The "10 most delicious days of the year" are back and, once again, bigger than ever. For the sixth inception of Inlander Restaurant Week, a total of 107 restaurants spread across the Inland Northwest have created mouth-watering, three-course menus especially for the highly anticipated annual event.
New to this year's lineup are 12 area restaurants, including several that have opened since last year's event, and a few familiar names now joining in on the culinary celebration. Once again, North Idaho restaurants are breaking records, with 28 total eateries across Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Worley, dishing up delightful dining experiences. Diners will also be glad to see names of 24 area favorites that have participated every year since Restaurant Week's start in 2013.
Seasoned diners know that the best part of Restaurant Week is its fixed price (also known as prix fixe, in French) three-course menus, offered for $21 or $31 per person at participating restaurants. For the uninitiated (welcome!), this price includes your choice of one of several options for each course. Some eateries take a more traditional route with a soup or salad, followed by an entrée and dessert, while others mix things up and include cocktails or draft beer in place of a course, and appetizers that can be shared with the whole table. With such a wide variety of restaurants to choose from, diners can sample menus of all types, from casual pub fare to some of the best fine dining the Inland Northwest has to offer.
Launched in 2013, Inlander Restaurant Week started as a partnership between the Inlander and Visit Spokane, with the goal of showcasing the region's growing culinary scene to visitors and locals alike during a typically slow time of year for the hospitality industry. That first year, 53 local restaurants participated; the event has since more than doubled in size.
In the following pages we've prepared an overview of everything you need to know about Restaurant Week, from a look-in at the important work of event beneficiary Second Harvest, to chef profiles, menu highlights, what drinks to pair with each course, and suggestions for what to do before or after dinner. All this is followed by the complete menu lineup (also accessible online, at InlanderRestaurantWeek.com).
Bon Appetit!
