Thursday, August 5, 2010

SENDING OUT AN SOS RE: DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT WEEK

The SOS I'm talking about is not sh*t-on-a-shingle.I'm referring to the old distress signal.

I thought I had a foodie friend lined up to go with me to Orchid's for the $35-for-three-course Downtown Restaurant Week deal and would at last get to taste Chef Todd Kelly's food. But said friend has backed out (for understandable reasons). And in some inversely - or perversely - proportionate ratio of restaurant-going interest vs. how-far-they-live-from-downtown geographic barrier among my circle of local friends, I am sadly lacking in the dining companions department for the Do Downtown Restaurant Week which starts Monday.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I could go by myself. And the food served to me solo would be the same as what a larger party would receive. But the experience would not be the same if I didn't have other(s) to share it with.

So . . . if anyone else interested in Downtown Restaurant Week is in a similar solo boat, or already has something planned that you'd be willing to let me join in on as a "+ 1," let me know (via comment below or email, as long as I have a way to contact you).

Although Orchid's was my top choice, I'm open to trying out any of the participating restaurants. I love these events and supporting the fine restaurant folks who put them together - although I learned after the very first Cincy Independents Restaurant Week that my stomach gets way too full if I try to go out for dinner every night during these promotion weeks :)

It's a bit of a brave new world for me, to put this out there seeking face-to-face dining companions via the internets. But I'm finding the food blogging community to be filled with inspiring, kind, and generally harmless people. If you should be interested in taking me up on my offer, I promise not to wear any strange hats or goofy disguises, nor will I delay your meal by trying to photograph it.

And even if you don't want to Do Downtown with me, go out and do it yourself!

Meanwhile, a little music clip re: my SOS while I'm pondering whether to brave the heat for the Cincy Blues Fest, which always seems to be scheduled for the most brutally hot and humid weekend of the summer 'round here.

10 comments:

Chef Dennis Littley said...

we have the same type of dinners here in the Philly area, they vary from 25 -40 dollars depending on the number of courses. Its a great way to try new restaurants!

Dani said...

I wanna go with you Eggy!

Heff said...

Sounds like fun.

Hey ! Gordon Sumner USED to have hair, too !!!

Buzz Kill said...

Well, Cincinnati is about a 600 mile drive for me, so I'll have to take a pass. Chef Dennis is right in that it's a great way to try new and normally expensive restaurants. The Mrs and I have participated in the Philly Restaurant Week (which is in September this year) and the South Jersey Restaurant Week (which is in October this year). We'll try and do it again after the kids are back to school. Hope you find a dining companion and definitely let us know how it went.

Jenny said...

I'd go with you Eggy if I wasn't, you know, in Seattle. Sounds like a lot of fun. Seattle has the "Bite of Seattle" last week but I didn't go. It's gotten too crowded and the food this year was not the quality of restaurants they've had in the past.

I vote you still attend even if solo. Sounds like a great opportunity to E A T!!!

Sharon Rudd said...

Thanks, all! I'd love to have the chance to eat with any of you - and if I'm ever traveling to your part of the world, I just may try to make that happen :) Also glad that many of you know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout with these Restaurant Week promotions. Love it that this concept is spreading to more places, including my Midwest city.

Meanwhile, at least this weekend has in store for me the opportunity to eat with sister Team Eggplant member Cindie at a great little restaurant on the river with its own garden called Anna Ree’s Andouille (they just put up some great photos of their garden on facebook, although I think you have to friend them first). Fried green home-grown tomatoes, a break in the weather, and a healthy dose of scenic, rural down time are in my future!

Joanne said...

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I really love yours. Hope you find someone to go to restaurant week with! I find the more I'm on the internet the less weird I am about offering to meet and spend one-on-one time with complete strangers. Totally not something I would have been okay with a year ago. But now...

LaDivaCucina said...

We are in the middle of Miami Spice, I think we have an entire month or two! It's so slow in the summer months, esp. during hurricane season. Some deals are better than other though. Some restaurants try to "cheat" you by offering "Pasta Pomodoro" and a ceasar salad! while Shula's steak house offered an actual petit filet! So, we make sure we check the menus ahead of time.

Believe it or not, La Diva needs a gal pal to go out and have a glass of wine with! All my girlfriend's keep getting preggers and it's really boring as i have to keep making new friends as they fall off the list. I miss my gal pal Fifi in Australia, she never let things like kids, family and responsibility get in the way of our having fun! haha!

GrumpyGranny said...

I would go in a heartbeat if I were in Cincinnati! We used to have a restaurant here--a steak house of all things--that used to have these fabulous monthly dinners with sommalier and all, but they unfortunately closed. I miss them!

GG

moi said...

Wow, that menu is really mouth-watering. I hope you find someone to pitch up with you! I would, only, you know. It would mean FLYING and HUMIDITY. However, wouldn't it be fun to pick a big food-type event in some cool city and have a Blog Meet Up around that event?