Restaurant Week serves up a taste of 'the best of the best' in local dining Jan 24.-29

Pressed pork belly appetizer at Milestone 229
Pressed pork belly appetizer at Milestone 229

January often brings a lull in restaurant dining, as people recover from the holidays, make new resolutions and hole up for the winter.

614 Restaurant Week, which runs Jan. 24-29, will tempt guests to try new and intriguing meals, whether they are enjoyed at a restaurant or in some cases, at home.

This year's program includes more than 100 sites with three-course meals ranging from $20 to $40 per person.

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Milestone 229 deals

Milestone 229, at 229 S. Civic Center Drive, participates in the program every year.

This year, guests can pick an appetizer, a soup or salad and an entree for $40, for either dine-in or takeout.

Appetizers include pressed pork belly with bourbon-smoked prunes and smoked popcorn, brie with baguette and preserves or garlic and chili tuna crudo.

For a second course, guests can choose house or Caesar salad or cream of wild mushroom soup.

And for entrees, guests can select Angus beef filet with mushroom and leek risotto, pork Bolognese with polenta or panko-fried crabcake with kimchee fried rice.

“Restaurant Week gives our chefs time to play around with things we don't always serve. We often choose from our prior specials or what we've made for one of our Wine Dinners,” said Julie Cross, general manager for Milestone 229.

Pat and Gracie's specials

Pat and Gracie's, at 340 E. Gay St., is offering a three-course dinner for dine-in or carryout for $20.

“We put some of our guests' favorites together for Restaurant Week,” said Suprina Simon, general manager of the restaurant. “Pretzel bites are one of our most popular appetizers, so we put those in as a first course.”

Other options for appetizers include a house salad or the soup of the day.

For main courses, “Peruvian chicken is one of our top sellers, so we always include that in Restaurant Week. Just to give it a little variety, we did a pasta dish, 'Rattlesnake Pasta,' Simon said.

"The General Tso's Chicken is new for us in Restaurant Week, though we've done it as a special before.”

For dessert, guests can choose between key lime pie and French silk pie.

Chain restaurants in 614 Restaurant Week

Several restaurant chains have multiple sites participating in Restaurant Week.

Condado Tacos, for example, has six sites taking part. Their $20 specials are available for dine-in only. Their offer includes a drink (several varieties of margarita or a new spiced pineapple mezcalita), a dip (queso blanco, guacamole or the new fireside reefer dip) and tacos, a rice and bean bowl or a kale bowl.

El Vaquero has 11 sites participating in the program. Their $20 specials, available for dine-in only, include an appetizer (soup, salad, queso or guacamole), a main dish (burritos, enchiladas, carnitas or bowls) and dessert (flan or sopapilla).

Among the many other restaurants participating are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Lindey's, Columbus Fish Market, McCormick & Schmick's and Wolf's Ridge Brewing.

What is 614 Restaurant Week?

The 614 Restaurant Week website (www.614now.com) lists the restaurants participating and allows visitors to search for meals by price, for restaurants offering vegetarian or vegan options or takeout.

Of the sites listed on the website, more than 30 offer takeout.

Tax and gratuities — and beverages not listed as one of the courses — are not included in the set prices of the various menus.

For diners, Restaurant Week offers a convenient and budget-friendly way to sample what Greater Columbus has in the way of dining options.

“I think it's a nice way to get first-timers in, to give them a little taste of what we offer. Hopefully, that will give them something to look forward to and then they will come back to try different things.

"We have a lot of regulars who come in for Restaurant Week, but we also have a lot of people who come in for the first time, and who say, "Oh, we didn't know you guys were here,'” Simon said.

“A lot of our staff on their nights off will go to other restaurants and try out what they're offering,” Cross said. “We have people who come in here who go out every night for Restaurant Week. There's something for almost everyone, and you get to try the best of the best.”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Restaurant Week 2022 in Columbus: Here are the deals