The annual Chicago Restaurant Week has finally come to an end last Sunday. Follow Jeongeun Jennifer Kim as she speaks with a student who shares their experience at one of the restaurants.
JEONGEUN JENNIFER KIM, REPORTER: Starting from Friday, March 25th up to last Sunday, April 10th, chicago had a very special annual event called the Chicago Restaurant Week. As many of you may already be familiar with, during this period, Michelin Star restaurants offer their food at a lower price, allowing more people to afford it. TJ Kim, a sophomore at Northwestern University, made a visit to one of the restaurants on April 1st.
TJ KIM, NU STUDENT: I mean like initially I wanted to participate in Chicago Restaurant Week mainly because I thought I would try out different restaurants in a couple of days, but then I decided–or I ended up–just going to one which is funny.
JEONGEUN: While he was unable to follow his initial plan of trying multiple restaurants, TJ says he did enjoy his experience at the one restaurant he was able to visit.
TJ: I visited Boulevard Chicago Steakhouse.
JEONGEUN: As a big fan of steak, TJ had always hoped to check out many of these steakhouses. And Chicago Restaurant Week appeared to be one of the best opportunities to do so.
TJ: Mainly because I always wanted to go there. I love going to different steakhouses. If you call it steakhouse hopping, sure. But Chicago being one of the most prominent steakhouses, I wanted to try different steakhouses.
JEONGEUN: According to TJ, the meal is usually 30 to 50 dollars per person. Let me do the math for you real quick. If you multiply 30 by two, that’s 60. If you multiply 50 by two, that’s a hundred. Which means on an average day, a two-person meal would cost sixty minimum and a hundred maximum.
TJ: But then, me being a student under a budget constraint, I was not able to do so. So I thought Chicago Restaurant Week was such a good opportunity for me to try the steakhouse that I wanted to go to at a fairly cheap price. The price was very fair. I think I paid $55, including tip $70, for a dinner course meal.
JEONGEUN: Quite surprising, huh. Fifty-five dollars is less than the minimum price that people would have to pay regularly. He further adds that the food quality was chef’s kiss.
TJ: I was served one of the appetizers of kale brussel sprout salad; and my entree, short rib barbacoa; and for the dessert, to finish off, I ate sweet potato cake, which was a nourishing experience. To have a sweet potato cake at a steakhouse was a surreal experience I guess.
JEONGEUN: But if TJ had to point out a flaw, he says there was a slight disappointment in the choice of the menu.
TJ: But the fact that I wasn’t able to eat a normal steak per se, the price could’ve been better I guess.
JEONGEUN: He went for steak, but didn’t get that steak. In general, the food was nice, but the mood was a plus. As always, good mood comes with good food.
TJ: The atmosphere itself wasn’t that crowded, nor was it too noisy as I expected, considering it being a Chicago Restaurant Week. I can’t say quiet but normal.
JEONGEUN: When asked whether he would recommend this annual event to other students, TJ gave an unsure response.
TJ: I can’t firmly say yes or no because I only went to just one restaurant instead of many, which I had the opportunity to. So I guess 50-50 for sure.
JEONGEUN: For all the freshmen, Chicago Restaurant Week could be potentially another bullet point to your bucket list. Talk to other people who’ve been to the event. Perhaps, they have a better, or maybe even worse, experience. But I’d say giving it a try won’t hurt, especially with the low prices.
This is Jeongeun Jennifer Kim signing off from WNUR News.
