Punda Tibetan (Photo: Sunnyside Shines)
April 5, 2021 By Christina Santucci
Sunnyside Shines is holding its annual Restaurant Week later this month—the first time it will be held in spring.
More than 40 restaurants are slated to participate in the event, scheduled to take place April 14 through April 20. As part of Sunnyside Restaurant Week, each business will offer a three-course dinner menu for $28, and some are also dishing up lunch specials.
Sunnyside Shines markets the event as an opportunity to sample cuisine from around the world. “Try everything from Paraguayan to Italian, Colombian to Japanese and Irish to Tibetan,” a listing for the event states.
Riko Peruvian Restaurant, Punda Tibetan Restaurant, SoleLuna, Cardamom Indian Cuisine, The Lowery Bar & Grill, Bar 43 & Grill, Dazies Restaurant, Takesushi, Sotto le Stelle and Bliss 46 Bistro are among the participating businesses.
Many of the eateries will also offer the Restaurant Week specials for takeout and delivery–in addition to outdoor and indoor dining. For more information about participating eateries, visit Sunnyside Shines’ website.
The site also specifies those restaurants that are able to accept takeout and delivery orders themselves. Sunnyside Shines is urging the public to avoid using third-party delivery apps whenever possible, since they charge businesses high fees.
“We are happy to see that consumer awareness has grown of the detrimental effects of the big apps on our local businesses, and encourage diners to order their meals directly through the restaurant,” said Jaime-Faye Bean, executive director for Sunnyside Shines.
Sunnyside Shines, which has put on the event for eight years, has typically organized Sunnyside Restaurant Week in the fall. It is considering holding the event twice next year—once in spring and another in fall.
However, this year the organization is tentatively planning to hold its annual Taste of Sunnyside in the fall. That event usually takes place in spring.
Bean notes the importance of this year’s Sunnyside Restaurant Week, given the financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 shutdowns.
“Many of our businesses have received very little in the way of direct aid during this pandemic, though we continue to wait on the state to provide opportunities in this year’s budget,” Bean said.
“We have to give the Sunnyside community credit for being so incredibly supportive and passionate about supporting our local businesses, and we look forward to showing our appreciation through this great event,” she added.
Sunnyside Shines is also continuing its partnership with the local community group ‘25 for Sunnyside and Woodside,’ which was established during the pandemic to promote local bars and restaurants
The group is producing a series of short videos that will take viewers on a tour of select Restaurant Week participating establishments. The video will feature local resident Ty Sullivan as a tour guide.
Featured businesses will include Bliss 46 Bistro, Bolivian Llama Party, Claret Wine Bar, Dazies, and Tito Rad’s. Videos will be released via Sunnyside Shines Facebook page as well as through the 25 for Sunnyside and Woodside Facebook group.
Sunnyside Shines will be holding online contests during Restaurant Week that will include a $250 gift certificate to the participating restaurant of choice. Diners are encouraged to follow Sunnyside Shines on Facebook and Instagram (@sunnysideshines).
Photo: Sunnyside Shines
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One Comment
What a great way to celebrate Spring, now that NYC restaurants are open for indoor dinning at fifty percent capacity. As more and more of us receive our COVID-19 vaccines, it is now easier and safer to patronize our neighborhood restaurants.
My wife and I don’t mind paying a little more to help our favorite restaurants survive. Don’t forget your cook and server. We try to tip 20 to 25 percent against the total bill including taxes. If it is an odd amount, we round up to the next dollar.
Let’s hope many of the over one hundred thousand NYC residents whose livelihood depends on restaurants will be rehired. This includes bar tenders, waiters, bus boys, cooks and cashiers. Wholesale food sellers, distributors and linen suppliers are also effected along with construction contractors and their employees, who renovate or build new restaurants.
Our entrepreneurs who have been lucky enough to remain open continue to work long hours, pay taxes and provide local employment opportunities. If we don’t resume patronizing these establishments, they don’t eat either.
Larry Penner