Olympia Restaurant Week

Thurston County restaurants offer a three-course $25 menu beginning Sunday

By Adrienne Kuehl on April 3, 2013

South Sounders: Get ready to celebrate Thurston County's unique fine dining scene. Following in suit with its neighbors to the north, the inaugural Olympia Restaurant Week is happening April 7-18, Sundays-Thursdays. Ten Thurston County restaurants will be serving up special $25 three-course dinners, with some eateries offering a three-course lunch menu for $15.

Intrigued? You should be. Olympia Restaurant Week is the perfect time to explore new restaurants, support local businesses and best of all, enjoy great food and a night on the town for much less than it would normally cost. Budget-minded diners are able to sample some of the best cuisine the area has to offer.

Participating restaurants include Adesso, Budd Bay Café, Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar, Mercato Ristorante, Oly Rockfish Grill, Pellegrino's Italian Kitchen, Ramblin Jack's, Ricardo's Restaurant, Swing Wine Bar and Cafe and Trago Mexican Kitchen.  

"I'm really excited," says Nicole Butigan, owner of Swing Wine Bar and Cafe. "It highlights what's going on in Olympia. I hope it's something we do every year." Butigan is offering an inviting range of options that suit all diners, including vegetarian and gluten-free items. Start with gorgonzola stuffed mushrooms or Tuscan chicken and bean wraps followed by shitake steelhead or portobello roasted red pepper lasagna.

Carnivores will feel at home at Ricardo's Restaurant, one of the best steakhouses in the area. A three-course dinner would typically range from at least $40-$50 per person. They hope participating in Olympia Restaurant Week will introduce their restaurant to a more broad range of diners. "We're thrilled to share our latest menu with new and loyal customers alike," says Rae Schwanz, Ricardo's employee. "We are passionate about the food we produce here at Ricardo's and the food we have available in the great Northwest." Experience all they have to offer with pancetta prawns, followed by their dry aged filet mignon or veal marsala, and a salted caramel brownie or crème brulee.

Enjoy the Northwest fusion cuisine of husband and wife team Brian Judd and chef Laurie Nguyen of Dockside Bistro. "Our focus is on sustainability, specifically using as many locally sourced and seasonal ingredients as possible," says Judd. "We differ from other local restaurants in that we consistently offer a selection of game such as elk, venison, rabbit, and occasionally wild boar." Though their Olympia Restaurant Week menu is not yet decided, be sure to look for local specialties like these.

If you are looking for a lunch option, check out Trago Mexican Kitchen. "We are a new restaurant in Olympia and many people are not aware that we are here yet," says General Manager Marissa Herrera. What better way to sample their authentic Mexican fare than with a meal of guacamole fresco, a monster wet burrito and tres leches sponge cake. Add a margarita to that, and you might not ever make it back to the office.

Finish your meals on a sweet note with tantalizing dessert options such as a sweet ricotta-filled cannoli from Pelligrino's Italian Kitchen, Mercato's bread pudding or tiramisu from Adesso.

The menu combinations are endless, and each restaurant brings something different to the table. Choose one, or try them all and leave the cooking to someone else for a little while. Just remember, wherever you choose to dine for Olympia Restaurant Week, make reservations, if available. See below for menus and phone numbers. Follow the Olympia Restaurant Week blog for updates. Also visit the Olympia Restaurant Week Facebook and follow @OlympiaRestWeek on Twitter.

Diners can enjoy Olympia Restaurant Week at the following restaurants (*offers lunch option too)

LINK: Fancy Olympia Restaurant Week 2013 Menu Guide

Adesso

109 Legion Way SW, Olympia
360.705.2529
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu

Budd Bay Cafe

525 Columbia St. NW, Olympia
360.357.6963
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar

501 Columbia St. NW, Olympia
360.956.1928
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu (coming soon)

Mercato Ristorante*

111 Market St. NE, Olympia
360.528.3663
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $15 3-Course Lunch Menu
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Oly Rockfish Grill

700 4th Ave. E., Olympia
360.753.5700
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Pellegrino's Italian Kitchen

205 Cleveland Ave. SE, Tumwater
360.709.9020
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Ramblin Jack's*

520 4th Ave. E., Olympia
360.754.8909
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $15 3-Course Lunch Menu
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Ricardo's Restaurant

5211 Lacey Blvd. SE, Lacey
360.413.9995
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Swing Wine Bar and Café

825 Columbia St. SW, Olympia
360.357.9464
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu 

Trago Mexican Kitchen*

625 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Olympia
360.338.0515
Website
Olympia Restaurant Week $15 3-Course Lunch Menu
Olympia Restaurant Week $25 3-Course Dinner Menu