>>>
>>> MAINE
>>> MAINE RESTAURANT WEEK IS IN
>>> MAINE RESTAURANT WEEK IS IN@ ITS 12th YEAR. HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
RESTAURANTS OFFER FIXED THREE
COURSE MEALS, SOMETIMES WITH
COCKTAIL PAIRINGS AT SPECIAL 4@
PRICES AS A WAY TO ENTICE NEW 4@
CUSTOMERS.
THIS STARTED IN PORTLAND HAS
GROWN OVER THE YEARS AND
INCLUDES 4@RESTAURANTS TO CAMDE
>> WE SAT DOWN WITH JILLIAN.
SHE SAYS WHAT 4@STARTED AS A WA
TO INCREASE BUSINESS 4@DURING T
SLOWER WINTER MONTHS, CONTINUES
TO 4@GROW IN POPULARITY.
>> WINTERS WERE REALLY, REALLY
HARD BACK THEN FOR RESTAURANTS.
NOT TO SAY THAT THEY DON'T
STILL HAVE PROBLEMS 4@WITH THE
WINTER.
THE PROBLEMS ARE DIFFERENT NOW.
BACK THEN PEOPLE DIDN'T 4@COME
OUT TO EAT, NOW THEY ARE FACING
RISING RENT, LABOR SHORTAGES,
THINGS LIKE THAT.
EITHER WAY, MARCH IS A TIME
WHEN YOU REALLY NEED TO GET OUT
AND DO SOMETHING.4@
>> WHEN YOU FIRST SUGGESTED
THIS TO RESTAURANT OWNERS,
CHEFS, WERE THEY LIKE, 4@I DON'
KNOW IF I HAVE TIME TO 4@EVEN D
THAT?
>> THEY WERE SO EXCITED.
I MEAN, BACK IN 2009, 4@WE WERE
WONDERING WHY RESTAURANT WEEK
WASN'T ALREADY HERE.
AND WHEN WE SAID HEY, DO YOU
WANT TO DO IT?
WE WERE THINKING INITIALLY OF
DOING IT IN PORTLAND AND WE
STARTED TO GET CALLS 4@FROM
FREEPORT, WE WANT TO DO IT,
TOO.
WE THOUGHT OKAY, YOU KNOW,
LET'S EXPAND 4@IT.
THAT'S HOW IT BECAME MAINE
RESTAURANT WEEK.
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
NEVER TAKEN PART IN IT.
WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND 4@MAINE
RESTAURANT WEEK?
>> IT IS DEFINITELY A WAY TO
CELEBRATE 4@MAINE'S INCREDIBLE
CUISINE.
IT'S A 4@GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPERIENCE A RESTAURANT YOU'VE
NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE.
FOR SOME 4@OF THE RESTAURANTS,
IT'S A WAY TO STRETCH THEIR
CREATIVITY, DO SOME4@THING
DIFFERENT.
IT DEFINITELY GETS ALL THAT JOY
AND 4@FUN IN THERE.
>> SO TYPICALLY, THERE'S A
THREE COURSE MEAL WHEN 4@YOU GO
THERE.
BUT WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW 4@
AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY WANT TO
GO TO A RESTAURANT ON YOUR LIST
THAT IS TAKING PART, SHOULD
THEY CALL AHEAD AND SAY HEY, I
WANT TO TAKE 4@PART IN MAINE
RESTAURANT WEEK?
>> THEY DON'T HAVE TO CALL
AHEAD.
MANY OF THE RESTAURANTS PUT
THEIR MENUS 4@UP ON
RESTAURANTWEEK.COM.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING 4@YOU HAVE
YOUR HEART SET ON, YOU MI4@GHT
WANT TO CALL AHEAD 4@AND DOUBLE
CHECK.
MOST OF THE RESTAURANTS ARE
GREAT AT KEEPING THE MENUS UP
TO DATE.
IF YOU HAVE DIETARY CONCERNS, I
WOULD SAY CALL AHEAD.
WE REMIND EVERYBODY TO TIP WELL
BECAUSE YOUR SERVERS ARE
WORKING SUPER HARD 4@DURING
RESTAURANT WEEK.
IT'S AS BUSY AS SUMMER.
SOMETIMES WITH A SMALLER STAFF.
