PORTLAND, Maine — What started as a way to give local restaurants a boost during the slower winter months has become a popular annual event.
This year, more than 80 restaurants are participating in Maine Restaurant Week (MRW) from March 1-12. Each location will serve MRW Specials (marked with an S) or a three-course menu that's priced at, $35, $45, or $55, according to the MRW website.
This year's event specifically highlights participating restaurants in Lewiston to show solidarity with businesses there after the mass shootings last October.
Fish Bones Grill is one of a handful of Lewiston restaurants involved this year.
"We always see it as the harboring of spring," Kate Landry, owner of Fish Bones Grill, said. "After the holidays, a lot of the regular clientele kind of hunkers down for a little while in the cold. It just is that beginning that kind of wakes people up of their slumber and say, 'Hey, let's get back there in the community.'"
Landry said the Maine Restaurant Week offers a boost that helps local restaurants stay open and offers deals for customers who feel they are getting the most out of their money.
"You can choose from an appetizer, an entree —there are four options on the entrees and two to three options on the desserts. That's $55 for all three," Landry said.
How did this all start?
Gillian and Jim Britt, owners of the public relations firm gBritt, launched Maine Restaurant Week on March 1, 2009. The Britts said the idea came after seeing their restaurant clients reducing staff, hours, and orders in the winter, trying to hold out for summer — their busiest season, according to the MRW website.
"It came together quickly," the Britts said in a statement on the Maine Restaurant Week website. "The response that year and every winter has been excellent. We have met hundreds of lovely people. We love that MRW attracts friendly people and great partners."
Pull up a chair
So, if you're looking for the perfect three-course meal at a decent price, whether it be seafood, steak, or noodles, you can find it at one of MRW's participating locations, from South Portland to Presque Isle.
For the full list of restaurants, click here.