Even though it seems like restaurant week has been around since David slew Goliath, it’s only eleven years old. Organized in 2007 to entice people out of their homes and into dining establishments in the middle of winter, it’s proven a roaring success. The number of participating restaurants continues to grow and the public’s interest shows no sign of waning. This year, there will be 370 restaurants dangling the alluring restaurant week carrot; up from 349 last year. The question always becomes, which of those carrots are truly delicious? And because it’s restaurant week, which is the best deal?
With so many restaurants in the game, there are bound to be more than a few that you may have had on your wanna visit wish list. In order to make sure that visit is all that you hoped for, a little planning is advisable.
Some establishments make their participation in restaurant week a commitment to show their best work. Others do not and create dishes that don’t reflect the character or quality of their standard cuisine.
To help diners make more informed choices, both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine put boots on the ground and tapped into past experience to give a heads up on this year’s lineup. Combined, their efforts help us to make more informed decisions and learn the indicators that point to a good or bad choice.
Cost breakdown is straightforward. Lunch/Brunch $22. Dinner $33. Usually the dinner cost is for three courses. A few restaurants will offer four courses for the same amount. Most commonly though restaurants offering four course restaurant week menus will charge $44 for them. More and more establishments are putting their restaurant week menus on line so you can check which is the case for the restaurant(s) you’re most interested in. It also gives you a chance to see how intriguing their restaurant week menus are.
Both the Tribune and Chicago Magazine agreed on a few sure hits; Naha and Marisol among them. A little homework and a little luck should insure your Restaurant Week experience will whet your appetite for a repeat excursion next year.
Restaurant Week begins January 26th and ends February 8th.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/restaurants/ct-restaurant-week-chicago-reviews-20180129-storygallery.html
http://www.chicagomag.com/dining-drinking/January-2018/Restaurant-Week-2018/
