -- but the winter marathon ultimately proved to be too much for employees and eaters alike. So Visit Denver finally split DRW into two sessions. The August edition gives restaurants a chance to showcase the summer bounty on their menus while providing both more seating -- if the restaurant has a patio -- and later seating, since diners tend to eat later in the summer.

Mayor Michael Hancock gets in on the chef action at last year's Denver Restaurant Week.

Buzzworthy new restaurants releasing menus today include Humboldt, Olive & Finch, Lower48 Kitchen, TAG, and Range.

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In the past, the deal had been dinner for two for $52.80, but Visit Denver raised the price this year to $30 per person (not including tax and tip). The booster group is also featuring a contest this time around called "The Pursuit of Perfection in the Kitchen," offering the chance to win private cooking lessons with chefs Elise Wiggins of Panzano or Andrea Frizzi of Il Posto. Information on entering the contest can be found at Facebook.com/VisitDenver.

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