For ten days in August, a number of Hopewell Borough restaurants will be serving up dishes to diners from throughout the area for the second Hopewell Valley Summer Restaurant Week.
From August 5 to August 10, 10 borough restaurants will be offering three-course lunches and dinners, with menu items and cost varying by location.
The participating establishments, found on the event’s website, are Antimo’s Italian Kitchen, Baron Dillon Grille at the Hopewell Valley Golf Club, The Blue Bottle Cafe, The Boro Bean, The Brick Farm Market, The Brick Farm Tavern, The Brothers Moon, Entrata, Hopewell Bistro and Nomad Pizza.
Originally started by Mayor Paul Anzano and Hopewell resident Susan Pollara, the event is hosted by the Hopewell Borough Restaurant Association.
After what officials call a successful Hopewell Borough Winter Restaurant Week back in March and positive feedback from local restaurateurs, the association said it began to make plans for the summer festivities.
“Usually in August, it’s a slower month for the restaurants so, to come together and highlight the community and get people from the surrounding areas — like Princeton, Montgomery, Lawrenceville, Ringoes and Pennington — to see the places and try something new in Hopewell gives the area a boost,” Jeff Kyle, event organizer and front end and catering manager at Antimo’s Italian Kitchen, said.
While last year’s Summer Restaurant Week found success with a farmer’s market, it will not be returning this year due to limited planning time, Kyle said.
“In the future, we’d like to see it come back, we got nice feedback from it,” Kyle said.
Officials said the week not only benefits the restaurants in the area, but surrounding businesses like liquor stores, since most restaurants in Hopewell have a “bring your own bottle” policy, Kyle added.
Local farms, such as Marchese Farm, Cherry Grove Farm, Blue Moon Acres, Rolling Hills Farms, Sansone’s and Terhune Orchards, will also be working with the restaurants to bring freshly grown produce to the menus.
“Hopewell is a very special place, and at this time of the year, the chefs spotlight the finest, most amazing produce from all around the area,” Rory Philipson, organizer and owner of The Blue Bottle Cafe said. “[Multiple] restaurants are putting something together with tomatoes and mozzarella, only because it’s classic and it’s awesome and it’s summer.”
Blue Bottle Cafe will be offering an appetizer of heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese and basil oil, while The Brothers Moon will be serving appetizers featuring Jersey tomatoes and basil pesto. Dinner items from Entrata include slow roasted pork belly lettuce wraps and petite filet with whipped potatoes and local mushroom ragu.
While each restaurant sets different prices, Philipson said they typically reflect the year, with some three-course lunches costing $20.18.
Kyle said that the week will allow diners to experience the different restaurants Hopewell has to offer and try something they wouldn’t normally eat.
“This week is a way for us to come up with a menu that’s unique and something special and [to] have some fun with,” he said. “Coming up with something that gets people to have a little more interest in that menu and trying something new is why we get excited.”
With the number of restaurants participating during the week, it’s not about which diner goes where, Philipson said, as long as each small business benefits in some way. She also hopes that residents from Hopewell and neighboring areas will be able to discover, or rediscover, the town.
“I hope that this week spotlights our awesome town and community and the phenomenal restaurants that are here and gives people a reason to get out and eat local,” she said.