Oh boy, here it comes, Restaurant Week 2012.  Do I dare declare it the Best Week Ever?  Even though it doesn’t start until February 17, at this point you should  be familiarizing yourself with the restaurants participating, just about 250 this year, and narrowing down your choices.  To do this you need to ask yourself some questions:

1. Do I want to stick with a restaurant I know or go with something new?
2. What is the available balance on my credit card?
3. Is this menu really a deal?

Let’s start with question #1 as it’s often the most difficult.  Last year Jayson I got to Japanais, Ditkas and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba; two restaurants we had never been to and one we had, respectively.  In summary, Japanais was not a good experience due to our server, Ditkas blew us out of the water with service and the amount of food and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, a long-time favorite, actually exceeded our expectations.  I have a point…if you go somewhere familiar you will probably be satisfied, but if you go somewhere new, you could potentially find yourself either incredibly pleased or disappointed.   However, Chicago has way too many delicious spots to not expand your horizons.  My recommendation: go somewhere new!

Moving on to question #2.  This really comes down to an honest assessment of your financial situation.  You can very easily spend your entire savings during this one week without even realizing it, and I know people who have.  My recommendation: try one lunch, try one dinner without drinks and set aside your top choice for an all-out dinner.

Finally question #3.  Restaurant week is really a marketing tool and some restaurants just don’t belong.  Once you narrow down your choices, compare the menus.  It’ll be easy to see the clear option.  My recommendation: Ask yourself if you could enjoy a full meal for less than $33 at your restaurant pick, if the answer is yes, then the deal may not be worth it.  

*Bonus tip* I like the restaurants that offer a glass of wine in place of dessert.

Well, there ya go.  Whether it’s your first Restaurant Week or your a seasoned professional, it’s always good to have a strategy with this event.  As a slave to the service industry, this post wouldn’t be complete without a few etiquette tips.  

Tip #1: Tip your server!!!  The majority of these restaurants are offering severe discounts, which lowers the average ticket price.  For servers and bartenders, this means less tips.  Sure they may make it up on volume, but the bargain seekers are not necessarily the best tippers.

Tip #2: Understand that the portion sizes may be smaller.  Like I said, the majority of restaurants consider this a marketing investment, but they still need to try and make money.

Tip #3: Don’t try and double up on coupons, groupons or discounts.  The fine print usually says limit one offer per table per visit.  Don’t be cheap and try and swindle the system.  In most cases you’re getting a pretty fantastic meal for a reasonable price.  

Oh, and if anyone wants to buy me a ticket to the First Bites Bash, I hear they’re still available.  I would also make a very charming sidekick for the evening.  Just saying…http://firstbitesbash2012.eventbrite.com/