Restaurant Week In Chicago Serves Up Good Deals On Dining
(CBS) -- It's Chicago's ultimate dine-around.
Hundreds of top-notch eateries are serving up discounted three- and four-course meals for the city's 10th annual Restaurant Week.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole has a look at what chefs are cooking up.
Eating out in Chicago can be sport, and the people who serve it up know it. It's a melting pot of so many different cultures all in one city.
"It really allows creative, artistic people to express themselves in different ways," says Chris Macchia of Nonnina.
Still, the price of dining at one of the city's 7,300 restaurants is relatively affordable. The average per-person check price in New York City is close to $49; in Chicago it's roughly the $36 national average.
"It helps the consumer. There is so much competition and there is so much out there you have to be able to give people a bargain," Macchia says.
The price points can still be challenging for some, and that has more than 300 eateries across town taking part in Chicago Restaurant Week. They are offering fixed-price lunch and dinner menus ranging from $22 to $44.
"Restaurant Week is so popular to the consumer where they have an opportunity to try so many restaurants at a fair price," says Petros Papatheofanis, GM of River Roast Chicago.
River Roast will be serving up 4 courses of roasted meats for $44 --about a 30 percent savings.
At Nonnina, old-school Italian dinner usually rings up at $50. Three courses for Restaurant Week will cost you only $33.
Chicago Restaurant week actually runs for two weeks starting Friday. It's kicking off with a big tasting celebration Thursday evening at Navy Pier.
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