Long Beach Restaurant Week kicks off April 25

L.B. Chamber of Commerce to hold three street fairs this year

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The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce will kick off its annual Restaurant Week on April 25, an event that runs through May 10.

The event will coincide with the first of the chamber’s three planned street fairs this year; the first event is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, and will feature vendors, food stands, carnival rides, music and a petting zoo. The event will also feature food trucks.

“We’re going to have the first of our three street fairs, and we’re going to be driving visitors into the community, the idea being that they stay all day and have lunch or dinner in town,” said Mark Tannenbaum, the chamber’s executive vice president. “That first weekend in May, people want to get out.”

The street fairs will again be held on the vacant Superblock property on Shore Road, between Long Beach Road and Riverside Boulevard. Additional street fairs are planned for July 19 and 20, and Sept. 6 and 7, the latter aimed at attracting visitors to town after the summer season officially ends.

Last year, the chamber organized two large street fairs, one in July and another in September, in an effort to attract visitors to the city and help local businesses that are still reeling after Hurricane Sandy.

“We’ve grown it bigger,” Tannenbaum said. “This year, we’re adding in all the rides and a petting zoo. Last year, a lot of the restaurants and all the food trucks told us that the best two weekends of the summer were during our two street fairs.”

Additionally, Restaurant Week, which the chamber organizes twice a year, is also aimed at helping businesses, especially after what many described as a tough winter. More than 20 participating restaurants across the barrier island and in Island Park, ranging from American and Asian to Latin and Italian cuisine, are offering prix fixe menus of $19.99 and under, and some are featuring entertainment.

“This was a very tough winter, especially in the West End — a lot of the stores were opened only three or four days a week — and 20 to 25 percent of the people there are still out of their homes,” Tannenbaum said. “They need a successful spring and summer, and we’re doing everything we can to drive tourists and visitors into Long Beach and Island Park, and we’re working on some winter events as well.”

Below is a list of a participating restaurants. For more information about the street fairs and Restaurant Week, visit www.thelongbeachchamber.com.

DaVinci's

Swingbelly's BBQ

Nagahama,

Corazon de Cuba

Minnesota's Grill & Bar

Geri's

East End Cafe

The Beach House

Fisherman's Catch

The Inn

The Cabana

Villaggio

Sugo's

Gino's Pizzeria & Restaurant

Atlantica

Jetty Bar & Grill

Long Beach Hotel

The Saloon

Chaba Thai

JoJo Apples

The Park Sports Bar & Grill

Lola's