A Bailout You Can Eat: Appetite Stimulus Plan

YOU KNOW THE ADAGE: You are what you eat. If that's the case for our economy-stricken wallets, it might seem like a lot of cheap Big Macs and Chipotle Burritos are in our collective future.

But it turns out we needn't sacrifice our palates. Online reservations site OpenTable (Opentable.com) has launched a nationwide "Appetite Stimulus Plan" this Monday through Friday, with restaurants dishing up $24 tasty lunches and $35 dinner specials.

Think of it as Restaurant Week … on a budget.

"We're hoping this is going to stimulate people to come out," says Matisse owner Fritz Siegfried. "It would be nice if it works!" His Tenleytown cafe is one of 160 D.C.-area establishments participating in the event. A sample of what he'll offer includes a midday organic salad followed by corn-crusted calamari and freshwater trout with lemon caper sauce, or an evening mango sorbet with grilled mangos after a filet mignon dinner.

Renowned D.C. restaurants are also plating delectable dishes. Dinner at Jaleo includes the choice of four tantalizing tapas — endives with goat cheese, oranges and almonds to seared monkfish — and homemade dessert.

Perhaps you'd prefer duck confit (Cafe Atlantico)? Or the choices of three Latin appetizers, a taco and dessert (Oyamel)? Indebleu's got caper-crusted diver scallops and coconut milk-poached halibut. And Panache is offering risotto with lamb and pan seared rockfish.

This is hardly a complete list of what's available — consider it a smidgen to whet your appetite.

One thing you can expect from all the restaurants (full list here) is creative and delicious edibles. So, to borrow another popular phrase, put your money where your mouth is. The restaurants could use the help, too.

"We're definitely down a little bit," says Panache manager Chris Chambers, "but it makes us work harder to try to get those dollars."

And our bailed-out bellies benefit.