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For the third time in just over a year, the restaurant owners and chefs of SoNo are joining together to offer five days of dining bargains to the public. SoNo Restaurant Week will take place from Sunday, June 13 trough Friday, June 18 and nearly all the dining spots on both Washington and Main Streets will participate. The event provides an unparalleled opportunity to sample some of the area's truly outstanding cuisine at a fraction of the regular menu prices.
The first SoNo Restaurant Week last summer joined together the extremely diverse group of restaurateurs as they battled the economic slide and a dwindling customer base. In an area where high rents have meant a veritable revolving door of establishments from year to year, and in an industry where egos often collide, it hasn't always been easy for these proprietors to band together. But thanks to Scott Beck, who went door to door to speak with each of the owners in person, that changed. Beck, a born and raised Westport resident, is the owner of both Match restaurant and The Loft martini bar on Washington Street.
"The concept was not new," he said. "It's been done in cities with a high volume of restaurants all across the country. But it was something we had never tried and it provided all of us with the opprtunity to give something back to the customers who had been so loyal to us for so many years at a time when they really needed it. It also created an opportunity for diners who had perhaps never tried some of the restaurants down here to sample the incredible food being created by our chefs."
Diners were thrilled. "The bill at some of these restaurants can be exorbitant," said Norwalk's Sally Reich. "So I was thrilled to be able to get such a great deal at the high end spots." The deal is $29.95 for a three-course dinner, excluding tax and tip. In addition, to include some of the more reasonably priced restaurants, a second price tier was added for the second week that took place last fall.
Following suit, Westport hosted their own very successful Restaurant Week in March of this year, thanks to the efforts of the Westport Chamber of Commerce. According to Executive Director Lisa Thygerson, a second event is being put together for late summer. Check back to The Daily Westport for more information.
Exact details and participating restaurants for June's event in SoNo have yet to be released, but expect some equally great bargains this time around. All the restaurant owners are very excited to be doing this again and we hope for a turnout as great as last year, said Beck. For further information, check the individual restaurants' websites and look for the complete list of participating establishments and sample menus on The Daily Norwalk.
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