Close your eyes and imagine the sights and sounds: A bustling restaurant dining room in Birmingham. There are plates and glasses clattering, a constant murmur of folks in conversation, a smattering of laughter. There are many regular customers, and some new faces. The aromas of finely cooked dishes — seafood, beef, pasta, spices swirling. Decadent desserts roll by on carts. The mood is light, and the energy is vibrant. It's Birmingham Restaurant Week.
Now in its fifth year, Birmingham Restaurant Week will actually be two weeks long. This year's dates are Monday through Friday, Feb. 1-5 and Feb. 8-12. After five years the prix fixe menus remain at $15 for a three-course lunch, and $25 for a three-course dinner. Birmingham Restaurant Week features two new establishments this year: Cafe Via and Quattro. They join the grand list of fine dining establishments, including: 220, Big Rock Chop House, Chen Chow Brasserie, Elie's Mediterranean Cuisine, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Forest Grill Cafe, Forte, Mitchell's Fish Market, Peabody's, Phoenicia, Rugby Grille at the Townsend Hotel, Salvatore Scallopini and Streetside Seafood.
Chefs prepare special menus just for Restaurant Week. Some have a different menu every day. They enjoy the friendly competition among restaurants, and cooking up a special meal for a special price. Some restaurants are only offering lunch, and some have slightly lower price points. But make no mistake: There is no skimping on quantity or quality. With three courses, diners will come away satisfied.
Bill Roberts, longtime proprietor of Streetside Seafood, has supported the event from the start. “There are several things that I like about this event,” he said. “First, we are providing a ‘deal' to our neighborhood supporters who visit us year-round. Second, the event brings new guests to check us out. Finally, we see more shoppers dining with us at lunch.” As a PSD Board member, Bill hopes that Restaurant Week can help retailers as well. “Times are tough right now, so I hope this event can fill the streets with shoppers.”
Close your eyes and imagine the sights and sounds: A bustling restaurant dining room in Birmingham. There are plates and glasses clattering, a constant murmur of folks in conversation, a smattering of laughter. There are many regular customers, and some new faces. The aromas of finely cooked dishes — seafood, beef, pasta, spices swirling. Decadent desserts roll by on carts. The mood is light, and the energy is vibrant. It's Birmingham Restaurant Week.
Now in its fifth year, Birmingham Restaurant Week will actually be two weeks long. This year's dates are Monday through Friday, Feb. 1-5 and Feb. 8-12. After five years the prix fixe menus remain at $15 for a three-course lunch, and $25 for a three-course dinner. Birmingham Restaurant Week features two new establishments this year: Cafe Via and Quattro. They join the grand list of fine dining establishments, including: 220, Big Rock Chop House, Chen Chow Brasserie, Elie's Mediterranean Cuisine, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, Forest Grill Cafe, Forté, Mitchell's Fish Market, Peabody's, Phoenicia, Rugby Grille at the Townsend Hotel, Salvatore Scallopini and Streetside Seafood.
Chefs prepare special menus just for Restaurant Week. Some have a different menu every day. They enjoy the friendly competition among restaurants, and cooking up a special meal for a special price. Some restaurants are only offering lunch, and some have slightly lower price points. But make no mistake: There is no skimping on quantity or quality. With three courses, diners will come away satisfied.
Bill Roberts, longtime proprietor of Streetside Seafood, has supported the event from the start. “There are several things that I like about this event,” he said. “First, we are providing a ‘deal' to our neighborhood supporters who visit us year-round. Second, the event brings new guests to check us out. Finally, we see more shoppers dining with us at lunch.” As a PSD Board member, Bill hopes that Restaurant Week can help retailers as well. “Times are tough right now, so I hope this event can fill the streets with shoppers.”
Birmingham PSD Special Events Chair Richard Astrein, of Astrein's Fine Jewelers agrees. He says that Birmingham Restaurant Week livens up the city during a usually slow period. “Restaurant Week brings hundreds of people to the downtown, even on the coldest February nights,” he said. “I really enjoy dining out, whether here in Birmingham, around metro Detroit, or wherever I travel,” Astrein said. “Birmingham has some of the greatest restaurants anywhere. Restaurant Week brings new people in to see just how great our restaurants and downtown are.”
When Restaurant Week began in Birmingham, it was borrowed from similar events in New York and Los Angeles. Since Birmingham's first year in 2006, other metro area communities have embraced the concept, including Detroit, Troy and now Ann Arbor. Luckily for diners, they are during different weeks, so the true foodies can compare cities. Of course, we think Birmingham is the first and the best in metro Detroit. We hope you'll agree. Check out our Web site at www.enjoybirmingham.com then click on the Restaurant Week link to view menus and other restaurant information. Enjoy!
John Heiney is executive director of the Birmingham Principal Shopping District.
No comments:
Post a Comment