Chicago's Restaurant Week returns starting Friday
CHICAGO (CBS) – One of the city's tastiest traditions is about to make its return: Restaurant Week.
CBS 2's Noel Brennan spoke to one restaurant owner who is gearing up.
These past couple of years, we've all gotten so used to takeout, but this year, Chicago Restaurant Week is back and more than 300 restaurants hope you'll dine in.
There's energy in the air and you can sense it.
Inside Demera Ethiopian restaurant in Uptown, chef and owner Tigist Reda is prepping for one of the biggest wintertime weeks in years.
"We love Restaurant Week," Reda said.
Chicago's Restaurant Week kicks off on Friday. It's 17 days of restaurants showcasing their best food and drinks at fixed prices for lunch and dinner.
"It's when people find out about us," she said.
This year looks different than the last two as COVID changed Restaurant Week and the restaurant business.
"It was carryout, haha," Reda said. "We were a restaurant of 95% dining, 5% carryout, so we had to kind of refigure everything,"
This year will serve up a Restaurant Week Reda remembers and loves.
"It's going to be super busy," she said.
The energy and excitement are building and restaurants are ready to share it.
"We get a lot of new customers on Restaurant Week, so we want to make sure they have the best time," she said.
On Thursday night, the Field Museum will host the official kickoff party for Restaurant Week, called the First Bites Bash.
Demera is one of the 50 or so Chicago restaurants that will be serving food and drinks.
Restaurant Week runs through Feb. 5.