By: Billy BeerSlugger
You know this thing seems like a great idea in theory much like a lot of other ideas seem good in theory like Communism or a Utopian society. However, like a lot of these great ideas, when put into practice disappoint mightily.
I’m not saying that Center City Restaurant Week is a completely bad endeavor but I think on the whole you don’t get the full experience of the restaurant that you go to during that week. The price is right $35 per person for a 3 course meal but the portions are usually much smaller than normal and there’s more of a rush to get you in and out during the predetermined seating times. What you thought was going to be a great evening taking your significant other to a nice romantic dinner in center City for a few less bucks than you would normally spend turns into a quasi-diner experience.
You’ll see all the cheap “tourists” from the surrounding counties and Philly locals who would not normally dine in Center City strewn about the Center City Streets not knowing where they’re going. Usually it a woman nagging their boyfriend/husband to Center City during this week with the pretense of, “You never take me anywhere”.
So here we are “tourists” in my city streets, “tourists” in restaurants and bars I frequent, smaller portions, rushed dining, inattentive service because there’s a billion people in the place and probably a pissed off server who just got $5 on a $115 check.
Trust me, I’ve worked a few Restaurant Weeks in my time and it is great in theory bad in practice. Now that’s not to say you can’t have a good time of it. You may be happy just hanging out eating and drinking in Philly and enjoying the ambiance and swankiness of a Steven Starr restaurant, if that’s the case so be it. All I’m saying is wait an extra week, spend the extra $30 and get the real experience of the restaurant you want to go to because it’s not the same during Tourist Restaurant Week.
