Restaurant Week

During last month’s Restaurant Week, Home Grown Cafe offered this Asian Caesar salad.

 SUBMITTED PHOTO

After a successful run in January, Newark’s Restaurant Week Dinner Series returns for a second round this week.

Twelve restaurants around the city are offering special $30 three-course dinner menus from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 18 to Feb. 24. The event is organized by The Newark Partnership.

Restaurant Week has been a tradition in Newark for more than a decade and is usually timed for the university’s winter break, a traditionally slow period for businesses. This year, the pandemic prompted some changes. Every restaurant is offering at least one option for take-out, and the promotion was expanded from one week to two separate time periods.

“We thought this would be a good way to showcase what we can offer,” said Sasha Aber, owner of Home Grown Café and coordinator of the event. “There are so many talented chefs downtown, and so many great businesses. Some are struggling; everyone’s working really hard. This is just a good way to experience life during the pandemic.”

Polly Sierer, chair of TNP, said most restaurants saw a good response from customers during the first Restaurant Week in January.

“The feedback from the restaurants was that they really saw an uptick in in-person dining and takeout orders,” Sierer said.

Participating restaurants include Blue Crab Grill, Caffé Gelato, Deer Park Tavern, Greene Turtle, Grotto Pizza, Home Grown Café, Iron Hill Brewery, Klondike Kate’s, Santa Fe Mexican Grill, Skipjack, Stone Balloon Ale House and Taverna.

“The beauty of Restaurant Week is that it's $30 for a full-course meal,” Sierer said. “It has to be something that they don't normally have on their menu, so people get to try new things.”

The menus can be viewed at thenewarkpartnership.org/restaurant-week.

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