With so many of us on vacation these weeks, restaurants that are not down the Shore can struggle to fill tables. So chefs in South Jersey and in Hudson County are fighting the summer doldrums with region-wide dining specials next week.

South Jersey Hot Chefs, an organization of local chefs and restaurant owners, is sponsoring Farm to Fork Week July 27-August 1 (some places are extending it through Saturday, August 2). For $35 at participating restaurants, you get a four-course menu—take your pick from steakhouse, American, Italian, Mexican, Creole, Indian, Japanese. 

Whatever the cuisine, you’ll eat Enn-Jay – every dish will feature local South Jersey ingredients.

“We do this to help local farmers from the South Jersey area, and because the quality of the products is going to be higher, fresher, and our guests absolutely love it,” says  Robert Minniti, of Bàcio restaurant in Cinnaminson and president of the chefs group.

At his own restaurant, Minniti’s Farm to Fork menu will include bruschetta with spicy Jersey tomato vinaigrette, Hunter's Farm Sweet Corn Bisque, a chocolate and Jersey peach dessert. But it’s not only produce – entrees include Barnegat bay scallops, clams, mussels and monk fish, Jersey Shore swordfish fillet, cheeses and free range chicken from local farms.

Up north, meanwhile, it’s Hudson Restaurant Week, July 28-August 8 in 37 restaurants (at last count) mostly in Hoboken and Jersey City.

Here, each restaurant sets its own prix fixe. Most places are offering three- or four-course menus for $30-$35; at a few eateries, it’s less than that — for $23 at Arthur’s Tavern in Hoboken diners can choose from two salads, two soups plus an entrée of either sirloin, sirloin and shrimp or barbecued ribs. 

You can do lunch, too. Honshu Lounge in Jersey City will offer a four-course menu of soup, salad, entrée choice of Chirashi fish, vegetarian roll or Champon Ramen in pork broth plus dessert, $18.  

If you are not away next week, these Hudson County and South Jersey eats are waiting for you.