>> NOW, WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED
12 YEARS AGO, IT WAS MOSTLY IN
THE PORTLAND AREA.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
ABOUT 4@RESTAURANTS, THEY THINK
ABOUT PORTLAND.
THIS HAS EXPANDED OVER 4@THE
YEARS INTO CAMDEN.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT AREAS IN
MAINE THAT ARE TAKING PART IN
THIS.
HOW HAS MAINE RESTAURANT WEEK
GROWN 4@OVER THE YEARS?
>> IT HAS EVOLVED.
THERE ARE NEW ADDITIONS EVERY
YEAR.
WE SEE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS
EVERY YEAR.
RIGHT NOW YOU CAN FIND
RESTAURANTS OVER 4@TO LEWISTON
AND 4@AUBURN.
YOU'LL FIND RESTAURANTS DOING
DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE AS
THEY EVOLVED WITH 4@THE MENUS,
THEY LEARNED WHAT WORKS, WHAT
DOESN'T WORK.
AND THEY REALLY WANT TO PUT
THEIR BEST FOOT FORW4@ARD.
>> A NEW 4@ADDITION THIS YEAR I
AND THEY REALLY WANT TO PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORW4@ARD. >> A NEW 4@ADDITION THIS YEAR I@
A PAIRING.
>> YEAH.
SO THIS YEAR, SOME 4@OF THE
RESTAURANTS ARE OFFERING A
PAIRING OF AN APPETIZER AND A
COCKTAIL.
ONE IS DOING A DESERT AND 4@A
COCKTAIL.
IT'S $17.
AND I RAN INTO A COUPLE THE
OTHER DAY THAT TOLD 4@ME THEY
ALREADY MADE DINNER
RESERVATIONS AT 4@FOUR DIFFEREN
RESTAURANTS DURING RESTAURANT
WEEK.
THEY WERE THRILLED ABOUT THE
PAIRING OPTION BECAUSE THEY 4@
WILL GO OUT OTHER NIGHTS AS
WELL FOR THAT.
IT WILL BE A HIT.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED.
>> REALLY BRINGING PEOPLE OUT.
WHAT IS COOL ABOUT THIS IS THAT
THERE IS A COMPONENT IN GIVING
BACK.
YOU KICK THIS WEEK OFF 4@WITH T
INCREDIBLE BREAKFAST.
THAT HELPS THE PEBBLE 4@STREET
RESOURCE CENTER.
>> THAT EVENT HAD 4@TEN CHEFS
COMPETING FOR THEIR TOP HONORS
WITH THESE 4@AMAZING BREAKFAST
DISHES AND IT ALREADY RAISED
$6,000 FOR PEBBLE STREET4@.
THEY ALREADY RECEIVED THAT
CHECK.
AND THEN WE CONTRIBUTE FROM THE
OTHER EVENTS AS WELL.
>> IS A PART OF THIS ALLOWING 4@
PEOPLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT
THEIR LOCAL CHEFS ARE DOING?
>> DEFINITELY. 4@
I WOULD SAY SO.
THE RESTAURANTS WANT TO PUT
THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
THEY ARE 4@VERY FOCUSED ON, YOU
KNOW, SHOWING OFF EITHER THEIR
SIGNATURE DISHES OR SOMETHING
THAT IS NEW.
BUT THEY WANT TO 4@WELCOME
EVERYBODY AND REALLY SHOW OFF
WHAT 4@THEY CAN DO.
>> TO FIND A PARTICIPATING
RESTAURANT 4@AND SEE ITS MENU 4@
ALONG WITH 4@AN IDEA OF THE
PRICING, JUST HEAD TO
MAINERESTAURANTWEEK.COM.
YOU CAN FIND THAT LINK IN THE
207 SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE OR
OUR MOBILE APP.
>>> HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE
BREAKFAST?
>> I'VE BEEN TO THE INCREDIBLE
BREAKFAST, YES, ALWAYS A GOOD
TIME.
>> DIDN'T COME BACK HUNGRY?
>> NO.
YOU NEVER LEAVE THESE HUNGRY,
THAT'S THE THING.
I WENT TO ONE OF THE
RESTAURANTS JUST THE OTHER
NIGHT AND YOU GET THAT THREE
COURSE MEAL AND YOU'RE ALMOST
LIKE, OKAY, I'M GOING TO 4@TAKE
TWO BITES OF THIS AND SAVE FOR @
THE NEXT COURSE BECAUSE IT'S A