This week and the next food-deprived college students and budgeting recent grads will bustle into some of Philadelphia’s highest-rated restaurants for 3-course lunch or dinner meals priced at $20 or $35 respectively, a deal meant to satisfy their watering/expectant mouths/pallet and modest budgets. Eager foodies without a six-figure salary can dine in the legendary Le Bec Fin, known for its exceptional French food and dress code (men must wear suit jackets) or enjoy four Mediterranean dishes for the price of three at Barbuzzo. With over 130 participating restaurants, covering American, Chinese, Japanese, French, Greek, Italian, Indian, Latin, or Middle Eastern cuisines, there is a destination for every taste. What’s better, most restaurants feature dishes during Restaurant Week that they don’t typically offer. Thought that was already enough incentive? This year, diners have the opportunity to choose from a larger selection of restaurants than ever. They can enjoy lunch and dinner meals at 51 of the 130 participating restaurants, and can dine on Saturdays at most locations (despite it being the busiest business day of the week year-round). Too good to be true? Food critics, chefs and employees of the Center City Development Corporation just can’t seem to agree. Kristin Casalenuovo, Assistant Director of Retail, Marketing and Events at the Center City District, insists that the only thing magical about the deal is the vibrancy that is Philly’s food scene. As evidenced by the overhaul of promotional efforts employed for the event — among them a Twitter feed and mobile app (m.centercityphila.org) designed to enable potential diners to browse menus, get maps, and make online reservations in one simple site — the event is the Center City District’s pride and joy.What’s so special about the week? For Kristin, the $13.5 million in sales this past fall’s restaurant week grossed in total is evidence enough of its success and importance. Debuted in September 2003, it was initiated as a “way to increase diners at restaurants during typically slow times of year,” namely September/October (after the highly profitable summer season) and January (after the holiday season, a time when most spent money they didn’t have to engage in the festivities). It was also meant to expose larger groups of people to the Center City food scene, a prospect that appealed to the restaurants who wanted to get their names out there: according to Kristin, the original criteria still sands, be located within the civic boundary for the event (located in Center City) and be able to offer a 3-course dinner menu. The basic logic of its success is simple: if you offer food for diners at cheaper prices than the normal meal price, they will become hooked and return as loyal customers. The perks aren’t only reserved to restaurants. Foodies get the chance to sample some of the best restaurants Philly has to offer, and at a fraction of the price.While the perks exist, some restaurants still choose not to participate because they argue the event promotes a lower standard of food quality. In an article titled “Marc Vetri’s Right: Restaurant Week Sucks…Or, as one publicist put it ‘F*** Restaurant Week published in Philly Mag,’” Victor Fiorillo, a breaking news writer for the Philly Post and blogger on Philly Magazine, acknowledges that while Center City District has done many good things, “Restaurant Week is just not one of them, and in 10 years, it’s time to pull the plug”.
Vetri goes on to claim “it’s a gimmick and a quick fix that in reality doesn’t give the diner any special deal … Just smoke and mirrors to get them in the seat. I prefer slow and steady … [and] [j]ust continuing to do what we do best: make the customer happy.”
Vetri, as with some restaurant owners, is concerned about the quality of the food and service of his establishment. Those invested in restaurant week, however, often must slightly lower the quality of the product to better accommodate the high volume of new customers who want to be fed. Lower food quality and less personal service could also mean less retention. Furthermore, as Viorelli has voiced, many feel that the system is outdated since most don’t need an appetizer, main entree, and dessert for a meal. This contention is especially true at restaurants such as Zahav, where the menu is very affordable as it is. Why would you spend $35.00 (not including tax or tip or even something to drink) for a 3-course meal that will either be of sub-par quality or way more expensive than if you’d just ordered one entree and a drink? To answer these questions I interviewed Jeewon Kim ‘13, Sera Jeong ‘14 and Steven Gu ‘15, all regulars of restaurant week. The verdict? Despite the price of transportation and a few sub-par dining experiences, all three highly recommended going.
Sera Jeong ‘14, having attended restaurant week every semester, considers herself a “foodie” willing to “try new things” and open to any food “prepared well”. Restaurant Week gives her the opportunity to tap into her love of new and exquisite food. While she acknowledges that good food can be found cheaper than $35, she would recommend it because you get the “luxury of service” and have a wide array of options. What she particularly appreciates about the event is the social bonding that takes place while eating with her friends. She claims that Restaurant Week gives you an excuse to “escape the Swat bubble” and just create new memories over good food.
Gu, a Philly native, recounted his four times attending Restaurant Week since Freshman year. Despite being from the Philly area, he did not hear about these dining opportunities until his first semester at Swarthmore, when he was invited to a friend’s birthday celebration. Since then, he has been hooked and has generally had great experiences. Attending restaurants with a new group of people each time, he can attest to the wide appeal of the week. Like Jeong, he appreciates the social bonding he experiences when he goes out and acknowledges that while you only save on average $20-30 with the RW menu, the money saved can be used toward transportation. To make sure he gets the best deals, Gu double checks sites like yelp! or opentable to make the most of his money.
Kim, who has attended at least 3 times and eaten at 4-star restaurants, loves the wealth of options offered and especially praises the lunch menus. According to Jeewon, “$20 is good value” for a 3-course meal. While she acknowledges she has a car and a flexible schedule as a senior — advantages that not all are afforded — she claims she would still dine out without her means.
So what restaurants did these R.W. veterans suggest? Barbuzzo (Mediterranean), Zahav (Israeli), Amada (Spanish tapas) and Chima (A Brazilian Steakhouse). What to avoid? All unanimously rejected Pod in University City citing “poor service” and “bad food, even for the $35.” Won’t take their word for it? Center City’s Winter Restaurant Week is just one train ride away and you can join, as Kristin described, the myriad “college students, Philly natives, and even South Jersey residents” who come to experience “everything going on in Center City”.
Bon appetit!
Illustration by Yenny Cheung.
