Big changes being served up for Denver Restaurant Week(s)
By Elean Gersack
Denver Restaurant Week (DRW) has made some big changes. The first is timing. Rather than having one two-week period to enjoy a variety of cuisines at a reasonable price, Denverites will now have two one-week opportunities to do so. The weeks planned for 2014 are February 22-28 and August 23-29.
“A summer version of the event offers restaurants a lot of interesting serving and meal options,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of Visit Denver, which created and organizes DRW. “Restaurants will be able to offer outdoor dining and feature fresh Colorado produce. We anticipate that summer menus will be very different than the winter ones, and they will be able to showcase the farm-to-fork movement that is so popular in the state,” Scharf said.
The next change is in the price. In past years, the price was $52.80 for two people (or $26.40 for one). This year, the cost is $60 for a couple or $30 per person. Scharf said the slight price increase was necessary to maintain the quality of menu selections.
“We’ve held the same price for nine years, and while it’s hard to lose the fun of the $52.80 price point, it was necessary for the restaurants. The new price will allow chefs to get creative again and offer dishes and portions that better represent their normal fare,” Scharf said.
For the upcoming February 22-28 DRW, a few of the nearby participating restaurants include: Old Stone Church, UNION – An American Bistro, UNISCALI – Modern Italian, Bonanno Brothers Pizzeria, Hacienda Colorado, La Sandia, Via Baci Italian Bistro, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Miyama of Colorado Japanese Steakhouse.
Restaurants are being added daily. For a complete list of participants from across the entire Denver Metropolitan area and to view menus and make reservations, visit www.denver.org/denverrestaurant.
