By Alan Krawitz
Local epicures and other connoisseurs of fine cuisine will want to take note: Queens’ ninth annual Restaurant Week will commence this year from Oct. 8-11 and Oct. 15-18, featuring more than 100 local restaurants in more than 30 neighborhoods across the borough. The majority of eateries will offer three-course, prix fixe meals for $25 but specials may vary.
“Queens Restaurant Week is a tremendously important event showcasing what the borough has to offer by way of its diverse cuisine,” said Laura Altimari of Components of Fine Taste, a restaurant marketing company that works with several local establishments.
“It gives the restaurants an opportunity to connect on a personal level with the community and, at the same time, it offers diners a chance to get out there and dine at a restaurant that they may not have considered before.”
Some of this year’s participating restaurants include local favorites such as Austin Steak and Ale House in Kew Gardnes, Bourbon Street Café in Bayside, Tony Roma’s in Bayside, Fayrooz in Astoria, El Coyote Restaurant in Jackon Heights and London Lennies in Rego Park.
Altimari added, “With the addition of so many restaurants in Queens, I can only see this event growing in the coming years, bringing Queens to the forefront in the culinary arena.”
“Restaurant Week is one of our borough’s most anticipated and popular annual events,” said Borough President Helen M. Marshall. “It provides residents and visitors alike with great opportunities to sample at discounted prices the wide variety of gastronomical delights that can be found right here in America’s most diverse county. I urge everyone to enjoy this opportunity while it lasts.”
Seth Bornstein, executive director of the Queens Economic Development Corporation called Queens Restaurant Week “the most delicious bargain in New York City because the prices are so reasonable and the food is so good.” He also added that the promotion “fits in well with our Real Culture/Authentic Flavor program, which informs on the borough’s cultural events and the wonderful places to shop and eat near those venues.”
This year’s Queens Restaurant Week is a program of the Queens Tourism Council and is sponsored by the Melrose Credit Union, jetBlue Airways, Resorts World Casino New York City, Restaurant Depot and Tequila Sunrise of Bayside.
For more information on participating restaurants, menus and special pricing, residents can visit www.itsinqueens.com or www.discoverqueens.info.
