It’s that time of year again; Charlotte Restaurant Week.  It’s time for Queen’s Feast in Charlotte.  If you’ve never participated, you should really consider trying it this year.  It’s certainly an event worth making a little time for. 

Here’s how it works.  Local restaurants are encouraged to participate in what is effectively a week-long promotion.  All participating restaurants feature a three-course, fixed menu for $30 per person, from 22-31 January.  You just need to make a reservation, show up, and enjoy (and then pay). 

The Wife and I both enjoyed Restaurant Week in the Washington, D.C. area before moving to Charlotte.  As we always viewed it, it was a chance to eat at restaurants that we otherwise wouldn’t have attempted to enjoy, because it was cost-prohibitive.  A fine steak or seafood restaurant, where getting out with a $150 bill is a challenge, but we would be able to enjoy it for something like $80. 

Once we came to Charlotte, we were excited to see that the Queen City was beginning to promote a local Restaurant Week.  Charlotte’s still trying to tweak their implementation; there are a lot of participating restaurants that I don’t think $30 is a “great deal” for a meal.  There is the upside, though, that restaurants generally feature their best fares on the fixed menus, which encourage you to come back.  Also, some restaurants liberally add additional courses, in an effort to make your $30 worthwhile.  There are also a handful of jewels on the menu, where $30 is still a steal.

So take a look, and give it a shot.  A couple restaurants we are considering are Chima and Del Frisco’s.  We can recommend from experience, both Noble’s (where my company will be having an annual party this week, but I will, again, be on travel), and Upstream, both of which are in South Park.