Restaurant Week Comes to South Orange and Maplewood in 2011

Nibble, graze, or nosh? Eat to live or love to eat? For those whose answer is “all of the above,” South Orange and Maplewood have a deal for you. For the first time, Maplewood and South Orange will hold consecutive Restaurant Weeks, making for two weeks of dining deals close to home.

Maplewood eateries usher in Restaurant Week, March 21 -27, with offers from haute cuisine to the corner cafe.  New to town, the Able Baker offers “Buy one baked treat, get the 2nd at half off,” while WokStar has a dinner option --  appetizer sample, entrée and dessert -- for $9.00.  Cupcake Corral has a special breakfast/brunch on March 27, and marks the date with a dozen cupcakes for $20.11.

Of course, there’s more, listed here, and additional offers are likely to be added through the month. A word to the wise, however: pull out the calendar, call friends, and make reservations now. Arturo’s reports that reservations for the four-course tasting menu, $30 per person, are going fast. Likewise, Lorena’s prix-fixe menu is a hot ticket in town, and tables are filling quickly.

The following week, March 27 through April 2, it’s South Orange’s turn to host diners and shoppers up, down, and around the avenue. With merchants and restaurants joining the roster of participants daily, South Orange offers an up-to-date look at what’s on offer here.

Not only are restaurants such as Harrar Café, Papillion 25, and Bunny’s getting into the act, a number, such as Above Restaurant and Bar and Café Arugula are offering a $20.11 prix fixe menu.  Again, tables are filling quickly, as that price is a significant savings. 

And hang onto those receipts. After visiting a participating restaurant, diners can receive significant discounts from local merchants, including SparkHouse, the Beaded Path, and PamDance. In addition, SOPAC offers a 25-percent discount on many shows coming to town this spring.

There are dozens of dining opportunities coming to South Orange and Maplewood this March and April. But never fear: one of the special Restaurant Week offers will undo the damage; Ladies Workout Express provides two weeks free of online weight management and two trial dance classes. The foodies of South Orange and Maplewood might all need it.