Choose Chicago Media Relations
Contact: Lisa Kenny, Media Relations Director – Americas
lkenny@choosechicago.com
Isabelli Media Relations
Contact: Laura Collins, Senior Partner
laura@imrchicago.com
(CHICAGO – December 11, 2019) – From January 24 – February 9, 2020, Choose Chicago welcomes the return of the city’s eagerly anticipated 13th annual Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW). Diners can now reserve tables online for multi-course meals at their favorite Chicagoland eateries at eatitupchicago.com.
This year, the selection is record-breaking and greater than ever, with more than 400 restaurants participating, including 350+ restaurants in the city neighborhoods and 50 in the suburbs.
“Every year, Restaurant Week offers Chicagoans and visitors alike a unique opportunity to sample and savor the tastes, sights, and smells from every corner of our city,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Chicago’s well-deserved status as our nation’s culinary capital is drawn from our city’s multitude of cultures and the ingenuity of our chefs in all of our 77 communities, and I personally look forward to exploring some of our local eateries and discovering the hidden gems off the beaten path.”
The beloved event continues to grow with over 80 new restaurants making their debut to the lineup. New restaurants participating in Chicago Restaurant Week 2020 include a range of hotspots, such as Offshore Rooftop and Bar (Streeterville), Tzuco (River North), Il Culaccino (McCormick Square), La Pizza & La Pasta at Eataly Chicago (River North), Cruz Blanca (West Loop), Indie Café (Edgewater), Mesler Chicago (Hyde Park), Queenie’s Supper Club (Near West Side) and Time Out Market Chicago (Fulton Market). They join a long list of previously participating restaurants including Dusek’s Board and Beer and Monnie Burke’s (Pilsen). A complete list of participating restaurants and their curated menu offerings can be found here. Reservations are now open at eatitupchicago.com and check back regularly – new restaurants are being added daily.
Chicago Restaurant Week offers visitors and local foodies an exciting opportunity to experience some of the area’s most sought-after restaurants. For 17 consecutive and dining-packed days, participating restaurants showcase specially curated prix fixe menus with prices set at $24 for brunch and lunch, and $36 and/or $48 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Lending an ideal reason to explore Chicago’s nationally recognized culinary scene, diners can experience new, showstopping restaurants and familiar favorites alike.
“Chicago’s restaurants and dining scene support thousands of jobs and serve as key drivers to our local, neighborhood economies,” said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. “Restaurant Week plays an exciting role in connecting our restaurants with new diners as they expand their culinary and cultural horizons, both in new communities or close to home.”
The highly anticipated program kicks off with First Bites Bash on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at the Field Museum. It will be a family affair as Chef Thai Dang and wife and Director of Operations Danielle Dang of the award-winning HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen and Cà Phê Dá in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood serve as the event’s Host Chef and Host Mixologist. More than 60 of Chicago’s most well-known chefs and restaurants join the dynamic duo, allowing participants to preview tasting portions from their respective CRW menus. For a complete list of participating First Bites Bash restaurants and to purchase tickets, visit firstbitesbash.com.
“The culinary talents across Chicago’s neighborhoods are among our biggest draws for visitors from across the country and around the world,” said David Whitaker, Choose Chicago President & CEO. “We are proud to showcase everything we have to offer to both visitors and locals over an incredible 17-days of dining.”
The 2020 Chicago Restaurant Week program is sponsored by 100.3 FM WSHE, 101.9 FM The MIX, Chicago Transportation Authority, the James Beard Foundation, Metra, NBC Chicago, OpenTable, Pace, Regional Transportation Authority, and Telemundo Chicago.
Foodie fans are encouraged to follow @ChooseChicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get social using #FirstBitesBash and #ChicagoRestaurantWeek.
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About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor destination leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. For more information, visit choosechicago.com. Follow @ChooseChicago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get social using #FirstBitesBash and #ChicagoRestaurantWeek.
