Suburban restaurants offer dining deals to lure customers out of hibernation

For weeks now, you've been holed up at home. After all, that foot of snow outside your door and the beef stew simmering in the crock pot have made home seem like a pretty cozy place to be. But if you're starting to think it's time to venture out again, local restaurants are happy to give you a reason to pay them a visit.

“February, except for Valentine's Day, is a slow time for restaurants, especially in the Midwest,” said Christine Jeffries, president of the Naperville Development Partnership. “The timing of this is important because by February people are tired of being indoors, they're looking for a reason to get out the door.”

By “this,” Jeffries means Naperville's restaurant week — one of several upcoming promotions designed to lure diners out of hibernation. Local visitors bureaus and chambers of commerce have worked with restaurants to offer dining deals sure to tempt even the most budget-conscious homebody.

“This isn't just for super high-end places,” Jeffries said. “We want to get people to try new establishments, from the burger joint to the pizza joint to the steakhouse.”

In the Northwest suburbs, that means more than 35 restaurants affiliated with Meet Chicago Northwest have designed specially priced three- and four-course menus. In Batavia and St. Charles, restaurants will offer 25 percent off meals (minimum purchase required), while in Naperville and Wheaton, restaurants will either offer a three-course fixed-priced menu (with options for each course, so imagine the combinations!) or buy-one/get-one discounts on certain menu items.

I read and reread the menus (my notebook has the drool stains to prove it) and have come up with a list of craveable lunches and dinners. But first, some strategies for getting the most out of restaurant weeks:

• Be adventurous. This is your chance to try that neighborhood Thai spot or new burger joint while owners are putting their best foot (er food) forward.

• Encourage friends to join you. Order different things and make a family-style meal out of it.

• Make reservations, and then show up on time. Especially during special promotions, reservations help managers determine staffing levels to ensure good service.

• Tip on the value of the meal. That means if 25 percent was taken off your bill, tip on the pre-discount amount.

Here's a look at just a few tempting meals available at a discount during the coming weeks. Check websites of individual restaurant weeks for specifics.

1913 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Roselle: French onion soup, veal scaloppini, zeppoles

Bistro Chen, Arlington Heights: house ginger salad, sushi starter, crispy sesame beef

Gaylord India Restaurant, Schaumburg: bhindi amchur, chicken tikka masala, Punjabi kheer

Grillhouse by David Burke, Schaumburg: beet salad, seared sea scallops, butterscotch panna cotta

Gammon Coach House, Batavia: mini calzones, Napa salad, bread pudding

Paris Bistro, Naperville: Brie tartines, duck au vin, éclairs

Puebla Modern Mexican, St. Charles: grilled pineapple guacamole, pan-roasted mahi-mahi, raspberry serrano margarita

Suzette's Creperie, Wheaton: warm goat cheese salad with walnuts and cranberries, beef Bourguignon crepe, lavender creme brulee

Tango, Naperville: mushroom Florentine, Tango signature steak, alfajores

Dining deals

Head online to view lists of restaurants and special menus for these upcoming restaurant weeks:

<b>Northwest suburbs</b>

Feb. 19 to March 1: Three-course prix fixe menus at more than 30 restaurants; <a href="http://chicagonorthwest.com/restaurantweek/index15.html">chicagonorthwest.com</a>

<b>Naperville</b>

Feb. 16 to March 1: Three-course prix fixe menus at more than 20 restaurants; <a href="http://www.dinenaperville.com/naperville-restaurant-week/">dinenaperville.com</a>

<b>St. Charles</b>

Feb. 23 to 27: 25 percent off at 30 participating restaurants; <a href="http://www.stcharlesil.gov/restaurant-week">stcharlesil.gov</a>

<b>Wheaton</b>

March 9 to 13: Prix fixe menus at more than a dozen eateries; Kickoff tasting event Feb. 26; <a href="http://downtownwheaton.com/save-the-date-the-toast-to-in-good-taste-restaurant-week-returns/">downtownwheaton.com</a>

<b>Batavia</b>

March 10 to 14: 25 percent off with coupon at nearly 20 participating restaurants; <a href="http://www.cityofbatavia.net/Content/templates/?a=4294">cityofbatavia.net</a>