For those seeking to find comfort in the frigid and dreary Chicago winter, Chicago Restaurant Week, which offers food lovers a chance to try a variety of delicious, discounted foods across the city, may be the perfect way to rid oneself of the post New Year depression. Founded in 2008 by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism center, Restaurant Week, which started Jan. 19 and continues through Feb. 4, is a 17-day event where a selection of restaurants in the city provide mainly multiple-course meals at fixed prices.
The First Bites Bash, the official kick-off for Chicago Restaurant Week, was Jan. 18 at the Field Museum, and it allowed for guests to sample gourmet foods from award-winning Chicago restaurants. Yet, the gourmet offerings do not reflect the rest of Restaurant Week. The 2024 roster has over 400 restaurants to choose from in 31 different Chicago neighborhoods, and food enthusiasts can choose between a $25 brunch, $25 lunch and $42 or $59 dinner. Some restaurants are selling the meals at a discounted price, others at roughly the same price, others slightly overcharging and some are experimenting with new options entirely.
“There is no better time than Chicago Restaurant Week to experience Chicago’s incomparable culinary talent and the cultural richness of our great city and its neighborhoods,” said Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of Choose Chicago, in a Dec. 13 press release.
The Gage, a Michelin guide-mentioned restaurant located on South Michigan Avenue in the Loop, is participating in this year’s Chicago Restaurant Week. The restaurant itself has a rustic-yet-refined ambiance. Formerly home to Gage Brothers and Co., which crafted fashionable hats for women in the United States and globally, its ambiance reflects its historic roots. Its menu fuses European and American cuisine yet has a rigid selection, and some of its items tend to be on the pricey side. They are offering a $25 three-course lunch and a $59 three-course dinner — the meal items are only slightly simplified yet selling for almost half their normal price.
“The customers love our food and I feel like we’re doing a really good job, considering we’ve had a lot of business the past week and the past few years,” said Iryna H., a waitress at The Gage.
She noted that a lot of customers seem to return to the restaurant, even after the Restaurant Week discounts are over. Many others share her sentiment, as the event exposes residents to new restaurants and cuisines, owned by a diverse group of chefs, and with offerings for those with dietary restrictions.
With only a few days left until Restaurant Week ends, food lovers are encouraged to visit one or more of the participating restaurants while they have the chance.
