Photo Credit: Midtown Oyster Bar

(Pictured: 2nd floor of Midtown Oyster Bar)

For the first time since its inception in 2006, Newport Restaurant Week, which takes place again this fall (November 2-11, 2018), will see a price increase and introduce a new structure for the event’s lunch offerings. Restaurateurs may also elect to offer an upgraded menu for three-course dinners.

Restaurants participating in lunch service during Newport Restaurant Week will be offering two-courses for $20. For dinner, three-course menus will be offered at the existing $35 price point, as it has been since 2014, while some restaurants will offer a three-course “premier menu” with cocktail, beer or wine pairings or “flights.”

“In addition to talking with our restaurant industry partners throughout the year, we created a Newport Restaurant Week advisory board in 2013 comprised of restaurant owners and managers throughout our destination to learn firsthand what’s working and what needs to be re-evaluated,” said Brittany Lauro, who manages Newport Restaurant Week for Discover Newport, in a press release on Thursday. “One thing we heard across the board was that the existing lunch price point simply wasn’t congruent with today’s food and operational costs. We also learned that many lunch patrons were too full after two courses to partake in the dessert course, resulting in guests either taking dessert to-go or foregoing the course altogether.”

Charlie Holder, Operations Manager at both Midtown Oyster Bar and Surf Club restaurants in Newport, regularly participates in the bi-annual event.  “We’re as committed to the quality and integrity of our menus as we are to our customers,” said Holder in the release. “We’ve always enjoyed being a part of Newport Restaurant Week as it’s an opportunity to welcome new customers, re-connect with regulars and introduce new menu items. The fact is, food and labor costs have increased over the years and we need to offer a Restaurant Week menu in line with those expenses to continue to put out the best possible product. We’re devoted to serving dishes that we are proud of and that also excites our guests.”

Just this past March, more than 45 restaurants offered options on their Newport Restaurant Week prix fixe menus that featured three-course lunches and dinners for $16 and $35, respectively.

For many restaurateurs, the idea of offering a premier menu for a three-course dinner during Restaurant Week has a unique appeal. “We at Fluke Newport are excited to present guests with expanded offerings from Chef Eddie Montalvo’s brand-new menu during this year’s Restaurant Week that will reflect a great value at both price points,” says Geremie Callaghan, co-owner of the Bowen’s Wharf restaurant in the release. Premier menus will be $50 per person for the three-course meals.

The Newport Restaurant Week Advisory Board also selected the dates for the 2019 and 2020 events:

  • April 5-14, 2019
  • November 15-24, 2019
  • March 20-29, 2020
  • October 30-November 8, 2020

Participating restaurants will added to DiscoverNewportRestaurantWeek. org immediately after signing up and their menus added within 24 hours of receipt. Discover Newport encourages all participating restaurants to submit their menus as early as possible to give diners a comprehensive scope of all the seasonal and sensational dishes being offered and allow them to plan accordingly.

Read more from What's Up Newp

Salve Regina University Seahawks skate for Mental Health Awareness

The third annual Mental Health Awareness Night organized by the Salve Regina University’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team raised more than $4,000 in support of Newport  Mental Health’s mission to destigmatize the conversation around mental health and provide mental health and substance use treatment to those who live, work, and study in Newport County.
Keep reading

Loading...

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.