Courtesy of Scott Beck

Match's Scott Beck wants to attract new clientele to South Norwalk

The chilly winter economy brought not much more than tumbleweeds to South Norwalk's streets. In a recession that's forced even (or especially) the high rollers among us to rethink recreational spending, few industries have witnessed the fallout more quickly than high-end restaurants. In places like SoNo, where the bill for a culinary extravaganza can cost more than your car payment, a whole lot of empty tables marked the months from December to April. The food lovers and food snobs among us were huddled at home with our store-bought groceries, clutching our wallets for dear life and popping out occasionally to our neighborhood pubs for a burger and a stiff drink.

Finally, with the weather and Wall Street slowly beginning to warm up, Scott Beck of Match Restaurant decided to do something. Building on a concept that has proven successful in cities nationwide, he approached every owner of every restaurant in SoNo, asking them to band together for SoNo Restaurant Week.

"Nearly everyone I spoke to was enthusiastic," Beck says. "We all want to offer something exciting to diners and to help SoNo attract new clientele. This idea has pulled the town together as never before, and it's great to see everyone finding their own creative way to participate."

All but two jumped on board, and now 17 of the community's wildly diverse dining establishments will offer fixed price menus from Sunday, June 14, to Friday, June 19. The event offers diners a unique opportunity to sample the fare at what are arguably some of Fairfield County's finest culinary gems at an attractive rate: $29.95 for dinner and $16.40 for lunch (1640 being the year Norwalk was founded).

Also, GB parking, the valet lot next to Ginger Man, will offer free parking to all — a pretty big deal considering what a pain parking is in SoNo.

Menus will vary as much as the establishments themselves, which range from the heart-stoppingly expensive and gastronomically extravagant Pasta Nostra to the low-key, middle-range Ginger Man to the ultra-casual Burger Bar. Each restaurant will offer three courses, the lower-end places pumping up the features and the volume to match the value of the top-range spots.

It's fair to say that at some of the eateries on board, a single entrée would cost more than the price of the entire meal being proffered for Restaurant Week. For those whose regular menus are priced in the mid- to lower-range, the opportunity to put together a full, three-course meal representative of their menu was appealing, and all participants will be offering their regular menus throughout the week as well.

Ollie O'Neill of O'Neill's Restaurant and Pub says, "I think it's great that we can come together as a community and expose our restaurants to a new clientele. While we're a bit more casual than some, the event offers us the opportunity to highlight some of our higher-end traditional Irish dishes, like Gaelic steak and caramelized rack of lamb, at a great price."

"Our restaurants in Stamford and Darien have taken part in similar events that have been quite successful," says Gopinath Nair of local Indian chain Coromandel, "but Norwalk has so many more offerings than our surrounding towns do, and it's not just one place that regularly attracts people to an area, but the collective."

For those of us whose wallets are too thin for the likes of restaurants like Match, SoNo Restaurant Week provides a unique opportunity to dine like a king on a journeyman's wage.

Reservations are recommended, and beverages, tax and gratuity are not included. Participating restaurants include: Barcelona*, Black Bear Saloon, Burger Bar Bistro, Chocopologie, Coromandel*, Goccia, Kazu, Match*, O'Neil's Restaurant and Pub, Osetra, Papaya Thai, Pasta Nostra*, Rouge*, SoNo Brewhouse, Strada 18, The Ginger Man and Wasabi Chi (*dinner only).