Finding a solid meal with only a little cash can be tough, especially for someone trying to edge fast food out of the picture.
The event is geared toward getting people out into the community and checking out different restaurants in town, said Brianne Horton, an event organizer and assistant manager at Third Street Bagel.
“Marquette Restaurant Week is a good time for students or the community to go try places they might not usually be able to afford,” Horton said. “It’s really just a time to try something different.”
Participating restaurants within the Eastside Originals, which are independently owned and operated restaurants in Marquette’s Eastside District, include: Babycakes, Casa Calabria, Donckers, Elizabeth’s Chop House, Landmark, L’Attitude, Lagniappe, Pasta Shop, Stucko’s, Sweet Basil Deli, Sweet Water Cafe, Thai House, Togo’s, Third Street Bagel, Vango’s and the Vierling.
While each restaurant sets up their own unique deals for the week, Horton said they are required to offer $10 fixed price lunch items and a dinner meal for $25.
“It varies from place to place, but some places are doing two sandwiches for $10 and Elizabeth’s Chop House will have lunch for $10, which is a great deal,” Horton said.
According to the EIRA website, the Marquette Restaurant Week, which is in it’s second year, “[…]provides the community the opportunity to experience a wide variety of culinary opportunities for foodies to enjoy — whether it is fine dining, local seafood, artisan baked goods, pub grub, authentic ethnic cuisine or just a good sandwich, enjoy these Eastside gems at an affordable price.”
Despite the week of deals, Horton said the aforementioned foodies of Marquette are able to enjoy a food culture year-round with a number of options.
“The best thing about the food culture of Marquette is the nice variety,” Horton said. “As someone who only eats at locally-owned restaurants, there are a lot of choices. We have great cafes and coffee shops, too.”
Even with the variety, the local standards can wear out their appeal, said post-baccalaureate nursing major Kalen Walkington.
“Marquette’s got a lot of good spots to eat out at, and some good deals,” Walkington said.“But you can only get $2.50 slices so many times.”
To take a step out of the ordinary and advantage of Marquette Restaurant Week, Walkington said he will be visiting his go-to place for special occasions.
“[Sweet Water Cafe] has a pretty sweet $10 lunch deal, and that’s probably my favorite place to eat in town. The cranberry turkey sandwich is amazing,” Walkington said.
Sweet Water Cafe is featuring a choice of soup, Mike’s BLT sandwich or an inside-out grilled cheese and cookie for their $10 lunch deal.
Senior outdoor recreation leadership and managment major Collin Hampel said he’s looking forward to the $10 lunch deal at his already-favorite restaurant, Togo’s, which boasts “Marquette’s original submarine sandwich.”
“The Cowboy Chicken is the best sandwich in Marquette, hands down,” Hampel said. “Togo’s is my staple, you get a lot of bang for your buck.”
Whether it’s higher-end, organic food that’s on the brain, or just a good sandwich, Marquette Restaurant Week has a lot of the bases covered.
For more information about Marquette Restaurant Week or participating establishments, visit www.eastsideoriginals.org.
