Last night, Matthew and I attended the kick-off party for Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week. It was a chance to celebrate downtown’s All Stars in both sports and restaurants, as well as get a sneak peek of what’s in store for Restaurant Week. The gorgeous Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade provided an All Star backdrop for the event.

From Slider and Chomps to the Cavs Girls and Cavs Scream Team, there was plenty of major league excitement!

The participating restaurants also brought their All Stars for cooking demos and serving up small bites that gave you a taste of what you can expect from their Restaurant Week menus. Some of our favorite:

Peppercorn duck breast with cherry reduction from Johnny’s Downtown…

…the pot de crème and creative take on “steak and potatoes” from Jack Cleveland Casino…

…the garlic shrimp and paella from Mallorca…

…the Viking Gold Bread Pudding with Mitchell’s pistachio ice cream from Elements Bistro on Euclid…

…the fried chicken and cornbread from Pizza 216…

…and the shrimp and corn bruschetta from Murano.

I was amazed at how many new restaurants there are in Downtown Cleveland, offering even more tasty cuisine in the heart of the city.

Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week starts today (March 1) and runs through March 10. Participating restaurants offer prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus that offer not only a great deal, but a great chance to check out what these restaurants have going on.

You can view the participating restaurants and menus here. Get out and about to explore Downtown Cleveland during Restaurant Week!

***Disclosure: I was asked to help promote Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week Kick-Off. In exchange, I received two complimentary general admission tickets to the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***