'Plainfield Restaurant Week,' Now Through Saturday, Feb 29.

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield Restaurant Week started this Sunday, Feb. 23. The week-long event is meant as a promotion of the village's dining scene, with 14 local restaurants currently participating. According to the Restaurant Week website, the participating eateries will be offering prix fixe, or fixed-price, menu specials until Saturday, Feb 29.

"No special coupon or ticket is required to participate. Upon seating, let restaurant staff know you would like the restaurant week specials," the restaurant week website instructs potential patrons. "Please keep in mind that not all restaurants are open each night during restaurant week, a great reason to plan ahead and make reservations!"

Jake Melrose, an economic development manager with the Plainfield Planning Department, said this is Restaurant Week's third year. In 2018 and 2019, the event was held during January. Melrose said it was moved to the end of February this year both to alleviate planning during the holiday season and in the hopes of better, early-spring weather.

"The first two were in January and we had about eight or so restaurants that responded," Melrose said. "There was obviously some bad weather in January, at least last year there was ... we did decide to push it back into February ... in the hopes that maybe some weather would be better, even though there's a winter storm coming in. So I guess you just can't help it."

Despite the poor weather projected for this week, Melrose said he was glad that more restaurants joined the event this year as compared to 2019 or 2018.

The restaurants currently participating in Restaurant Week, along with their specials, are presented below. All information was taken from the establishments' Restaurant Week profile page, with minor edits for brevity and clarity:

• Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza: Garlic knots, Caesar Salad, 12" 'Original Old World' Margherita Pizza, 12" 'Original The Butcher' Pizza. Cost: $44
  
  
• Blu: Half Pound Burger. Cost: $5. Also, Happy Hour 4 – 7 p.m. Tuesday–Friday. 50% off all food and drinks.
• Crab Boil 59: Two choices of seafood and sauce; a total of two pounds of seafood. Choices include shrimp (whole / headless; peeled / deveined), mussels, crawfish, and snow Crab legs. Sides include sausage, corn and potato, plus a choice of one appetizer, one soft drink, and a scoop of ice-cream. Cost: $50 per person
  
  
• Fat Ricky's: $5 off any award-winning Pan Pizza.
• Freedom Brothers Pizzeria & Alehouse: Any pizza except for the weekly Market special with an order of BBQ or Buffalo Wings or Meatballs. Cost: $21
  
  
• Front Street Cantina: 10% off customers' entire bill.
  
• Giambotta Pizza Co.: Three-course meal with several choices of appetizer, entree and dessert. Appetizers include Antipasto Misto, Zuchini Fritti, and Polpette. Entrees include Papparadelle Bolognese, Penne alla Panna, Pizzas Margherita, DeRose, Marco, Quattro Stagioni, Bianca, and Boscaiola; Calzones Formaggio and Napoli. Desserts include Affogato and Risotto Dolci. Cost: $35
  
  
• HopScotch & Vine: Breakfast: Buy one, get one half off if you mention restaurant week. Lunch: Any stuffed burger with fries costs $10. Dinner: Free appetizer with featured cocktails. Featured Cocktails include Paloma Fresca Cocktail, Kir Sanguine, HopScotch Bloody Mary, and Corpse Reviver. All featured cocktails cost $12 a piece.
  
  
• Moe Joe's Cajun & Caribbean Cuisine: 'Mardi Gras Feast Just for Two;' a three-course meal with several options of entrees. Appetizer: Corn-Crusted Alligator Tail. Entrees: Jambalaya or Shrimp Etouffee. Dessert: Fresh Baked Beignets. Cost: $50. Offer not available on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 25.
• Mora Asian Kitchen: Six ounce Fillet Mignon smothered in sautéed Enoki & Shiitake mushrooms, drizzled with a House made Demi-Glacé sauce. Cost: $25
  
  
• Opera House Steak & Seafood: Three-course meal. Small plates include Parmesan Risotto Croquettes and Caprese Avocado Toast. Soups / salads include Shrimp & Corn Chowder and Baby Wedge Salad. Entrees (served with vegetable du jour) include Baked Alaskan Halibut, Braised Lamb and Stuffed Pork Chop. Cost: $30 per person
  
  
• Station One Smokehouse: Texas Trinity Sampler: quarter-pound brisket, quarter pound pork, half hot link and one small side. Cost: $15.99. All signature cocktails are $2 off.
• Steve Buresh’s Cheesecake Store & Sandwich Shop: Buy one cheesecake slice, get another half off.
• Tortilla Flatz Mexican Grill: Lunch Trios (Tuesday–Friday 11 a.m – 2 p.m.), Two tacos with your choice of chicken or seasoned ground beef, chips, salsa fresca and a fountain drink, costs $10. Burrito with your choice of carnitas or chicken, french fries, and a fountain drink, costs $12. Additionally, three-course meal offered Tuesday–Saturday after 4:30 p.m. Appetizers include Chicken Pozole Soup and Flatz House Salad, entrees include Shrimp Enchiladas, Bistec a la Mexicana, and Citrus Pan-Seared Tilapia. Desserts include Churros and homemade Flan. Cost: $30
• Uptown Tap & Eatery: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo, pickled red onions, lettuce and Brioche Bun with a side and soda or domestic beer. Cost: $10.

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  Melrose said that even though Restaurant Week has already started, local restaurateurs are still invited to think of a menu special and contact the village to add their names to the participating restaurant list. Plainfield residents with feedback about Restaurant week are also invited to contact the village with concerns, questions or comments. Residents are also encouraged to share Restaurant Week media or stories on social media, with the hashtag #PlainfieldRestaurantWeek.

"We try to work with our business community and there's an idea that somebody presents to bring something new to life, we will certainly facilitate it," Melrose said.