Annual Restaurant Week in Oakland Starts Thursday, Kick-Off Party This Evening

A taste of Oakland’s restaurants can put a hole in the wallet, but starting Thursday people can try some of the city’s unique dishes at a fixed price during its fifth annual Restaurant Week. About 75 restaurants will be offering lunch and dinner menus starting Thursday through Jan. 25.

People can choose from a range of 30 cuisines including Burmese, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, soul food, and Peruvian. Some restaurants are offering meals prepared for two people. At a fixed price ranging between $20 and $40, people can simply enter a participating restaurant and ask for the “Oakland Restaurant Week” menu.

Though not required, organizers recommend people make a reservation online by visiting http://www.oaklandrestaurantweek.org, where spots can be booked through OpenTable.

Menus being offered by each restaurant during the event are also posted on the event’s website. A VIP kick-off party is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at The Den at the Fox Theater on Telegraph Avenue between 18th and 19th streets.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf will be making remarks at this evening’s party, joining representatives from Visit Oakland and Discover Bank, a sponsor of this year’s event. Samples from participating restaurants including alaMar, House of Chicken and Waffles, Lungomare and Nido will be served at this evening’s event.

The event will also highlight two community groups for their work in advancing the city’s culinary scene -- St. Vincent’s de Paul’s Kitchen of Champions culinary training program and Arts & Eats Oakland, a project that features recipes from 25 of the city’s top restaurants and art by people with developmental disabilities.

By Bay City News

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