Restaurant-goers can enjoy exclusive deals from more than 25 different Evanston restaurants this February during the Chicago area’s annual North Shore Restaurant Month.

Featuring over 90 restaurants along the North Shore, the promotion will run every day in February, except for Valentine’s Day. Deals include free appetizers and desserts, percentages off the entire bill and two-for-one deals and prix fixe courses.

Evanston restaurants participating in Restaurant Month include Cupitol Coffee & Eatery, Found Kitchen and Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge. Their deals include buy-one-get-one-free entreés, 15 percent off the guest check and a free appetizer with the purchase of an entreé, respectively. Taco Diablo, La Macchina Cafe and the Celtic Knot Public House are also participating.

Taco Diablo owner Daniel Kelch said customers who mention restaurant month will receive a free dessert for every two entreés they order.

He added that February is one of the slowest months of the year for restaurants, so any initiative to increase customers is welcome.

“A restaurant will participate … to help put a few extra seats every day into their restaurant,” Kelch said.

At La Macchina Cafe, 1620 Orrington Ave, guests who purchase an entreé will also receive a free appetizer this month. Owner Emanuele Bianchi added that there are other ongoing deals separate from Restaurant Month.

“We have a special class where we teach how to make tortellini in brodo,” Bianchi said. “Twenty dollars comes with a lesson, a few hour(s) teaching and making the tortellini in person and then having a glass of wine.”

He added that for Valentine’s Day, La Macchina Cafe features its own special menu. .

Kelch said some restaurants will offer more competitive discounts than others this month.

“We’re a fortunate network, pretty much full all the time, anyway, so we don’t have real aggressive deals out there,” Kelch said. “But at the same, we still want to participate. We still want to drive traffic and get that extra handful of tables every day.”

Bianchi said because La Macchina Cafe’s management changed in October, he has focused on rebranding the restaurant as a better dining experience.

The Celtic Knot Public House also features 15 percent off the food bill for Restaurant Month. Owner Liz Breslin said the restaurant has operated in Evanston for 15 years and has participated in each Restaurant Month since the start of the event.

“It’s a drab time of year. It’s nice to see people come out a little bit more,” Breslin said. “So, any incentive might help. It’s always nice to have an opportunity to bring in new customers and people who have never tried it before.”

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