It?s beginning to look a lot like dinnertime.
Back for its second year, Restaurant Week is again looking to draw nontraditional clients into some of the finest bistros and eateries in the area. Expanding from 60 to 80 participating restaurants, the creative campaign offers residents the option of ordering a three-course dinner for $30.07, with some even offering a three-course lunch for $20.07.
“Restaurant Weeks are proven and popular in other cities. They are a great way to draw people in and a good way to provide extra business during a slow restaurant time,” said Mike Evitts, a spokesman for the Downtown Partnership, one of the lead sponsors and organizers. “It?s a great way for diners to experience first-rate restaurants for much less than they would normally spend. I can go get a three-course dinner at a four-star restaurant for the price for an entree or an appetizer.”
The Downtown Partnership, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association and Baltimore City all worked together to make the event happen. Developing an extensive network of restaurants, they even launched a Web site for the week. Interested gastronomers can view contact information on participating restaurants, sort them by cuisine or location, find nearby parking and even make reservations.
“We thought last year that if we had 20 to 25 restaurants participate, it would be great, but we had about 60, and all of them were pretty heavily booked, to where some extended the specials to try and meet the demand,” Evitts said. “Some have even extended the special from five to seven days.”
Ann Nault, owner and executive chef at Taste in Belvedere Square, is looking forward to the week. Despite sometimes being overbooked, Nault is looking forward to a more refined and experienced approach this year, taking credit card numbers ahead of time. Nault expects up to 500 more customers and looks to impress them.
“We get a lot of first-time diners and our goal is to keep them coming back,” she said. “Wow them and keep them coming back.”
