Yum, Kumquats Star at Santa Monica Restaurant Week

The kumquat?

You might have a tree in your yard. Lucky.

Or you might occasionally get bonked on the head by a kumquat, while walking around the neighborhood, if a branch filled with the tiny and tasty orbs overhangs the sidewalk (though, of course, getting head-bonked by a kumquat isn't as hardcore as walking into, say, a grapefruit).

And you might vow to use kumquats more, each time you saunter by the orange-bright bin at the grocery store.

But there's no more beating around this particular bush, or, er, tree, for your kumquat-focused longings will now be appetizingly addressed in Santa Monica.

Yep, it is early January, which means it is time for one of the nation's healthiest Restaurant Weeks to materialize on area tables.

Santa Monica has become known for featuring a fruit at the center of its eat-out event, with persimmons and pomegranates making appearances in years gone by.

The kumquat is the slightly sour, utterly delicious celebrity at the center of the 2020 celebration, which will happen at several SM spots.

Those spots include Bergamot Cafe, which will feature a Avocado, Kumquat, and Candied Walnut Salad with Grilled Salmon for $13.99, and Kye's, where an eight-dollar Fruity Kumquat Boba will add zing to the first full week of 2020.

There are several dishes to choose from at restaurants around Santa Monica, and while some are quite decadent, and even rich, all will boast a bit of small-citrus pizzazz.

And this wee but juicy gem can pay big. Be sure to hashtag your dine-out adventure with #SMRestaurantWeek for the chance to nab a dining gift certificate worth $500.

Details? You got it.

The full list of participants, and their special kumquat-themed dishes, may be found here, kumquatians.