Calling all foodies! Chart a course for dining adventure as Chicago Restaurant Week unfolds

The return of Chicago Restaurant Week is a bright and shiny spot to mark on the calendar for adventurous diners all over the city and suburbs.

This year the celebration of all things culinary in Chicagoland kicks off Friday, Jan. 20, and runs through Feb. 5.

In its 16th year, Choose Chicago presents this showcase of more than 360 eateries, 38 of which are dotted around the suburbs, so diners can try sought-after restaurants and neighborhood favorites by ordering off specially prepared multicourse menus. This year, 65 restaurants are making their CRW debut, with participants including a range of both recently opened and established locales.

Diners can reserve tables and view menus of participating restaurants at eatitupchicago.com. Restaurants are offering prix fixe menus for $25 for brunch or lunch and $42 or $59 for dinner, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity. One reason to explore Chicago's nationally lauded culinary scene is its value.

"Chicago Restaurant Week is our city's opportunity to celebrate the passion and vitality of our diverse restaurant community," said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. "The industry has been faced with countless challenges since 2020. As we all look forward, celebrations such as these give diners the perfect reason to get back into dining rooms - leading to exactly the kind of buzz and excitement chefs and restaurateurs want and need."

Chef Paul Virant of Vie Restaurant in Western Springs sees the importance of his and other restaurants celebrating CRW.

"We've been a part of it since the beginning when it was only a week," Virant said. "It used to be a week, and now it's longer.

"I think the NRA (National Restaurant Association) was involved in promoting these weeks in cities all around the country - picking this time of the year that's generally pretty slow. It's January in the Chicago area with nothing much going on, and it's a great sort of launch into the new year," Virant said.

After the busy holidays, Virant said it's nice to see new faces excited about dining out.

"It brings in a lot of people," he said. "It brings in some of the regulars and the locals, but really it's a broader reach. It's focused on bringing in new customers, exposing them to the restaurant and a great value.

"For us, it works," Virant said. "It's some of the busiest two weeks of the year at the restaurant."

As for creating a special menu for Chicago Restaurant Week, some restaurants will tweak their regular menu items into a prix fixe menu while others will develop specials.

At Vie, Virant said they will create a special menu with options for each course.

"We manage to do different things every year that we have done this," he said. "I acquired a pasta extruder, so we'll be offering fresh pasta for the first course. That's kind of fun."

Dan Conroe, marketing director at City Winery Chicago, said they're always up for CRW.

"We always look forward to Chicago Restaurant Week at City Winery. It's a great opportunity for Chicagoans to explore restaurants that they have not had a chance to visit," Conroe said. "City Winery loves pairing a multicourse meal with our locally made wines. And the Restaurant Week menu offers a great value that makes an excellent dining experience even more approachable. We hope that Restaurant Week guests will explore all of our offerings and take in a live performance in our venue after their meal in the restaurant. And they can take an amazing bottle of wine home with them."

Getting out and exploring the city and suburbs' best places to eat is behind the initial idea for Chicago Restaurant Week, and some of the suburbs have taken it a step further and developed their own celebrations. Several suburbs, such as Naperville, St. Charles and Geneva, are holding their own restaurant weeks.

Naperville's celebration also runs Friday, Jan. 20, through Feb. 5. Check out the participating eateries at dinenaperville.com.

Geneva Restaurant Week runs for one week, Jan. 23-29, to showcase some of the best eateries with discounted dining. For a list of restaurants and menus, see genevachamber.com or call the Geneva Chamber at (630) 232-6060.

The 2023 St. Charles Restaurant Week will take place Feb. 20-24. Participating restaurants will offer a 15% discount on a total bill of $20 or more (not including alcohol, tax and gratuity). This promotion will be honored during restaurant hours and is for dine-in only. To receive the discount, customers must mention St. Charles Restaurant Week or show the mailer from the St. Charles Business Alliance.

For details, visit stcalliance.org/restaurantweek or call the St. Charles Business Alliance at (630) 443-3967.

"Chicago Restaurant Week provides residents and visitors with an exciting opportunity to experience our unparalleled culinary talent, along with the cultural richness of our great city and its neighborhoods," said Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago. "Whether exploring restaurants in Hyde Park, Little Village, Andersonville - or any other pocket of the city - food enthusiasts will be reminded of our diverse, gastronomic richness and how it makes Chicago such a special place to live and visit."

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Suburban restaurants taking part in Chicago Restaurant Week

Aboyer, Winnetka

Antico Posto, Oak Brook

Bar Siena, Skokie

Beatrix, Oak Brook

The Capital Grille, Lombard, Schaumburg, Rosemont

Devon Seafood + Steak, Oakbrook Terrace

Di Pescara, Northbrook

Double Clutch Brewing Company, Evanston

fourteensixteen, La Grange

Fox & Turtle, Itasca

Guildhall, Glencoe

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, Naperville

L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge, Lincolnwood

McCormick & Schmick's, Oak Brook

Mykonos Greek Restaurant, Niles

Napolita Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Wilmette

Oceanique Restaurant, Evanston

Pizzeria Uno - O'Hare, Rosemont

Perry's Steakhouse and Grille, Schaumburg, Oak Brook

Pescadero Seafood & Oyster Bar, Wilmette

Roka Akor, Oak Brook

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Northbrook, South Barrington

Seasons 52, Schaumburg, Oak Brook

Shaw's Crab House, Schaumburg

Steak + Vine, La Grange

Tokio Pub, Schaumburg

True Food Kitchen, Oak Brook

Vie Restaurant, Western Springs

Vistro, Hinsdale

Wildfire, Glenview, Lincolnshire, Oak Brook, Schaumburg