Always searching for a new nibble or nosh, I fell in love with the Downtown Restaurant Week a few years ago.  This year is the 10^th tasty incarnation of some of the standards and upstarts in Downtown restaurants. 

Downtown Restaurant Week (DRW) is August 11-17 and is a great way to explore a restaurant you want to try with 26 participating this year.  Each restaurant has developed a 3 course price fixed menu for the week.  You can try some of their famous specialties or a new creation!  Each menu includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $25/person.  Some menus offer additional choices with an upcharge.  The charges are always clearly marked.

The $25/person charge does not include alcohol, but there are some signature cocktails created by sponsoring Pearl Vodka.  Give their Pearl Blueberry Lemonade a try or a wine pairing from Terrazzas for a reasonable $7.  If you are more of a beer person, Stella Artois and Hoegaarden are sponsoring as well as Stella Artois’s Cidre for your drinking pleasure.

With over 26 restaurants participating, there is something for everyone.  Entrees range from pizza and pasta to sushi, ceviche, and salmon.  There’s a lot of tasty steak and pork and a couple of restaurants even feature a vegetarian entrée. Hello chefs, vegetarians like to eat too! Most of the desserts don’t make me stand up and cheer with a lot of gooey butter cake, cheesecake, and chocolate cake incarnations.  I do find the idea of a sweet potato pecan tart at 400 Olive or a chocolate and peanut butter S’more at Lucas Park Grill &Market almost good enough to drive what restaurant I choose.  Almost.

The coordinators have made it easy to participate.  All of the participating restaurants have their special menu listed on the DRW website.  You can make reservations for most restaurants through the DRW website or you can call the restaurant and note that you are participating in Downtown Restaurant Week.

As well as introducing diners to their establishments, Downtown Restaurant Week gives an additional opportunity to give back to the community. Donations can be added to the final check and all donations go to Operation Food Search.

So grab your honey, your friend, or get up the gumption to ask someone out. If you take them to Downtown Restaurant Week, you are sure to impress!

 

Photo courtesy of Operation Food Search

Mills Properties