nsxtasy wrote:Of course, there's always someone who likes to rain on a parade, who doesn't want to hear about other people having a good time and enjoying an event, and feels the need to disparage it

I'm not sure if you were referring to my original post asking about non-RW week suggestions. I will explain why this week (that covers 2 weekends) is frustrating. A couple weeks ago I had the best cassoulet at Vie. I was hoping to get back to try it again before it came off the menu. I would have loved to go this week (as I'm a bachelor this week and looking for restaurants to go to and sit at the bar), however they are only serving the RW week during the 10 days of RW. Sure, it's just one restaurant, but I had a list of a few places I wanted to go and they were all participating. IMHO, it is frustrating.

For all us RW haters out there, apparently we're just going to have to live with it a bit longer . . .

at The Stew, Phil Vettel wrote:Chicago Restaurant Week ends on Sunday — officially. Unofficially, many restaurants — more than 50, at last count — are extending their three-course deals ($22 lunch, $33 and/or $44 dinner) until the end of the month, and some even longer.

Why? Because it’s February, usually a rotten month for business. Because you, the restaurant patrons, showed up in droves for the last nine days (the "week" began Feb. 17). And restaurant owners would love to sustain this momentum a while longer.

Restaurants extend their Chicago Restaurant Week menus

I was at a restaurant last night where they will haved served 3,000 diners over the course of restaurant week. For them, it had been huge boom to business and that number of diners was far more than double the number of diners they typically have 10 day stretch in winter. Needless to say, they were thrilled with the outcome. With results like that, it's easy to see why this event has gained such traction.

=R=

Just got back from Sepia.
I can't say I loved it. The food was delicious and beautiful, but the service was spotty (wines were brought out after the course twice)... And even accounting for a Restaurant Week menu, I felt like the portions were rather skimpy. When the table behind us was served a piece of beef bigger than all four of my courses, it didn't seem quite right. The best dishes of the night were the pumpkin sformato, pasta with duck, and the hot-smoked trout.