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Posted on Sun, Jun 12, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.

As Ann Arbor Restaurant Week kicks off, diners and restaurant owners savor 'local flavor'

By Danny Shaw

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Nitin Jindia, co-manager at Mahek Indian Cuisine, points out some traditional Indian dishes they are offering for Ann Arbor's Restaurant Week, which began Sunday.

Danny Shaw | For AnnArbor.com

Ann Arbor residents Jen and Jim Delproposto love the opportunity to try new places to wine and dine, and they said there isn’t a time better than the semi-annual Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, which began Sunday.

They were able to peruse menus from nearly 50 Ann Arbor restaurants online, most featuring dozens of meals for two under $25, plan a date, and enjoy lunch together Sunday at Conor O’Neill’s.

“We don’t get to come here often,” Jen said. “So it’s nice to see great deals. It really gets you to go out to the places you love and try new things!”

In its fifth iteration since January 2009, Ann Arbor Restaurant Week runs through June 17 with a record 45 participating restaurants, including Arbor Brewing Co., The Chop House, Pacific Rim and Logan.

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Ann Arbor residents Jen and Jim Delproposto planned their Sunday lunch days in advance with the help of the Ann Arbor Restaurant Week website.

Danny Shaw | For AnnArbor.com

Each of the establishments is offering special pricing for lunch and dinner: $25 prix fixe dinner menus and $12 lunches, with several offering 2-for-1 meals, as well.

Maura Thomson, Ann Arbor’s Main Street Area Association executive director, said every Restaurant Week features more variety, deals and businesses than the last. She said it’s the easiest way to sample the unparalleled variety of Ann Arbor’s cuisine.

“Another great thing is the restaurants typically try to showcase what they do best,” Thomson said. “The menu, in a way, highlights the cuisine they are most known for. It’s a chance to experience Ann Arbor as a dining destination.”

Starting in 2009, Restaurant Week has more than doubled within two years, and Thomson said there are no signs of it slowing.

“This is, hands-down, the most variety we have ever had,” she said. “We started this with just having the downtown restaurants participate, and we have expanded outside of downtown.”

Thomson said Metzger’s German Restaurant and the Original Cottage Inn are a few examples of the newcomers this year that are not solely downtown.

Nitin Jindia, co-manager at Mahek Indian Cuisine on East Washington Street, said he thinks the restaurant is offering one of the cheapest lunch meals around: a $12 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for two people, a meal he said is normally $10 per person.

Restaurant Week is all about great deals and even better food, he said.

“Our food is really authentic,” he said, motioning to the buffet. “It’s all really flavorful; you can taste all the spices and that’s what Indian food is all about.”

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Arbor Brewing Company has participated in Ann Arbor Restaurant Week since its beginning.

Danny Shaw | For AnnArbor.com

Casey Hyde, restaurant manager at Arbor Brewing Co., said they expect the biggest turnout yet this year, in part for their menu selections and atmosphere.

“I think it’s all about local flavor,” she said. “We’re pretty involved with getting everything, like ingredients and such, as local as possible. It’s great because it brings people in and they have a great time!”

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week is set to return on Jan. 15, 2012.

Danny Shaw is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at 734-623-2530 or news@annarbor.com.

Comments

a2scio

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 2:22 p.m.

I am looking forward to lunch today at Mercy's (1st time) and lunch Friday at the always delicious Mahek with some other lunches and dinners in between!

lindsay erin

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 12:40 p.m.

I want to go to Pacific Rim... :) I encourage everyone to visit Mahek for lunch if they are considering it after reading this article. It's delicious and there are many gluten-free options.

snapshot

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 3:57 a.m.

Special pricing means "discount' to promote a fine dining experience. All the fuss about snyders tax cuts benefit these businesses. Enjoy your lunches and dinners union members.......you are being served by the "middle class" you are advocating be taxed more to satisfy your needs.

seldon

Tue, Jun 14, 2011 : 1:32 a.m.

Snapshot, your comments still don't make sense to me. What does this have to do with Snyder? Ann Arbor Restaurant Week predates his election. What economic reality am I supposedly denying?

John B.

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 8:07 p.m.

...and do you think that the owners and operators of small local restaurants are millionaires and billionaires? I don't.

John B.

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 8:04 p.m.

Snapshot: I'm not even sure what you are trying to say. No one is asking to tax the middle class more. Do you think the millionaires and billionaires that make up the top two percent of US households are middle-class? I don't.

snapshot

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.

Seldon, while this can be considered a "food event" it is also a promotional event to attract new customers. These small businesses are also the recipients of the tax cuts Snyder put into effect that the unions declare to be "corporate" oriented. I think it perfectly relevant and your dismissal is a denial of economic reality that is position you obviously can afford to take. Enjoy the many special deals being offerred and don't forget to return for a full price meal when the deal is over.

seldon

Mon, Jun 13, 2011 : 4:27 a.m.

Come on. Even for the annarbor.com comments section, trying to come up with a political tie-in for this is a real stretch.