THE BAD DEAL

Summer is a slow time for the hospitality industry, which is why many good venues take part in Restaurant Week, running from July 16-August 10th. Patrons choose from $24 lunches and $35 dinners, all of which include an appetizer, entree and dessert. For two, that works out to a REAL COST of $62 after tax and tip for lunch, or $90 for dinner. Drinks are extra. 

That’s all quite reasonable, and it’s the only time of the year, for better or for worse, that certain entry-level diners will try an excellent eatery outside of their comfort zone. So Restaurant Week is most definitely not a BAD DEAL.

But still. We don’t like how Restaurant Week perpetuates the dying art of encouraging people to eat like they do at weddings. You’re locked into an appetizer (often a soup or salad), an entree (fish or chicken) and a dessert (even if you don’t want it). Such restrictive policies aren’t a great way of turning occasional diners into regular diners. For realz. 

We prefer the more economical practice of ordering a series of small plates (or large plates) throughout the evening and sharing. 

Put more simply, we believe there are better ways a party of two can spend $90 after tax and tip. So throughout Restaurant Week — which is really Restaurant Month — we at The Bad Deal will be highlighting great venues that don’t participate, and we’ll show you how to keep your spending under $90 clams.