Today marks the beginning of restaurant week in Charleston, an exciting few days for anyone who appreciates Lowcountry cuisine as much as most people in Charleston. They do this as a promotional event during weak tourist seasons, like the time right after New Years, but it turns out to be a major benefit for Charleston locals, even if as many people aren’t traveling in from out of town to enjoy it with us.
140 restaurants in the city will be participating, which means there will be a huge variety of places to choose from. The best plan is probably to make a reservation at a different restaurant each night. I bet you will not be disappointed.
One thing that makes this year’s Restaurant Week a little bit different from that of previous years is the pricing flexibility that has been allowed for restaurants. Usually, there are very predetermined prix-fixe menus, offering a narrowed down choice from each restaurant’s usual menu at reduced prices. This year, however, restaurants were given some leeway to come up with their own deals, so they will be better able to feature their best dishes which often are left off of prix fixe menus for pricing reasons, rather than the usual one-size-fits-all discount. So, you might see a better variety of menus being offered.
Restaurant Week is one of those win-win situations. Restaurants in the area get to fill their tables during traditionally slow times of the year, and diners get to enjoy a little bit of a discount at their favorite restaurants, or at restaurants they have been dying to try.
