By Jill Draper
Metro area residents can choose a wide range of lunch and dinner options from more than 160 menus during Restaurant Week on January 8-17, says the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association. That’s down from last year when participating restaurants reached 200, but the association is pleased with the number of places still taking part during the pandemic, according to Bill Teel, executive director.
He says it’s especially easy to sample a variety of food this year because many restaurants are offering curbside or takeout dining options during the annual event.
“We talked about whether we should do it or not, and decided to go ahead for three reasons,” he says. “One is to help restaurants. Two is to help the Don Bosco Centers. And three is to have a little festive environment in the middle of January and the pandemic.”
Last year restaurants offered special $15 and $35 meals, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Don Bosco programs for the elderly and immigrant communities, including Meals on Wheels. This year a third price category of $45 will be available. Teel says this option will enable higher-end restaurants to be more creative while budget-friendly eateries might use the new price to offer family-style meals.
Participating for the first time is Southern Kitchen and Minsky’s Pizza as well as other eateries that opened within the last year. A free mobile app can be downloaded for easy browsing, or use the search tabs at kcrestaurantweek.com. South Kansas City restaurants taking part include BB’s Lawnside B-B-Q, Blue Moose, Charleston’s, Jack Stack and Jess & Jim’s. Waldo restaurants include Boru Asian Eatery, Lew’s Grill & Bar, South of Summit Taqueria, Summit Grill, Waldo Pizza and The Well.