Restaurant Week: Yay or Yuck?

Boston Restaurant Week is in full swing (it's from Aug. 19 to Aug. 24 and Aug. 26 to Aug. 31, which actually makes it two weeks), and Newton, as usual, has a number of restaurants participating.

Although (and one technically in the Brookline section of Chestnut Hill) are participating, there are not as many as there have been in past Restaurant Weeks. Last summer, seven Garden City eateries were in the Restaurant Week lineup. 

Meanwhile, Newton officials are currently planning the Garden City's own restaurant week, which is likely to run sometime this fall. as part of the "13 Villages, One Community" initiative.

Despite some local enthusiasm, it seems a lot of people—chefs, diners and restaurant owners—love to gripe about Restaurant Week.

The Atlantic Cities website has an article titled, "Why Restaurant Week Won't Die, Despite the Haters." It paints a picture of chefs phoning in menus of low quality, stingy "amateur eaters" stiffing waiters on tips and owners who lose money by participating.

Here in Boston, Boston.com has an article about how local chefs have struggled with rising food prices when preparing Restaurant Week menus.

What do you think? Is Restaurant Week a fun event you look forward to, or are you not a fan? Share with us in the comments section below.