Long Island Kicks Off Restaurant Week

During the fall, Long Island eateries take part in Restaurant Week, a week in which patrons are offered a $24.95 price fixe menu at a smattering of local joints.

Now, by the demand of restaurant chefs, Long Island is enjoying Restaurant Week with inaugural spring promotions that kicked off Sunday.

Beginning April 3 through April 10, restaurants all around Long Island are offering the price fixe menu to diners. The $24.95 menu includes a choice of three appetizers, three main courses and three desserts.

“Everyone loves a deal,” said Steve Haweeli, president of WordHamption Public Relations, which organizes Restaurant Week. “With Restaurant Week, people go out two or three times and it doesn’t hurt the pocketbook as much as it would regularly,” he said.

Haweeli told Patch that Restaurant Week is instrumental to community commerce because it allows people to try a new, local place they have been meaning to try or head out on the town to an eatery that is usually reserved for special occasions.

In Garden City and E. Garden City, B.K. Sweeney’s Uptown Grille, Rein at The Garden City Hotel, Legal Sea Foods and Puglia's of Garden City are all participating.

Lysa Jaramillo, manager of Uptown Grille, said her eatery goes above and beyond during Restaurant Week, offering four appetizers, six entrees and three desserts because, she explained, customers like it better.

“Restaurant week is great. Everyone likes to patronize the restaurants in the area and it gives both the customers and the restaurants a boost. The customers get a great value for their dollar and the restaurants are busy and allows the customers to sample the best of what they have,” she said.

Jaramillo said that during restaurant week, B.K. Sweeney’s usually does about 50 more dinners than usual per night and that the stimulus is good for the town.

“It is really good for all of us. A lot of restaurants here participate and a lot of people eat out more than once, which gives the local economy a boost,” she said.

For a full list of participating restaurants, visit longislandrestaurantweek.com.