Restaurant weeks bring deals and special menus to more than 125 eateries

The Northwest suburbs want you to know that Chicago doesn’t have the monopoly on restaurant week.

Over 90 restaurants from eight communities will take part in the 10th Chicago Northwest Restaurant Week Friday, March 1, through Sunday, March 10. Diners can expect specialty menus and prices across the communities of Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wood Dale during the 10-day event.

Rosemont and Park Ridge are also holding their restaurant weeks in early March.

Northwest Restaurant Week is sponsored by Meet Chicago Northwest (MCNW), which offers the promotion for free to any of the 700 restaurants in the eight communities they serve.

Heather Larson, president of MCNW, said this year they’ve gotten record participation from restaurants, who get a boost during what is typically a slower time of the year, while diners get to enjoy special menus and pricing.

“We want people to understand that the Northwest suburbs have a variety of cuisines, we are diverse, and we want to celebrate all our restaurants,” Larson said. “And with the specials, there’s great values to be had.”

The list of participating restaurants runs the gamut of international cuisines, including American, Asian, Brazilian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean, Polish and Swedish. There are options such as barbecue, seafood, steaks, sushi, breakfast, pizza, ice cream, vegetarian and more. A winery and three breweries are also participating.

Larson said they’ve been promoting the event to Chicago diners as well.

“You can take the train out right to downtown Arlington Heights and enjoy all these restaurants within walking distance, then take the train back,” she said. “It’s an easy little date-night getaway.”

The Schaumburg Business Association helped get the ball rolling with a networking and tasting event last week. Savour featured about 25 restaurants who will be taking part in the restaurant week, including Hey Nonny from Arlington Heights.

Hey Nonny manager Kenneth Golujuch was there and said they’ve participated in the restaurant week in the past but are putting more emphasis on this year’s event in an effort to raise awareness of their menu and the work of Chef Mauricio “Noe” Sanchez, who has helped them achieve a 4.9 rating on OpenTable.

“Whenever people think of Hey Nonny, it’s kind of synonymous with music,” Golujuch said. “We’re also a great restaurant, so we’re trying to show people how good our food is.”

Their restaurant week offering will feature a $45 three-course, prix fixe menu, starting with a choice of bruschetta di Capri, Latin empanadas or fire-roasted red pepper soup. Entrees include pappardelle Bolognese, chicken limone and tri-colored flatbread. Finish off the evening with Key lime pie or vanilla lemon panna cotta.

“Chef Noe is nothing short of amazing with the food he creates,” Golujuch said.

The list of establishments taking part in Restaurant Week includes 1913 Restaurant and Wine Bar in Roselle; Casa di Luigi in Rolling Meadows; Chicago Prime Italian and Chicago Prime Steakhouse in Schaumburg; Cefalu Seaside Sicilian in Elk Grove Village; Fox & Turtle in Itasca; Mago Grill and Cantina and Palm Court in Arlington Heights; and Perry’s, Shaw’s Crab House, Tokio Pub and Wildfire in Schaumburg.

A full list of restaurants, broken down by town or cuisine along with their Restaurant Week menus and pricing, can be found at chicagonorthwest.com/events/annual-events-festivals/restaurant-week/. Details can be found on their Facebook page.

Rosemont Restaurant Week

It would be hard to find a town with a population of less than 4,000 with a more robust dining scene than Rosemont.

Diners can take advantage of special prix fixe, three-course lunch and/or dinner menus at 19 restaurants in less than two square miles during their annual restaurant week Sunday, March 3, to Saturday, March 9.

Newly opened spots Land & Lake, Saltwater Coastal Grill and SLYCE will participate for the first time, joining Adobe Gila’s, Bub City, Carlucci, Carmine’s Rosemont, Crust Brewing, FLIGHT, Giordano’s, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse, Liberty Tavern, McCormick & Schmick’s, Moretti’s Rosemont, Morton’s The Steakhouse, T.G.I. Friday’s, The Ashburn, Thorn Restaurant & Lounge and Truluck’s.

Mayor Maloney’s Park Ridge Restaurant Week

With 18 restaurants taking part in the annual Park Ridge event March 1-10, diners won’t go hungry.

Participating eateries include Clean Juice, Daniel’s Charcuterie, Don Juan's Cantina, The Harp & Fiddle, Hay Caramba, More Than Pasta, Nonna Sylvia’s, Off the Wall, Patina Wine Bar, Pennyville Station, Reyes Steakhouse, Rita’s, Shemroon Kabab House, Shakou, Spuntino Pizza, Thailava's Indian Kitchen, Triple Scoop’d and Zaza Cucina.

Restaurant week specials can be found at parkridgechamber.org/restaurant-week.