Luxe for less: Hits & misses during September’s Sizzle Dining promo

Diana Biederman | Naples Daily News

I remember skipping New York City’s semi-annual “Restaurant Week” because of a few disappointing meals served up during its early years.

I recall servers at higher-end restaurants seeming less enthusiastic about working those dates. Special three-course prix-fixe menus were created to make the price points work but were rarely indicative of a chef’s talent.

That first restaurant week in 1992 was priced $19.92, making it tricky for participating restaurants to make any money even though their staffs were working so much harder because demand volume was crazy.

Case in point: When working at ‘21,’ we served tilapia instead of the famous market-price Dover sole and a human-sized portion of the legendary burger with a different bun to make Restaurant Week’s price points work.

For years, the price crept up a penny.

But Sizzle Dining is different, especially during an offseason when COVID returned and it was too steamy to dine outside. It got butts in seats for restaurants during a traditionally slow month while offering sweet deals to patrons. Participating restaurants also fork over $1 for every meal sold to Blessings in a Backpack.

Making a list, checking it twice
JLB is always looking for the biggest bang for her buckaroos. So how to choose?

Find out how to choose on naplesnews.com.