Alameda has come up with the perfect solution to the culinary letdown after the holidays by presenting its third annual Restaurant Week from January 16 through Jan. 26.
The “week” is actually an 11-day celebration of the Island’s restaurants, part of California’s campaign to promote unique culinary experiences and have something to look forward to after New Year’s Day. All 38 participating restaurants are providing something special to urge patrons in from the cold: It could be a prix fixe menu, a special cocktail, a two-for-one offer or some other enticement. The decision rests with each restaurant but each offering is a special only offered during the event.
The restaurant gift card raffle will return this year and, for the first time, Restaurant Week will kick off with the Alameda Master Mixologist 2020 competition on Jan. 16, with proceeds benefiting the Alameda Food Bank. For Alameda’s Community Development Department, it’s a good way to showcase Alameda and what it has to offer.
“When we began in 2017 we wanted to promote restaurant businesses in Alameda. Restaurants are trending here, and we wanted to make sure that we were promoting restaurants in January, which is traditionally a very slow month for them,” said Lois RP Butler, Alameda’s economic development manager. “It’s also about the community coming together to support the food bank, and that’s very much in line with what Alameda is about.”
The raffle is a fun part of the 11-day event; patrons can pick up a raffle card at the first restaurant they go to and get it stamped every time they dine somewhere new. When the six spaces are full, the card can be turned in to any participating restaurant, and it will be entered to win more than $1,000 in Alameda restaurant gift cards. The raffle drawing for gift cards, ranging from $25 to $100 and provided by participating restaurants, takes place at the end of Restaurant Week. Last year more than 20 gift cards were awarded.
“It’s a really fun opportunity because it encourages patrons to try out a variety of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week,” said Annie Cox, an economic development assistant with the city. “There’s a nice diversity, everything from Asena and East End (restaurants), really nice dining establishments, to Tucker’s Ice Cream, whose special is a flight of ice cream, so there’s really something for everyone.”
Wanting to showcase Alameda’s thriving community of bars, breweries and distilleries, along with starting Restaurant Week with a fun kick-off event, the Community Development Department, in collaboration with the West End Arts and Entertainment District, created Master Mixologist 2020, an evening of craft cocktails, small bites and voting that takes place at Phoenix.
Seven bars — The Hunter, Fireside Lounge, Forbidden Island, East End, American Oak, Angela’s Kitchen and Town Tavern — are competing by creating a signature cocktail using one specific liquor, assigned by raffle. The liquor sponsors range from Alameda’s St. George Spirits and Oakland’s Wright and Brown to the distant Broken Shed of New Zealand and Ardberg from Britain, each donating the liquor for the event.
Everyone who attends will judge by tasting a sample size of each cocktail and voting. Bite-size offerings from a select number of participating restaurants give a sneak peak of Restaurant Week’s culinary delights. At the end of the evening someone will be crowned Alameda’s Master Mixologist for 2020. In acknowledgement that food insecurity is an issue for some in the community, event planners decided to make the Mixologist competition a fundraiser for the Alameda Food Bank, donating the full price of each ticket.
“This is a reflection of Alamedan culture; once we decided to make this a benefit we reached out to different community members, restaurants and bars, and people have been incredibly generous, either by sponsoring or by donating time, food and drinks,” Cox said.
“This is really the community coming together to support the food bank; it’s a partnership,” Butler added. “This event is about food, so why not give money to the food bank so that the people who can’t afford to go to the restaurants will also benefit from Alameda Restaurant Week?”
Restaurant Week organizers say the 11-day event is a win-win situation, offering participants an incentive to explore Alameda’s culinary experiences, get a great deal and something special and help other Alamedans. Event organizers encourage everyone to come and enjoy this year as well as anticipate future years, with the promise of something different every time.
If you go
What: Alameda Restaurant WeekWhen: Jan. 16-26Info: alamedarestaurantweek.comAlso: Alameda Master Mixologist 2020 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at Phoenix, 2315 Lincoln Ave. in Alameda. Presale tickets are $20; tickets at the door are $25.