2012 Summer Restaurant Week
Where: Participating restaurant locations
When: July 22-29
Cost: Three-course meals and other meal deals priced at $20.12, $25.12 and $30.12; call ahead for availability and pricing. Reservations are highly recommended.
More information: http://dineoutdayton.com/events/summer-restaurant-week
Motto: Eat, drink and be caring.
Charities benefiting from summer restaurant week: YMCA Kids Campaign, Hope for Harvest of the Miami Valley, MVRA Scholarship Fund.
Why go?: "(It's an opportunity to) try some fantastic restaurants for a wonderful price and support our restaurant community," said Amy Zahora, executive director of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association.
The next MVRA event: Taste of Miami Valley is scheduled to take place Sept. 14-15 in downtown Dayton at RiverScape with more than 35 restaurants participating.
In what has become a semiannual tradition, local chefs and restaurants will put their best plates forward for the 2012 Summer Restaurant Week event beginning July 22.
The Miami Valley Restaurant Association's (MVRA) semiannual Restaurant Week promotion kicks off today with more than 45 restaurants offering special menus from July 22 through Sunday, July 29.
The eight-day event serves as a culinary showcase for restaurants to draw customers during a traditionally slow period of the year and an opportunity for diners to try something different at a special price.
This year, three-course meals and other deals will be priced $20.12, $25.12 or $30.12. Be sure to call ahead for availability, pricing and reservations. To view the latest list of participating restaurants and to look at menus, visit the association's brand new website that's just launched at http://dineoutdayton.com featuring mapping and streamlined event listings and information.
The Restaurant Week promotion, which began in January 2005 in Dayton, has continued to steadily gain popularity and traction thanks to increased interest and increased restaurant receipts. More than 14,000 meals were sold at last summer's Restaurant Week event.
"Restaurant Week is so popular because it gives customers the opportunity to experience a new restaurant at a great price," said Amy Zahora, executive director of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association.
Zahora said that with more than 10,000 meals sold in an average restaurant week, it typically helps generate more than $250,000 in sales for her association's restaurants that choose to participate.
Jason Thomas, owner of The Taste in Trotwood, said the Restaurant Week promotion has been key to helping him attract new customers. His business, which has been open less than a year, was able to attract interest during the Winter Restaurant Week that took place early this year.
"It offers us the ability to promote and market our business and to grab a new customer base. There are a lot of foodies out there that are willing to travel and try new things," Thomas said.
The event also functions as a fundraiser. Since the event began, it has helped raise more than $76,000 for local charities with $1 of each meal sold donated to area nonprofits. This year's Summer Restaurant Week charities are YMCA Kids Campaign, Hope for Harvest of the Miami Valley and the MVRA Scholarship Fund. More than $21,000 was donated to local charities in 2011, according to Zahora.
"As always, I'm very excited for Restaurant Week. It's such a great opportunity to allow our member restaurants to shine while helping such great causes," said the association's president, Shanon Morgan.
"I love hearing the positive feedback from the participating restaurant owners as well as the excitement from patrons trying out new places."
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What's on the menu?
Restaurant Week menus range in price and offerings. Here are some sample menus that illustrate the different pricing structures and deals that will be on the table from July 22-29.
Franco's Ristorante Italiano
824 E. Fifth St., Dayton
(937) 222-0204
3 Course meal for $20.12
Appetizer choices: Ravioli Espanol, Crostini di Focaccia, Bocconcini Alla Caprese
Entrée choices: Lasagna with meat or marinara sauce, Franco's spaghetti (garlic and olive oil) with mushrooms or sausage or 8 oz. sirloin steak with fettuccine
Dessert: Gelato, chocolate cake or Spumoni ice cream
El Meson
903 E. Dixie Drive, West Carrollton
(937) 859-8229
3 Course meal for $25.12
First course choices: Gazpacho soup or house salad
Second course choices: Pollo Maracuya (chicken, passion fruit, onion, cilantro) or Cazuela de Mariscos (seafood stew with fish, shrimp, scallops, crab)
Dessert: Guava cheesecake
Spinoza's Gourmet Pizza & Salads
2727 Fairfield Common Blvd., Beavercreek
(937) 426-7799
Dinner for two for $25.12
Choose any 12" specialty pizza or create your own with up to 3 toppings, plus two regular size artisan salads and two Gelato or sorbet mini-parfaits
The Caroline
5 South Market St., Troy
(937) 552-7676
Restaurant week dinners for $20.12 and $25.12
Choice of: Glass of house wine, craft beer, Margarita, soft drink
First course choices: Garden salad, spinach salad with sliced strawberries, dry blue cheese, walnuts, strawberry vinaigrette dressing or fresh sliced tomato and mozzarella salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Second course choices: Sauteed barramundi topped with chardonnay crab cream sauce ($20.12); Chicken saltimbocca with thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and sage ($20.12) or Surf and Turf with 10 oz. house sirloin and three grilled shrimp topped with garlic butter and tangled onion rings ($25.12)
Dessert: Dutch apple ice cream or strawberries with kahlua sauce
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Restaurant week checklist
There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to Restaurant Week. Reservations are at the top of the list. Be sure to call ahead to check on availability, hours and what is being offered. Also keep in mind that many restaurants are closed on Sundays or Mondays, so be sure to call ahead. Tax, tip and drinks are not included in this special offer. Check http://dineoutdayton.com/events/summer-restaurant-week/ for updates or call the specific restaurant you are interested in dining at.
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