By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

(Jan. 9, 2020) Thirteen businesses will offer special meal prices for the fourth annual Berlin Restaurant Week, which will run from Monday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 19.

Photo by Morgan Pilz
Sous and pastry chef Tracy King shows off a full
portion of the Fish and Chips lunch special offered at the Atlantic Hotel on South Main
Street in Berlin during Berlin’s annual Restaurant Week, held Jan. 13-19.

Cam Bunting, Berlin Restaurant Week founder and owner of Bunting Realty, came up with the idea after experiencing one in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was visiting her daughter.

“I like to see the variety,” Bunting said. “I think this is the time to try something new. I’d like the [restaurants] to try something different … maybe there might be a new item that was popular during restaurant week that they would like to add.”

The 13 businesses participating are Crush N Crabs, DiFebo’s Restaurant, Fins Ale House and Raw Bar, the Atlantic Hotel, Baked Desserts Café, Burley Inn Tavern, Burley Café, Main Street Deli, Rayne’s Reef Soda and Fountain Grill, The Blacksmith, Gilbert’s Provisions, Burn Wood Fired Pizza and On What Grounds?

Most restaurants, like the Atlantic Hotel, have been participating since the event’s inception four years ago.

“I think the Atlantic Hotel has a reputation for excellent food and the charm of this historic town. You can’t beat it,” General Manager Laura Stearns said. “We have a cozy atmosphere with the fire going. It’s the town [centerpiece].”

The Atlantic Hotel will offer a three-course dinner for $34 with a choice of twin crab cakes with a garden salad and the hotel’s signature dessert, Lemon Lust (a whipped lemon cream dessert with an almond base), or a petite filet mignon with sides, a Caesar salad and Lemon Lust.

The hotel will also offer a lunch special for $14.50 of fish and chips with a side of tartar sauce and coleslaw as well as Lemon Lust.

“We do it to support the town of Berlin and so that in the off-season the local people can come and enjoy the charm of the town and get a nice meal for a good price,” Stearns said.

Reservations are encouraged, though walks-in are welcomed as well. Operating lunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Dinner begins at 5 p.m. and closes at the restaurant’s discretion.

For more information about Atlantic Hotel, call 410-641-3589.

DiFebo’s, which joined Berlin in 2017, likes to offer specials throughout the off-season, but also offers discounted prices during restaurant week.

“We like to make all these specials after Christmas when it’s not so booming around here,” Manager Cassie Stuart said. “It’s not the tourist season, we want anybody to come out and enjoy our food … unfortunately, some of our dishes are pricey so we’d like to give everyone a chance to [dine] at a discounted rate. It’s a great way to get people out here now that the holidays are over.”

DiFebo’s regularly offers specials every day except Saturdays. For restaurant week, there will be a daily pizza for half off, which is the chef’s choice. Call the restaurant when it opens for the pizza of the day. There will also be pappardelle Bolognese, made with beef, pork and veal, with ricotta and mozzarella, for $18 served with a small garden salad. Also, all week long the restaurant will be offering stuffed shells for $14 with a small garden salad. The deals will also be available during lunch.

“We want everyone to come and join us,” Stuart said. “This restaurant is very cozy and homey. The ambiance is really beautiful. Come in here for restaurant week and you’ll fall in love with the food … you’ll come back over and over again.”

Reservations are encouraged and walk ins are welcome. DiFebo’s is open daily Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For more information, call DiFebo’s at 410-629-0550.

Diners can compete for a chance to win restaurant gift cards and $100 donated by Bunting by dining at three different participating restaurants by using Berlin Restaurant Week passports and getting them stamped at all three locations.

“It’s something different during the slow time of the year and it gets people to come out and enjoy some good, hot food,” Bunting said. “Come the 13th to the 19th and enjoy restaurant week.”

Guests and diners can pick up Berlin Restaurant Week passports at either the Berlin Welcome Center on 14 S. Main Street or Bunting Realty on 24 Broad Street or at any of the participating restaurant locations. The drawing will take place on Monday, Jan. 20.

The menus from participating businesses will be posted online, on social media as well as on the welcome center’s front window at the office on South Main Street.

For more information about the event, visit the “Berlin Restaurant Week” Facebook page or berlinmainstreet.com.