Feature Article

Volume 6, Number 3, Fall 2007
By Melissa C. Navia
Get Out and Dine

As the harvest season comes to a close this year, diners and restaurateurs will be gearing up for the return of the highly successful and much anticipated Long Island Restaurant Week. With so much culinary variety to offer and a dining scene that just keeps getting better-from new restaurants, old favorites, acclaimed chefs, world-class menus and the finest choices in regional and fusion cuisines-it's only fitting that Long Island should dvote a week to indulging diners with the best food at bargain prices.

The promotional event, inspired by New York Restaurant Week and modeled after Hamptons Restaurant Week, kicks off on Sunday, November 4, and lasts through Sunday, November 11. Over 100 participating restaurants will offer three-course, prix fixe menus for $21.95 all night, excluding Saturday, when the reduced-price menus will only be available until 7 PM. As you would expect, reservations fill up quickly.

Judging by last year's attendance for the promotion (which showed participating restaurant's mid-week numbers up over 40 to 100 percent), this year's Restaurant Week should be a smashing success. In fact, some restaurants, like the former Blue Honu in Huntington, even extended the event for another week. Owner, John Tunney, whose new restaurant, HONU Kitchen and Cocktails, will participate this year, was elated at the amount of energy that went into promoting Long Island Restaurant Week and how much public awareness it raised for local restaurants. "It is by far the single best promotion in which I have ever participated. We took in an additional 1,000 reservations per week, and diners absolutely loved it," says Tunney. "It gives them an opportunity to experience different restaurants and try new dishes at their favorite ones."

More than just a chance to enjoy to the fine cuisine, Long Island Restaurant Week also gives people a chance to explore the Island's scenic harbors, bustling shopping districts, historic towns and beautiful architecture. Divided into four dining regions (Nassau County, Western Suffolk, North Fork and South Fork), the event is designed to ensure that participants may be found all across Long Island's diverse landscape. Diners can expect to be treated to new sights, sounds and tastes every night, with each restaurant serving up its own distinct flavor and menu in its respective town.

With a promotion like this, it's no wonder it only comes once a year.