Need motivation to get out of the house during the depths of our Michigan winter? Have you reached your limit on soups and casseroles? You might consider booking a table at one of the 56 restaurants participating in this winter's Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, taking place Sunday, January 15 through Friday, January 20.
During Restaurant Week, diners are offered a three course dinner for $28 and $15 lunches, with 28 of the 56 participating restaurants offering two-for-one pricing.
Restaurants participating in this season's Restaurant Week range from high-end white tablecloth destinations like Logan, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and The Chop House, to comfort food favorites like Metzger's and Conor O'Neill's.
Main Street Area Association executive director Maura Thomson, organizer of Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, says that this six-day event is an opportunity to experience the richness of the Ann Arbor food scene.
"Ann Arbor Restaurant Week is a great time to enjoy lunch with coworkers, take the whole family for dinner, or just try someplace new," said Thomson. "There's an incredible range of restaurants offering something for nearly every taste and budget."
Regular Restaurant Week patrons will find some new names on the list of participating restaurants, including the recently opened Avalon Cafe & Kitchen and Allen Rumsey Supper Club, along with a first appearance from longtime Ann Arbor favorite Afternoon Delight.
Check the Ann Arbor Restaurant Week website for the full list of participating restaurants. There you can also find each restaurant's menu, as well as contact information for making reservations.
For those restaurants that do take reservations, be aware that they tend to fill up quickly, so you will want to make your plans in advance.
Look for the Food Gatherers logo on the participating restaurants page. Fourteen restaurants have volunteered a portion of sales - usually from a specific Restaurant Week menu item - to the food rescue and food bank program.
Restaurants that are normally closed one or two days a week generally do not change their schedules during Restaurant Week, so make sure to confirm that restaurants are open before heading out.
A few restaurants include beverages in the Restaurant Week menu price, but most do not. Gratuity is also not included in the menu price. Make sure to budget accordingly.