Inman Park: Dining for less dollars

It’s another yummy, cost-savings week in Inman Park.

And it’s also the “Deal of the City,” according to Marco Alarcon, who has worked with restaurants in the historic neighborhood to coordinate Inman Park Restaurant Week, which kicks off today and continues through the weekend.

From Sotto-Sotto and Wisteria to the North Highland Pub and The Albert, 12 Inman Park restaurants are participating. Their chefs are creating special fixed-price menus for appetizer, entrée and dessert ($35 at Kevin Rathbun’s Steak, and $25 or $15 at all other participating restaurants), and also trying out new menu items and specialties for diners.

“You can be sure everyone is offering their same high quality,” Alarcon said. “From tacos to pizza to fine dining, this is mostly a week to bring more exposure to the neighborhood as a restaurant destination, and to give a boost to the neighborhood’s economy.”

At Park’s Edge, co-owners Richard Wadlington and chef Jorge Pacheco always looking forward to this week, which is staged twice a year. “It’s one of the best weeks we have and it gives us a nice chance to interact with a lot of neighbors and new faces,” Wadlington said. “It’s a pleasant change of pace for us, and diners have a chance to sample some wonderful menu items at lower prices.”

Most participating restaurants are offering the special $25-per-person menu, and Park Edge is among those. Chef Pachecho has high hopes that his ahi tuna tostados will catch on as a favorite new appetizer. “It’s a new recipe that I tried two weeks ago,” he said. “It went over very well, but restaurant week gives me the chance to try it again and test it out with some other specials.” And oyster lovers might want to choose his flash-fried oysters appetizer with red pickle onion and peppercini sauce.

Pacheco has planned five specific main courses from which to choose for the $25 price, including pan-seared scallops with a crimini mushroom risotto, fried green tomatoes and a drizzle of cranberry beurre blanc. Diners will have their choice of two made-in-house desserts: brioche bread pudding with rum-soaked cherries and apricots (served with bourbon-vanilla ice cream), or an apple crisp made with granny smith apples and topped with oatmeal streusel  (served with cinnamon ice cream).

Fritti (Italian-style gourmet pizza) will offer restaurant week specials for both $15 and $25. The other restaurants participating with special $25 menus: Wisteria,
Parish Food & Goods, 
Rathbun's,
Sauced, and
Sotto Sotto. Others with special $15 meals: Pure Taqueria,
The Albert,
North Highland Pub, and
Victory Sandwich Bar.

Raffle tickets ($1 each) will be sold at all participating restaurants this week to raise money for Open Hand, which provides nutritious meals delivered to the chronically ill.