with gallery: Some scenes and impressions from Ann Arbor Restaurant Week
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Debbie Kovacevich, Loreli Papke, Julie Panek, and Jean Shlafer (left to right) shared a meal and a whole lot of laughs when they brought their regular girls' night gathering to Gratzi for Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Debbie Kovacevich, Loreli Papke, Julie Panek, and Jean Shlafer (left to right) shared a meal and a whole lot of laughs when they brought their regular girls' night gathering to Gratzi for Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Andrew, Robert, Julia, and Chris Carey finish up dinner at Old Town Tavern (122 W. Liberty St.) on Monday, Jan. 21. Smoke-free for two years now, Old Town has become a great dinner destination for Ann Arbor families. The exposed brick, cozy lighting and interesting wall art all contribute to a comfortable ambiance.
The restaurant was quiet Monday evening, but servers said that the lunch trade earlier in the day had been quite brisk. Old Town is one of 23 restaurants offering two-for-$28 dinner specials for Restaurant Week.
Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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The bitter cold couldn't keep friends Daphna Atias and Kaitlyn Schulz from Grizzly Peak (120 W. Washington Street) during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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A server prepares to deliver food to a table at Grizzly Peak during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Food is plated at Grizzly Peak during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. The regular menu is still available this week, in addition to the 3-course $28 Restaurant Week menu. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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A chef cuts up a pizza at Grizzly Peak during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Server Quennton Thornbury works on a computer at Arbor Brewing Company during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Though customers are able to order off the regular menu during Restaurant Week, most were taking advantage of the 2-for-$28 3-course Restaurant Week menu. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Arbor Brewing Company server Marty Rivard enjoys a beer while not working on Monday, Jan. 21. The brewpub is offering a 2-for-$28 3-course Restaurant Week special, and business has been bustling. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Chefs prepare food at Kuroshio's sushi bar during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. This new, high-end Asian fusion restaurant has been open for three weeks now. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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A server behind closed doors at Kuroshio (120 E. Liberty St.) during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Customers Cordelia Zukerman and Dung Le eat dinner at Kuroshio during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Friends Bohan Lili and Ye Quan dine at Shalimar (307 S. Main St.) during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Manager Binod Dhakal says that the popular Main Street Indian restaurant has been very busy for lunch during Restaurant Week, and reservations are coming in fast for dinners later in the week. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Patrons eat at Conor O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub and Restaurant (318 S Main St.) on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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John Schultz and Chris Hammer eat with friends at Conor O'Neill's during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. The Irish Pub has one of the more generous deals during Restaurant Week, offering three courses and a beer sampler at the 2-for $28 price point. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Ian, six, and his mother Kristen Schleick at Conor O'Neill's after participating in Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Ann Arbor resident Sam Haddik eats at the front counter at Frita Batidos during Ann Arbor Restaurant Week on Monday, Jan. 21. Just during Restaurant Week, proprietress Eve Aronoff is offering a choice between a Restaurant Week menu featuring the restaurant's regular Cuban-inspired fare at "two-for" pricing, or a three-course $28 per person menu of favorites from her now-shuttered eve the restaurant. Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
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Related story: Grade your restaurant week dining experience.
Crowds were thin in downtown Ann Arbor Monday night, thanks in part to temperatures that plunged into the single digits. But even the frigid cold couldn't keep dedicated food fans from enjoying a meal out during the second night of Ann Arbor Restaurant Week.
Though the dinner crowd was smaller than expected on Monday, most of the restaurant staff I spoke to said they had done great business on Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.
"I was expediting from the kitchen last night and the Restaurant Week menu was so popular, we started running out of items," said Arbor Brewing Co. host Nick Zomparelli. "The Chicken Puff Pie was one of the biggest hits."
Though customers are encouraged to order from the fixed-price multi-course Restaurant Week menus, most restaurants are happy to serve from their regular menu as well.
"Our regular menu is available for diners," explained Alan Wang, manager and co-owner of the newly-opened Asian fusion-themed Kuroshio, "but I would say that about 70 to 80 percent of our customers this week have been ordering the Restaurant Week menu."
Restaurateur Eve Aronoff is doing it one better this week, offering customers the choice of items from the regular Frita Batidos menu, a fixed price "two-for" menu of Frita Batidos favorites, and a three-course $28 per person menu of favorites from her previous venture, eve the restaurant.
55 participating Ann Arbor restaurants are offering fixed-price lunch and dinner menus through Friday evening. Lunches are priced at $15 and dinner is $28, with many restaurants offering two-for-one specials.
Jessica Webster leads the Food & Grocery section for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at JessicaWebster@annarbor.com. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
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