Restaurant Week Starts Today

Restaurant Week, an event usually held within the confines of cities like New York, Chicago and Philadelphia will occur over the next two weeks in downtown Westfield. Starting Monday and running through Sept. 25, the week will feature lower prices and special entrees at restaurants throughout the downtown.

The idea for a restaurant week originally began as an outdoor food and wine festival. Sherry Cronin, director of Downtown Westfield Corporation, said many of the owners rejected the concept.

"The owners didn't like this idea, they wanted people to experience their restaurant, not just their food," Cronin said, so many of them backed the idea of a restaurant week.

Since the agreement on a Restaurant Week, the DWC has experienced a great response from an eclectic group of restaurants, featuring tastes that range from Italian to Tex-Mex, from sushi to cheeseburgers. 

"I expect it to bring in a lot of people and I expect a lot of happy customers," said David Loia of Cosimo's.  

Loia isn't the only one. Twenty-nine Westfield businesses will be taking part in the event, each offering a discount in one form or another. The most common deal being offered is a three-course meal for $25 or a two-course lunch for $15. The restaurants have joined the event with high expectations, hoping for a respite from the recession which has affected sales.

"The beginning of the school year usually brings a dip in business," said Matt Bartiromo of the Mojave Grill. "We're hoping the week helps us build a customer base from other towns."

Perhaps the most important thing to make note of is the event's misnomer title. Restaurant Week is actually 10 days and discounts can be expected not only at restaurants but also at wine shops such as Cool Vines and pastry shops such as Bovella's.

Discounts will vary restaurant-to-restaurant, day-to-day, so Cronin recommends calling ahead of time for details.