Residents invited to 'Eat like a local'

Hinsdale eateries are once again inviting diners to stop in and try one of their specials or an old favorite during Hinsdale Restaurant Week, which begins tomorrow, April 12, and continues through Saturday, April 20.

"We think it's a great opportunity for the village and the EDC to remind our residents and people outside of Hinsdale that we've got great options for dining here for breakfast, lunch and dinner," said Jill Sunderson, chair of the Hinsdale Economic Development Commission.

The theme this year is "Eat like a local."

"We wanted to kick off outdoor dining week with restaurant week, and I think we've all learned to really enjoy - as a local - our outdoor dining experiences in Hinsdale," Sunderson said.

"You can walk down the street and see your neighbors and kids can see classmates and it makes for a nice evening out, or morning out as well," she added.

According to the forecast, Mother Nature will cooperate, with temperatures well above normal.

"The weather looks decent for later this week and this weekend, so that should be a nice kickoff," Alex Snyder, management analyst for the village, said Monday.

Eleven locations are participating this year, and each was able to decide what to feature during the week.

"It's different from Chicago and other restaurant weeks in that we want each restaurant to let their creativity shine through on what they think is best for themselves and their customers," said Andrianna Peterson, assistant village manager.

That means patrons can enjoy a variety of specials, Snyder said.

"Everything from breakfast items, lunch, dessert items, specialty cocktails - a really good variety here," he said.

Sweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery is offering two gluten-free dessert flights for restaurant week, one of which is also dairy-free, marketing manager Jennifer Savini said.

Each flight features three layered desserts with cake, filling and frosting packaged in a cute little jar.

The gluten-free flight features three flavors: lemon raspberry, tiramisu and Reese's peanut butter. The dairy-free version offers confetti, black forest and chocolate chip cookie flavors.

"We decided a couple of years back to stick to what we do, sweets and desserts," Savini said of the bakery's restaurant week specials. "Each flight highlights our most popular flavors and allows people to sample a variety of flavors."

For the first time this year, the week was extended to include two Saturdays following a suggestion from some restaurateurs.

"That's obviously a busy night for them, so this year's dates will allow for two weekends to help increase opportunities for people to enjoy all of our participating restaurants," Peterson said.

Sunderson encouraged residents to patronize Hinsdale's eateries during the week.

"I want people to remember our restaurants and 'Eat like a local' and remember why we love downtown Hinsdale is because of all these options we have," she said. "We have to continue to support our restaurants if we want to have this quaint downtown experiences that we all enjoy."

Author Bio

Pamela Lannom is editor of The Hinsdalean

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