This year, the 11th Annual Downtown Syracuse Dining Weeks will run from Feb. 16 to March 1. Spearheaded by the Downtown Committee of Syracuse and Renzi Foodservice, the event will be hosted around Armory Square.

With 27 restaurants, this year’s Dining Weeks contains the largest number of participants in the event’s history.

Alice Maggiore, communications coordinator of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, said she is very excited about this year’s Dining Weeks. Maggiore said the two week long event features restaurants that have agreed to offer a deal of 3-course meals for $25 or less.

“It’s really well attended, people look forward to this every year. We started it back in 2005, and in 11 years it has continuously grown every year,” Maggiore said.

Six of the 27 restaurants are first time participants: Bamboo House, Byblos Bar & Grill, Funk ‘n Waffles, LoFo, Maxwell’s and Modern Malt. Many of these names are familiar to SU students, and students will be able to enjoy local, high-quality restaurants at an affordable price through Dining Weeks.

Maggiore added that not only is Dining Weeks a great opportunity to try out new restaurants, but it is also a chance to explore the city and to foster an interest in staying in Syracuse after graduation.

“We’ve got literally any cuisine that you could be craving available within the center of Syracuse — Italian, Greek, Cajun, Mexican, Thai, Chinese — anything that you could possibly want,” Maggiore said.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of five restaurants that have participated in the Downtown Syracuse Dining Weeks since the event began in 2005.

Bob Baker, public relations and social media manager at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, said there is a good mix of diversity in the customers who join them for Dining Weeks. From young couples to Syracuse University students to older families, the Dining Weeks event caters to all age groups and demographics.

“It’s a great Syracuse event,” Baker said. “It allows us to be a part of a number of restaurants that (customers) can choose from. It’s great to have all these restaurants offer a wide selection of food so folks can choose where to go. It’s great being a part of it.”

In 2009, Dining Weeks was extended to two weeks instead of one due to its success.

“It’s an excellent time for people who have not gotten a chance to try out the new restaurants to sample them or come back to their old favorites,” Maggiore said. In 2014, Dining Weeks was extended all the way into March for the first time.

Maggiore also said the event draws people from all around Onondaga County as well as visitors from Madison, Oneida and Cayuga counties. She added that some restaurants have reported an increase in business during the two weeks.

The event encourages students and the public to venture out into downtown Syracuse and check out restaurants they have not yet eaten at. Despite the extreme cold weather, Maggiore said the Downtown Committee of Syracuse hopes to utilize this event to provoke interest in the participating restaurants.

“February, the cold mid-winter, isn’t always the best for restaurants. People might not be willing to leave their houses because it’s cold and snowy,” she said. “When we started Dining Week in 2005, our goal was to change that, to bring more people in to recharge the restaurant business. We’ve seen that be achieved every year.”

Published on February 19, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact; tchuang@syr.edu