The menu at ViewHouse Eatery, Bar & Rooftop, a popular casual dining restaurant in Denver that features breathtaking Rocky Mountain views from its rooftop seating area, is the work of chef Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez put together a $25 meal that impresses, thanks to its judicious use of local and organic ingredients.

The $25 meal: Appetizer: Caprese Salad: fresh mozzarella, Milberger Farms Roma tomatoes, Rocky Mountain Herbs fresh basil, balsamic reduction, salt and pepper; Entrée: oven-roasted Frontiere Natural Meats pork loin, Isabelle Farms cauliflower puree, Hungenberg Farms baby carrots, Ela Farms asparagus, and a pork and mustard reduction; Dessert: White chocolate & raspberry parfait.

The inspiration: “At ViewHouse, our first step is to source Colorado Proud products that are local when available and organic when possible,” says Rodriguez. “Sourcing locally gives us quality items, an inexpensive cost and supports our amazing Colorado purveyors. This menu was inspired by Colorado’s seasonal transition from summer to fall, offering refreshing yet hearty flavors that complement the cooling weather.”

Food cost: $7

Value engineering: How did Rodriguez offer a profitable three-course meal for $25? “Two words: local and seasonal,” he says. “The price point on these items is drastically lower because they are in season. Also, by keeping the ingredients simple and showcasing basic yet vibrant flavors, you can keep the cost down.”

Profitable add-ons: Rodriguez says well-thought-out wine suggestions can boost the check. “We would encourage guests to pair their meal with a local Colorado wine, such as Infinite Monkey Theorem’s Rose,” he explains.

Here’s a tip: “We have the most success with seasonal specials when they are trendy items accompanied by creative marketing materials,” says Rodriguez. “During May we created a 'National Burger Month' menu that had mouthwatering visuals with a fun design and drink pairings. Once guests saw that menu, the burgers sold themselves.

An upscale stalwart of the Chicago restaurant scene, Phil Stefani Signature Restaurant Group launched a new spot last fall (the brainchild of 30-something daughter Gina).

MAD Social, in the West Loop neighborhood, offers a globally inspired menu, courtesy of chef Mariela Bolaños. She came up with a $25 menu for Restaurant Hospitality.

The $25 menu: Appetizer: crispy Brussels sprouts salad with yuzu vinaigrette; Entrée: Parmesan crusted pork chop, crispy sweet potato galette, butter poached broccolini and roasted jalapeño mojo de ajo; Dessert: cranberry mousse bombe over dark chocolate flourless cake.

The inspiration: “The changing seasons were my biggest inspiration,” says Bolaños. “As I update my menus, I’m always looking at what is in season and how I can incorporate those flavor profiles in new and interesting ways.”

Food cost: 25 percent

Value engineering: “I have experience with catering menus, so I know how to build menus that are the most cost effective, but still robust and interesting,” says Bolaños. I look very closely at my food costs each day, so I’m aware generally of what costs what.”

Profitable add-ons: “We find that a lot of our guests like to order sides as opposed to entrées. They want to split dishes so they get to try a little bit of everything. We try to have eye-catching and unusual items that catch attention and become a ‘must order’ item,” Bolaños explains. “Having servers go into detail about our wine offerings, including varietals that aren’t available elsewhere, also helps sway guests into ordering more. We also have a rotating selection of desserts that are small enough where guests feel comfortable ordering two instead of just one.”

Here’s a tip: “Presentation is key to elevating low-cost ingredients into a dish that guests want to order and share with their friends via social media, which in turn helps drive traffic,” Bolaños says

A cozy and climate-controlled patio is the main draw of the Castro district’s Starbelly (part of Back of The House’s portfolio of restaurants), but chef Adam Timney’s menu is pretty attractive in its own right. A neighborhood hangout, the restaurant recently was recognized by a local newspaper for serving “cheap eats that define the city.” While the entrée is pizza, in a traditional prix fixe manner, guests can pick and choose from appetizers and desserts to assemble a three-course meal.

The $25 meal (Although the items are priced separately, any combination adds up to $25 or less.): Appetizers: white bean puree, preserved lemon, chili and cucumber, grilled flatbread; split pea fritters, curried yogurt; oven roasted beets, herbed goat cheese and smoked almonds; charred broccoli and bagna cauda; roasted Padron peppers, sherry vinaigrette and sea salt; Entrée: pizza margherita; Desserts: Arborio rice pudding with Cocchi Americano-soaked cherries; artisanal cheeses with seasonal accompaniments.

