Long Island Restaurant Week is turning 20 — and the fall edition is going big for the occasion.
The popular Islandwide dining promotion returns Sunday, Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 8, marking two decades since Long Island Restaurant Week first launched in 2006.
For eight days, participating restaurants across Nassau and Suffolk counties will roll out special fixed-price menus for lunch and dinner, giving diners another excuse to try somewhere new — or revisit an old favorite.
Prix fixe menus
Participating restaurants can offer one or more of four prix fixe options:
- $25 two-course lunch
- $30 three-course dinner
- $40 three-course dinner
- $48 three-course dinner
Restaurants can participate at any combination of the four price points.
Dinner menus must include at least three choices for each course — appetizer, entrée and dessert — while lunch menus must include at least three choices for appetizer and entrée or entrée and dessert.
The prix fixe menus are offered throughout the week during participating restaurants’ regular lunch or dinner hours.
On Saturdays, restaurants may stop offering the special menus after 7 p.m.
Looking back
Long Island Restaurant Week began as a fall promotion in 2006 before expanding with a spring edition in 2011 and winter edition in 2016.
“Reaching 20 years is an incredible milestone for Long Island Restaurant Week and a testament to the restaurants and diners who have supported the promotion year after year,” said Nicole Castillo of the Long Island Restaurant & Hospitality Group.
“What began as a way to encourage people to dine out and discover new restaurants has grown into a celebration of Long Island’s entire restaurant community,” she added.
Over those two decades, the organizers say Restaurant Week has donated more than $40,000 to Long Island food banks and charitable organizations.
That includes more than $10,000 donated to The INN, or Interfaith Nutrition Network, which assists Long Islanders facing hunger, homelessness and poverty.
“Since 2006, The INN has been honored to have been one of the recipients of generous donations from Long Island Restaurant Week,” said Cynthia Sucich, chief operating officer for The INN.
Sucich said those contributions have helped support programs providing food and shelter to Long Islanders in need.
“Congratulations on 20 years of Long Island Restaurant Week and thank you for your continued generosity and help raising awareness of food insecurity where we live, work, and raise our families together,” she said.
20 winners for 20 years
Restaurant Week’s gift card giveaway is also getting an anniversary upgrade.
This fall, 20 winners will each receive a $100 gift card to a participating restaurant of their choice. The sweepstakes opens Monday, Oct. 26, at midnight and runs through Monday, Nov. 9, at 11:59 p.m.
Diners can enter through the Long Island Restaurant Week website during the sweepstakes period.
How to participate
The list of participating restaurants and their menus will continue to grow as the Nov. 1 kickoff approaches.
Here is the Nassau list. Click here for the Suffolk list.
Diners can find participating restaurants, menus and additional information at the Long Island Restaurant Week website.
Top: The patio at Opus Steakhouse in Jericho. Credit: Paulo Basseto Photography/courtesy, Long Island Restaurant Week
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