Restaurant week reservations opened yesterday morning. A closely guarded list of participants was posted on CBS Dallas Fort Worth's website and OpenTable began processing reservations for the promotion. The number of restaurants participating is about the same as last year. The length of time each offers the deal (restaurants can participate for up to three weeks plus one preview weekend) is about this same too, but 35 restaurants are now offering a three-course $25 lunch option that's new this year.
Restaurant Week started as a promotion to help shore up sales during the historically slow weeks for a city's restaurant businesses. The meals quickly became a means for cash-strapped diners to explore restaurants they might not otherwise patronize and propped up sales at the same time. A $35 meal at The Mansion or Tei-An is otherwise unheard of. As the event grew, more casual restaurants participated, prompting me to write a blog post last year that listed what I thought were the best value plays for Restaurant Week. (I looked for good reviews and costly menus.) This year the list is about the same.
The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Tei-An Lonesome Dove Western Bistro Five Sixty Pappas Bros. Steakhouse Bijoux Abacus Al Beirnat's Fearing's The French Room Kirby's Prime Steakhouse Nick and Sam's Nobu
Nonna wasn't on last year's list, but I can attest to the quality of Julian Barsotti's cooking and the size of my bill so I think the Italian restaurant would make for a great Restaurant Week reservation. And Craft was on the list last year, but management recently announced the closure of the restaurant later this summer. The restaurant is not listed as a participant.
