What if you could choose a three-course meal from local restaurants and pay
a total price of $25.07?
This week, you can do just that during Richmond’s Restaurant Week, which
began Monday and continues through Sunday.
Restaurants like The Hard Shell, Acacia, Bacchus, Europa Café and Millie’s, are
among 20 local restaurants that have banded together to benefit Central Virginia
Food Bank and donate $2.07 from each special meal ordered.
Nancy Fisher, owner of Bacchus Restaurant, said she has participated in Restaurant
Week since the owners of Acacia Restaurant started it four years ago.
“They called me to see if we would like to participate,” she said. “It’s a good
cause. It is also good exposure because it brings people in that wouldn’t normally
come in.”
Fisher said her restaurant is fully booked through Friday.
The weeklong event has “gained a lot of popularity,” she said. “That’s just not
a normal Tuesday.”
Fisher said her donation to the Central Virginia Food Bank increases each year.
She estimates more than $1,000 will be donated this year.
The Hard Shell’s executive chef, Brian Oscar Enroughty, agrees with Fisher that
Restaurant Week is for a good cause and brings in a larger crowd than usual.
“I think it’s phenomenal,” Enroughty said. “Our business doubles during the
week. Not only is money coming in for the restaurant, but it’s also going out to
the community.”
He said all of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week are great.
Even though the portions are slightly smaller than usual, Enroughty said The
Hard Shell does not typically offer such good food for the low prices. He said 98
percent of customers order from the set menu, and it draws in a crowd of people
who have never dined there.
Ellen Campbell and Judy Fitzpatrick are two customers who took advantage of
Restaurant Week by dining at Europa Café. Campbell ordered figs, mushrooms,
quail and cr