CLEVELAND — If you've ever wanted to dine at some of Cleveland's best restaurants, Cleveland Restaurant Week will be the time to do it.
From Nov. 11 to 22, close to 30 Cleveland restaurants will be offering a $39 deal on a three-course meal. This includes an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert.
With 30 restaurants participating, there's something for everyone's taste buds, including Italian, Spanish and comfort foods.
Spanish restaurant Mallorca is one of the participants. They're serving up a shrimp appetizer, a paella and a chocolate cake for the week. Owner Laurie Torres said this week is all about trying new and old favorites.
"People who have not been to a restaurant can try the favorites out," she said. "People who have not been to a restaurant for a while can come back and try it again. Like Mallorca, most people have been here, but restaurant week is a good time to come back and see us again."
The event is about more than just tasting what Cleveland restaurants have to offer. It's about celebrating and supporting local businesses.
Cleveland Restaurant Week is organized by the Cleveland Independents, a group that supports local restaurants and their owners. Torres serves as the group's president. She said Cleveland Restaurant Week gives local restaurants a needed boost during a slow time.
"It's a tough business," she said. "But, it's a business that we love. During those times we do restaurant week, it's a slower time. By coming out, you get to experience some of your favorite restaurants when they aren't so busy."
It's also a time for chefs to get creative. Astoria Cafe and Market Executive Chef Cory Kobrinski has created a menu celebrating the restaurant's Mediterranean roots. Diners will start with a cheese charcuterie, then eat a bolognese for an entree and a Patsavoura, a Greek dish, for dessert.
"It's about doing something that we might not be doing at the restaurant," he said. "We just get a couple of weeks to do something we love that we our passionate about."
Through the various cuisines on display, Cleveland Restaurant Week has also turned into a week celebrating the diverse cultures that makeup Cleveland.
"We come from a strong heritage of immigrants," Kobrinski said. "It's taking home-cooked recipes and not muddying them up a bit just taking great quality ingredients and making them shine. That's Cleveland cuisine to me. That's what everyone in Europe and other countries brought to this city."
For a full list of participating restaurants and their menus, click here.
