City’s restaurant week begins Oct. 14

RESTAURANT WEEK Middletown Business District sponsoring event

MIDDLETOWN >> Some of the restaurants that made Middletown a destination spot for diners across the state and beyond will be participating in the first-ever Middletown Restaurant Week.

Seasons Federal Credit Union and the Middletown Downtown Business District are proud to sponsor the inaugural event.

Throughout the week of Oct. 14 to 18, Middletown area restaurants will be offering multi-course prixfixe menus.

A prix-fixe is a multi-course meal with fixed items and prices, as opposed to ordering each course separately from a list of items with different prices.

Food connoisseurs and discountseekers will enjoy the unique offerings created by chefs and restaurateurs.

Middletown Downtown Business District’s executive director, Quentin “Q” Phipps, said he is excited about the event.

“This is a great opportunity to visit your favorite greater Middletown eatery or discover a new restaurant with your friends and family, all at an exceptionally low cost. The Middletown area is home to critically acclaimed restaurants in Connecticut and Middletown Restaurant Week is a great way for people to appreciate our diverse offerings,” Phipps said in a prepared statement.

Seasons Federal Credit Union’s “random acts of kindness” program will also be in effect. Throughout the week SFCU “heroes in capes” will be making the rounds to participating establishments and may even pick up your tab.

So far, 19 restaurants have signed up to participate: Amici Italian Grill, Cafe 56, Canoe Club, Chicago Sam’s Sports Bar & Grille, Cold Stone Creamery, Eli Cannon’s, Esca Restaurant & Wine Bar, First and Last Tavern, Forbidden City Bistro, Illiano’s Ristorante, It’s Only Natural Restaurant, La Boca, Mezzo Grille, New England Emporium, NoRA Cupcakes, O’Rourke’s Diner, Stella D’oro II, Tavern at the Armory and Tschudin Chocolates.

For more information, visit http://middletownrestauantweek.com.

The website will have up-to-date information about the event, and offers a “Restaurant Week 101” section that explains how to make or cancel reservations, and to be sure to tip your server.

The page also encourages restaurant-goers to be bold if their restaurant of choice is booked by suggesting they try a different one, or, find out if a restaurant will also have a prix-fixe menu available at lunch.

Restaurant owners interested in participating in the event are asked to email Phipps at quentin@downtownmiddletown.com.

Middletown Restaurant Week is also seeking volunteers to work the event. They too are asked to email Phipps.

JIM SALEMI/THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS Main Street’s La Boca Restaurant and Forbidden City Bistro are just two of the nearly 20city restaurants so far participating in the Downtown Business District’s inaugural Restaurant Week, running from Oct. 14through Oct. 18.