Denver Restaurant Week 2017 menus are up (Evergreen: appointed, Valentine's day, restaurants)

[JD401]

Long time no post. I didn't see this thread yet, so thought I'd post.

They've changed the price points: now $25, $35, or $45 per depending on the place. Never like to see price increases, but I think it speaks to the continually improving dining scene, and restaurants not needing to offer quite as good of a deal as before to drive business. Still worth it for some menus.

Im booked for:

Table 6
Avelina
D Bar
Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

[davebarnes]

I avoid this like the plague.
Also avoid Mothers's Day, Valentine's Day and others of that ilk.
Over priced prix fixe.
Overwhelmed staff.
Lots of restaurant novices as customers. Just read the Yelp reviews a week later.

Having written that--Avelina is awesome.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

I avoid this like the plague.

Same here. Made that mistake one time at a very good restaurant we often frequented, and was disappointed because it was not the quality of food and service that we had come to expect from them. I think a lot of it depends on what your primary motivation for going to restaurant week is. For some people, they use it to try new restaurants they wouldn't usually spend the money on, which can be good. And, lots of restaurants like to use it as an opportunity to experiment with their menu without too much risk since its only for a brief period of time.

I do applaud the fact it raises money for Food Banks, but that's something I've always done on my own time. And I know it gets people excited about dining out, which is also a good thing.

[Zeppelin0129]

Restaurant week is not a good indicator of a restaurant's quality and ability. For my restaurant the average entree was 30-40 dollars; having to adhere to the $25 price made the chefs use lower quality ingredients to meet the cost. On top of that, novice diners can completely throw off the timing of the kitchen. As a former server, I detest the entire promotion. On average we would do 50-80 guests a night. During the ten day "Restaurant Week" we would average 120-150 guests. By the end of it, we were worn out, exhausted, and were making less than we would during a typical week.

Far too many people come in with unrealistic expectations for their experience. Most restaurants only give diners an hour for their reservation slot and require their servers to move people through as quickly as possible. A full three courses at a higher end restaurant for $25 in an hour is not going to give you an accurate representation of the restaurant. It is based around a "turn and burn" experience, not a true dining experience.

This is the first week since I was a teenager I am not working in a restaurant even part-time. I do not miss the experience and will not be going out.

[wiseguy15]

The negative comments about Restaurant week are exactly what I have experienced in the past and why I stopped going years ago. Why do so many keep attending and getting a false picture of the restaurant?


One place I did have a good meal at last year, yes I did try one local place, was the Bistro in Evergreen. It is in a well preserved log building, great service and food, and best of all their promotion last year was for the entire month of March. Plus they gave you several choices for your meal which removed that prepared food aspect that accompanies many of the restaurants that prepare a bunch of the same dish in advance.

[JD401]

Annnnnd, now I remember why I stopped posting.

It's incredibly naive to think that the restaurants and patrons don't benefit, or at least some of them. Table 6 has zero "need" to participate, yet they continue to each and every year.

It's a good way to try new/expensive restaurants. Picked Ophelia'a just because it had an interesting menu.

I've been each year since moving here, and have enjoyed every time. I only pick places that have options for each course, and have noticed that multiple offerings are the norm. I don't pick places that are a "regular". Seems silly to.

Zeppelin, not sure what you're talking about. I know it used to be 52.80 for a couple, but that price point disappeared a couple of years ago until the three tier approach just introduced this year. $40 entrees being "forced" to serve at $25? Uh, no. I'd challenge you to find a single restaurant that would normally price there that is offering a $25 price point. You're complaints sound more like poor restaurant management than anything.

What does a "restaurant novice" have anything to do with anyone else's dining experience? And I keep chuckling at the regular usage of that term. Like, is that not knowing how to use a fork? Forgetting to raise your pinky when drinking a fruity drink? Not going in with an appropriate "I'm too good for this" attitude?