Harford County establishments serve food, familiarity during restaurant week

Maria Morales, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·2 min read

Jan. 26—While the cold weather, iffy snowstorms and the COVID spike have led many Harford County residents into a kind of hibernation at home, Harford County Restaurant Week is drawing foodies out of their dens as they forage the county for hearty fare.

The 10-day event features special meals and deals from more than 40 restaurants throughout the county. For some foodies, it's an opportunity to try something new, said Diandra Tucker, co-owner of Island Spice in Edgewood.

"Restaurant Week brings us new customers who've never dined with us before or are little bit cautious of dining with us because they may be a little apprehensive about our food being spicy," Tucker said. "This gives us the opportunity to showcase what we offer. We are Jamaican rooted, but we also offer other cuisines that are less spicy, and non-traditional menu items."

For some patrons, Restaurant Week is a good time to get a great deal at their favorite dining spot, Tucker said.

"We've had a great response so far," Tucker said. "Our locals always come because they know that a three-course meal for $40 is a good deal here."

Restaurant Week is designed to give a boost to local restaurants, many of which are family owned and operated businesses like Tucker's restaurant and Coakley's in Havre de Grace.

"I think it's been the best Restaurant Week that we've ever had, but I think it's kind of like a perfect storm of all kinds of things that have been happening to make the Restaurant Week the best that we've ever had," said Margaret Coakley, co-owner of Coakley's.

COVID infections among staff caused Coakley's to shut down for five days in late December, Coakley said. She said that from what she saw in her staff and heard from regular customers, COVID seemed to peak around Christmas in the Havre de Grace area. She believes the worst has passed.

"I think Havre de Grace is over COVID and feels comfortable coming out," Coakley said. "People are tired of sitting at home. They can't go to sporting events, you know, so they're looking forward to something to do."

Patrons like Donna Kennedy, who came to Coakley's for lunch Monday, didn't let COVID stop them from enjoying a good meal.

"I'm not the least bit concerned," Kennedy said. "The wait staff is on top of their game with keeping everything clean and safe."

Kennedy said she and her family dined at Coakley's often throughout the pandemic. "We sat outside and we were wearing our masks, but we didn't let it slow us down," she said.

Harford County Restaurant Week ends Sunday. A complete listing of participating restaurants can be found on Visit Harford's website.