Smoked Salmon Crostini at The Wine House. Kea Dupree Photography
While it may look and feel a bit different than usual, Fairfax City’s 3rd annual Restaurant Week still promises to provide fun experiences and delicious food. The upcoming event will run Sunday, Sept. 13, through Sunday, Sept. 20, and will highlight taste-tempting dishes from all over the world.
Restaurants taking part will be offering three-course, prix fixe dinners for $35, plus lunch/brunch options for $20 per person or couple. All meals are available for dining in, as well as take-out with RW2Go. And in light of the pandemic, this year’s focus is on the return, recovery and support of the City’s independent dining establishments.
“Over the past several months, restaurants have demonstrated support for their employees and our communities while facing operational and financial challenges,” explained Fairfax Mayor David Meyer. “Let us take this week to give back to those establishments who are our family, friends and community members.”
PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS include: Capital Ale House, Bellissimo, Dolce Vita, The Auld Shebeen, Mama Chang, Havabite Eatery, Kiroran, Kim’s Kitchen + Pho, Hamrock’s Restaurant, Epicure Café, Patriots Pub & Grill, Coyote Grille, Curry Mantra, Ornery Beer Company, The Wine House, Bollywood Bistro, Anita’s and Captain Pell’s.
Many Fairfax City restaurants have already opened their dining rooms to the public with extra precautions in place to ensure the health and safety of their diners. And with RW2Go, restaurants are also showcasing their creative, gourmet expertise by pairing their food offering with libations.
Doing so enables people to enjoy both restaurant food and beverages in the comfort of their own homes. While supplies last, diners who choose the RW2Go option will receive their meals in a special Fairfax City Restaurant Week reusable thermal tote.
As it is, Fairfax has already begun two programs to support outdoor dining in the City – Fairfax City ReConnected Outdoors and City Square. Fairfax City ReConnected Outdoors provides new and/or expanded dining options outside on private and public property, including sidewalks and parking lots.
And City Square features street-side dining in Old Town Fairfax along University Drive and Main Street. These al fresco dining areas are in spaces allocated specifically for restaurants and common areas open for public use.
Since the last two years’ Restaurant Weeks were such big hits, the Fairfax City Economic Development Authority and the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce together formed the 2020 Restaurant Week Committee to plan and carry out this year’s event. Their goals are to encourage more people to visit the City and bring more business to its restaurants
And besides the three-course menus the participating restaurants will offer, they’ll also support INOVA’s Emergency Preparedness Fund – with 10 percent of gift-card sales throughout the week benefiting the local organization. For more information, go to fairfaxcityrestaurantweek.com.
All in all, said Meyer, “I encourage residents and visitors to support and explore our City restaurants during Fairfax City Restaurant Week – whether safely distanced inside, at one of the City’s many outdoor-dining locations or in their homes.”
DINERS may also join the conversation about 2020 Fairfax City Restaurant Week on social media by using #FairfaxCityEats when posting about the event and by tagging Fairfax City’s Economic Development Authority on Facebook, @FairfaxCityEDA, and on Twitter, @CityofFairfaxVA.