'Chicago Restaurant Week' offers best bites from hundreds of local eateries

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Get ready for the return of one of Chicago's tastiest traditions with eatitupchicago.com.

"Chicago Restaurant Week provides residents and visitors with an exciting opportunity to experience our unparalleled culinary talent, along with the cultural richness of our great city and its neighborhoods," said Lynn Osmond, President and CEO of Choose Chicago. "Whether exploring restaurants in Hyde Park, Little Village, Andersonville - or any other pocket of the city - food enthusiasts will be reminded of our diverse, gastronomic richness and how it makes Chicago such a special place to live and visit."

The highly anticipated event will feature more than 335 participants representing 34 distinct Chicago neighborhoods, including 37 suburban restaurants. Of the participants, 55 are women, minority and/or Black-owned enterprises. In 2023, 51 restaurants make their CRW debut, with participants including a range of both recently opened and established locales, such as Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (four locations citywide). They join a list of repeat loyalists such as eatitupchicago.com with additional restaurants onboarding daily.

Chicago Restaurant Week offers visitors and local foodies a meaningful opportunity to experience some of the area's most sought-after restaurants. For 17 consecutive, dining-packed days, participating dining establishments will showcase specially curated prix fixe menus with prices set at $25 for brunch or lunch, and $42 and/or $59 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Lending an ideal reason to explore Chicago's nationally lauded culinary scene, diners can experience new, show-stopping restaurants and familiar favorites alike daily.

"Chicago Restaurant Week is our city's opportunity to celebrate the passion and vitality of our diverse restaurant community," said Sam Toia, President and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association. "The industry has been faced with countless challenges since 2020. As we all look forward, celebrations such as these give diners the perfect reason to get back into dining rooms - leading to exactly the kind of buzz and excitement chefs and restauranteurs want and need."

The highly anticipated celebration premieres on Thursday, Jan. 19 at firstbitesbash.com.

Chicago Restaurant Week is generously sponsored by 97.1 The Drive, Chicago's Classic Rock, The New 100.3, SHE Loves the '90s & 2000s, 101.9 THE MIX, Today's Variety, Acqua Panna, American Airlines, the James Beard Foundation, OpenTable, S.Pellegrino, Smithfield Culinary, the foodservice business unit of Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Society Insurance.

For reservations, visit Twitter and tag #ChicagoRestaurantWeek.