By: Tom Benoit Photo by: Rachel Benavides
For the first time ever, the Coastal Bend area is getting its very own Restaurant Week!
“Corpus Christi is home, it’s where I grew up, it’s where family is. After living throughout the United States and abroad, I definitely have an appreciation for my hometown of Corpus Christi,” marketing consultant Mirza Mirely, creator of Coastal Bend Restaurant Week, said.
After living in places such as Dubai, and being on the board for Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality, and Tourism, Mirely said her goal is to make a name for Corpus Christi. “My goal is to really set the Coastal Bend on the map as a gastronomy destination. The talent of culinary artists, the uniqueness in our culture, and the surrounding topography are a beautiful combination. You don’t know what you have until you see it from the outside,” Mirely said.
Restaurant Week offers locals and visitors the opportunity to not only try various restaurants at a fixed-priced menu, but also aims to highlight the local chefs, restaurateurs, and immense culinary talent seen throughout the region.
Mirely said the process of putting [on] Restaurant Week hasn’t been easy. “One of the challenges I faced in putting together Restaurant Week is that our market is very different and much smaller compared to Dallas, Miami, and the likes of New York. Which is even more reason to extend our neighboring towns,” Mirely said.
She continued, “In a traditional restaurant week, you find a multitude of 5-star restaurants. The Coastal Bend is unique in that in its environment we enjoy a more relaxed, coastal setting. We have award-winning chefs re-defining comfort food. Restaurateurs that are fussing their Latin roots with the cool cultural vibe of Corpus.”
The full roundup of participating restaurants was held a secret until the day before the start, “The fun part of revealing participating restaurants is the anticipation,” Mirely said. Menus for all CBRW participating restaurants were revealed Thursday, September 23 at 7 pm and are now available to view online.
Bella Luna, Cruzy’s, Lazy Beach Brewing & Cafe, Sal’s Bronx Pizza, Harrison’s Landing, Lucy’s Snackbar, MUSE Bistro, House of Rock, Sandi’s Diner, Fresco, and a private dinner from The Roughian are just a few of the participating restaurants.
With rising cases, COVID is a priority to Mirely, and she stressed the emphasis on to-go and curbside ordering.
“We are pushing the Curbside/To-Go Menu. Not only is COVID and safe social distancing a concern, but staffing is also an issue. Our restaurants and hospitality industry really suffered and [are] still trying to recover a year later from the closures of last Spring. Now more than ever is the time to stand behind our community, be patient when dining in, and order to go if at all possible,” Mirely said.
Coastal Bend Restaurant Week will be held from September 24 to October 3. “You can expect to see prix fixe 3-course menus for lunch/brunch and dinner, family meals, curbside and to-to options,” Mirely said.
More information regarding Coastal Bend Restaurant Week can be found here.
