Local restaurants week to shine

A look into the world’s largest independent restaurant promotion in the country

By Michael Read

    Buffalo is known for its food festivals and the great tasting food they have to offer.

    The Galbani Buffalo Italian Heritage Festival is the nation’s second-largest Italian street festival. The National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival is recognized as one of the best festivals in the country. And the Taste of Buffalo is the largest two day food festival in the United States.

    Christa Hobart, event coordinator for Local Restaurant Week, she said she runs an event that is, “the biggest one of its kind in the country!”

    Hobart is talking about Local Restaurant Week. ‘"Restaurant Week" concepts started popping up over the country about 10 years ago,” Hobart said.

    “Our version is a little different than most in that we only allow local independent restaurants with no ties to a national franchise or chain to participate,” she said.

    This week-long event includes 200 participating restaurants in Western New York. The styles of the restaurants includes casual, fine dining, ethnic and electric- a beneficial combination for those interested in wanting to try new and unique foods at a reasonable price.

    Restaurants offer customers pricing options depending on what they order. Meals can be priced at three different amounts: $20.16, $30.16 and $40.16.

    The economic impact it has on the local economy: $8 million, annually according to its press release.

    What makes it so popular?

    Hobart thinks it’s a combination of family and community.

“Many small independent restaurants have been in the same families for years and years and are multi-generational,” she said. “It's just not like this in other cities. We have something really special right here in Western New York.”

    Fan favorites? That’s a tough question for the woman who has coordinated the event for the last four years.

    “The most searched restaurants on our website are always the steak and seafood restaurants like Buffalo Chophouse, Black & Blue and EB Green's.  The  fine dining or "white tablecloth" restaurants are always popular too”, Hobart said.

    Other popular restaurants include the iconic Chef’s and Lombardo’s. Hobart also said, “Equally popular are any restaurants new to the area.”

    What is a helpful feature on the Restaurant Week website (http://www.localrestaurantweek.com/restaurants.html) is you can filter through the participating restaurants and find a place that fits your mood. The site allows you to filter through neighborhoods, price and the type of food you are in the mood for-breakfast, lunch, dinner and even vegetarian friendly.

    Depending on the restaurant, they have the Local Restaurant Week menu attached under the restaurant's information so eager customers can inspect what is on the menu under the different meal prices.

    As for being the world’s largest independent restaurant promotion in the country, Hobart said it’s all because of the people.

    “People love to support their small neighborhood restaurants and this celebration gives them a good excuse to do it,” she said. “Local Restaurant Week is a perfect way to gather a few friends or a few family members and to savor the local flavor!”

Here are websites for the restaurants that were listed above:

Buffalo Chophouse
http://www.buffalochophouse.com/

Black & Blue
http://blackandbluesteakandcrab.menu/

EB Green's
http://www.ebgreens.com/

Chef's
https://www.ilovechefs.com/

Lombardo
http://ristorantelombardo.com/


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