Travel the World with Just a Fork

Date night could become date week for some savvy diners as the sixth-annual Gwinnett Restaurant Week runs today through Thursday.

Back by popular demand, the dining promotion features 20 participating restaurants, each offering three-course prix fixe meals for just $21.21 (plus tax/gratuity).

Reservations are required and can be booked by logging on to www.opentable.com and selecting Atlanta as the destination search.

Front and center on the landing page is a Gwinnett Restaurant Week icon. Click it for a listing of participating restaurants and then go book your reservation. Diners may also view all Gwinnett Restaurant Week menus at www.gcvb.org/restaurantweek.

Many participating restaurants are expected to sell out of their promotional menu items. So consider selections on a first come, first served basis.

“Great meals and a great deal - that is our motto for Gwinnett Restaurant Week,” says Lisa Anders, Gwinnett Convention And Visitors Bureau Deputy Director who has helped manage the promotion since its inception.

“And we’ve got some new restaurants involved this year that will offer diners a chance to experience cuisines from far-away places with just a short drive to or in and around Gwinnett County,” she added.

In as much a CVB promotion to showcase Gwinnett as an entertainment destination, Gwinnett Restaurant Week aims to bring the “back of the house” out into the spotlight. Chef-owned and operated restaurants offer a crafted and focused approach to food service; everything from taste and texture to tempo and presentation in the delivery.

Most ingredients - in some cases all - are locally sourced, spawning a “farm to table” movement by providing diners the freshest and most eco-friendly ingredients available.

Price points typically reflect that approach. So the GCVB promotion is designed to introduce and encourage people to explore new cuisines and cultures and savor their experiences that will inevitably entice them to return.

Business is brisk at participating restaurant Hi Life at the the confluence of Holcomb Bridge Road and Jimmy Carter Boulevard in the Peachtree Corners enclave.

The venerable, casual-elegant white-table-cloth or patio dining destination prides itself with patrons on first-name basis.

With more than a decade in business, Hi Life has kept ahead of the economy’s downturn with private corporate party bookings taking dutiful care in paring its Contemporary American menu offerings against supply and demand.

The whipped wasabi mashed potatoes here - divinely creamy with just a hint of Japanese horseradish bite - are to absolutely die for.

“We’re very pleased with our growth,” said Steve Rogers, a 36-year veteran and recently-retired executive of UPS and CEO of Hi Life’s holding company, Rogers Hospitality, Inc. “We’re seeing double digit growth from July to September and I think the business environment right now is very positive for us.”

Rogers’ experience and success in the large-scale package delivery business parlays his passion for niche dining after taking ownership of Hi Life in 2009.

“It’s just something I always wanted to do, run a restaurant when I grew up,” Rogers said with a grin. “And it’s always good to partner with our friends at the (Gwinnett) Convention And Visitors Bureau.”

For its part, Hi Life’s prix fixe main course offers diners a choice of oven-roasted prime rib; chicken; or salmon.

And reservations at Hi Life are definitely recommended, Rogers said, as several large-party bookings will put table space at a premium.  Diners can visit Open Table or book directly on Hi Life’s only reservation portal at hiliferestaurant.com, Rogers said.

“The array of local restaurants and the focused talent we have here in Gwinnett County in the culinary field is outstanding,” GCVB’s Lisa Anders added. “And we’re really hoping this will lighten the load for many people who have been affected by the down economy. It’s a great promotion for  date night.”

In addition to the promotional value, dedicated diners this year will have the opportunity to win special prizes during Restaurant Week.

Becoming a fan of GCVB’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/visitgwinnett, gives participants a shot at dining gift certificates for participating restaurants or they can participate in the Dining Passport promotion, where diners who frequent multiple restaurants during Restaurant Week can win tickets to the upcoming Reba McIntire concert at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

Participating restaurants include:

• Aqua Terra Bistro, Buford (American/Bistro)
• Adam’s Restaurant, Buford (Steak/Seafood)
• Athens Kouzzina, Lawrenceville (Greek)
• Bahama Breeze, Duluth  (Caribbean)
• Bukharaa Indian Restaurant, Suwanee (Indian)
• Carrabba’s Sugarloaf, Duluth (Italian)
• Cinco’s Mexican Cantina, Suwanee (Mexican)
• Dominick’s (Historic Lawrenceville)
• , Peachtree Corners (Contemporary American)
• Imane Moroccan Restaurant, Duluth (Moroccan)
• Kurt’s Euro Bistro, Duluth (German/Continental/Steak)
• Local Republic, Lawrenceville (American)
• Luciano’s, Duluth (Italian)
• Park Café, Duluth (Bistro)
• Purple Rain Restaurant and Tapas (International)
• Sperata Buford (Upscale American/Mediterranean)
• Sugo Restaurant and Tapas, (Greek/Italian)
• Thai Diner and Sushi, Lawrenceville (Thai)
• The Clove, Suwanee, (Indian)
• The Melting Pot, Duluth (Fondue)