The inspiration: “It’s been our goal since the beginning to offer a value-driven experience,” explains Timney.

Food cost: 27 percent

Profitable add-ons: “Since the goal is to provide a value-driven experience, we are very cautious to not push on sales,” explains Timney. “We really try to read a guest and the type of experience they are looking for. We have options on the menu to upsell, but those are only for a certain slice of our clientele.”

Here’s a tip: Timney says the items “are profitable on their own, although maybe not as profitable as some other menu items.” He adds, “The key for us is volume. The value-driven menu really resonates with guests.

The Hi Neighbor restaurant group opened Trestle in uber-trendy San Francisco promising “the return to a proper meal.” While three well-prepared courses, sold separately, usually come in at a reasonable $35, partner Ryan Cole and executive chef Jason Halverson pared it down further to create a three-course dinner for $25.

The $25 meal: Appetizer: corn soup with fresno chile, avocado and roasted corn; Entrée: stuffed chicken breast, dirty rice, summer squash and truffle jus; Dessert: peanut butter and jelly doughnuts with Concord grape jelly and chocolate.

The inspiration: “The cuisine at Trestle is really based on taking food that everyone knows and loves, but focusing on executing consistently at a high level,” Halverson says. “We also have amazing produce here in Northern California, so we definitely get a chance to focus on cooking seasonally. You combine both of these focuses and the menu essentially wrote itself,” he adds.

Food cost: $8.75. “Which would seem high for a $25 menu,” says Halverson. “What’s great about this, though, is that you generate product to utilize on other menus. The product is already paid for, so your future menu is potentially much more cost effective. The practice is complete utilization, which helps keep costs down and keeps the kitchen organized.”

Value engineering: An edited focus makes this menu work. “Within the scope of the restaurant, we have limited options for people to choose from. By narrowing our focus, we are able to eliminate waste and maximize our purchasing power,” says Halverson. “By scheduling dishes carefully, we are able to obtain the best possible food cost for each item. We know that the law of averages applies…We will sell about 50 percent of each dish daily, so it makes ordering easier as well. We also work within the guise of balancing high-ticket-item costs. Corn is inexpensive and in season, and we don’t use a lot of dairy in our soups, making them an affordable starter cost. Chicken is also an affordable protein, but we tend to make it appear nicer.”

Profitable add-ons: “We always recommend getting wine to enhance the meal, and coffee and after-dinner drinks with dessert. When featuring a more affordable option, you need to be very conscious of how to upsell. In the past we have offered supplemental courses, items such as caviar or truffles, etc., to increase check averages.”

Here’s a tip: “Profitability at such a low price point comes with volume and scale,” says Halverson. “It would be extremely difficult to make a menu like this profitable at this price point if you weren’t selling every menu. But making it an exclusive offering and driving a significant amount of traffic, it is completely manageable.”

At fast casual Indie Fresh in the Gotham West Food Hall, trendy healthful items abound.  Broths are a popular menu choice as are soups and fresh-pressed juices. Everything is gluten-free and dairy-free, but there’s plenty of meat on the Asian-inspired menu as well. The restaurant is owned by chef Akhtar Nawab.

The $25 menu (à la carte): Appetizer: pho beef bone broth; Entrée: Daal saag cole: Indian-inspired lentil ragout with spinach, black chickpeas and coconut chutney served with cauliflower “rice”; Dessert: rice protein pudding with arborio rice, cooked quinoa, almond milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, salt, black cardamom, water, cashew puree and fig puree.

The inspiration: “I was thinking about a new vegetarian dish for Indie Fresh,” chef/owner Akhtar Nawab says. “Indian-inspired items do well for us. This is a version of lentils that I grew up with but cooked with high-protein black chickpeas that add an interesting flavor and texture.”

Food cost: 30 percent

Profitable add-ons: Cold-pressed juices, spring water or grab-and-go items guests can eat later.  

Here’s a tip: “When customers come in, we often push them toward one of our meal kits, which is a day’s worth of meals,” says Nawab.