DSM Dining News Roundup

Restaurant Week Turnaround, The End of a Corkage-Fee-Free Era, Ankeny Pie Sale, and "The Best Chef Working in Iowa" (According to...)

Here’s my twice-monthly roundup of news and views on the DSM dining scene.

Thoughts on Restaurant Week’s Higher Prices

Fresko is participating in Restaurant Week, but if you can’t wait until the end of August, remember their Wednesday night prix-fixe menu, which offers this Killer Roll as a first-course option. See my write-up on this nicely priced menu.

Like everything else in this increasingly expensive world, the price of Restaurant Week has risen steadily over the years. In 2014, a three-course meal cost just $25. Even in 2019, the price was still a shockingly reasonable $28; by 2021, the price was $30 to $45. That changed last year, when the price went up substantially.

This year, the price for a Restaurant Week menu ranges from $40 to $80.

Feeling a little sticker shock? Well, consider this: Even before these inflationary times, restaurateurs were finding it increasingly hard to make diners happy for such a bargain-basement price. In fact, some complained to me that their worst onl…