Chefs and restaurants are joining forces to present the first RestaurantWeekME this winter. Dates for the 2009 event are Sunday, March 1 through Tuesday, March 10. Restaurant registration forms are now available online at www.restaurantweekme.com, under the "restaurant resources" link, or by calling (207) 775-2126 ext. 122.

The preliminary list of participating restaurants includes Fore Street, Back Bay Grill, Hugo's, Eve's, The Front Room, Vignola, The Grill Room, Bar Lola, Bull Feeney's, Inn on Peak's Island, Bresca and Cinque Terre. More names are being added to this list everyday.

Modeled after similar events in food-conscious cities around the country including New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles and many more, a Restaurant Week event is a perfect fit for our market. Already a "foodie" destination due to the quality of our restaurants as well as sell-out epicurean events such as Harvest on the Harbor, Maine Fare, Taste of the Nation and more, the creation of RestaurantWeekME™ is timely.

During RestaurantWeekME™ chefs will showcase their specialties on specially priced, prix fixe menus. The event was created to give diners an affordable,accessible reason to spend an entire week eating at area restaurants, during winter. Foodies and curious diners are invited to take advantage of RestaurantWeekME™ by sampling new restaurants and visiting old favorites.

Chefs participating in the event will be serving specially priced, three-course meals priced at $20.09, $30.09 or $40.09 depending on the restaurant. Pricing is per person and excludes beverage, tax and gratuity. In addition to prix fixe menus all around town, a variety of culinary events are planned as part of RestaurantWeekME including tastings, tours, book signings, competitions, cooking demos and guest chefs.

To sign up to receive RestaurantWeekME news and announcements via email, visit www.restaurantweekme.com/join_list.htm.

Confirmed 2009 event sponsors include VineOne/Constellation Wines, Shipyard Brewing Co., Citadel Broadcasting, Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, and Portland Downtown District. For more information regarding RestaurantWeekME contact Jim Britt, gBritt PR, at (207) 775-2126 ext. 122 or jim@gbritt.com.