The Restaurant Week promotion planned for Eurest B&I cafés this spring will feature Value Bowls—mini tastings of globally inspired foods.
“Every city in America has a Restaurant Week, during which all the top restaurants do a special menu,” says Christopher Ivens-Brown, vice president of culinary development and executive chef of Eurest, based in Charlotte, N.C., a division of Compass Group North America. “We continue to be innovative in the deli and grill and salad bars, but people want a change sometimes. So we thought we would jump on the whole Restaurant Week idea and give them value as well as great food.”
The promo will follow in the footsteps of a successful Eurest tapas program inspired by the foods of Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean, but with influences extending to India, the Middle East, Asia and American regions. Individual bowls will be priced from $1.00 to $2.99 apiece.
“Imagine walking into a café in New Orleans or New York City and tasting a small amount of deconstructed seafood chowder,” says Ivens-Brown. “Or you are in Southern California and you get a really nice small piece of pan-seared whitefish with a little couscous or a miniature Caesar salad. A chef can do just about anything in a small bowl.”
Small bowls also promise to make catering trendier and more exciting. “Instead of putting food into chafing dishes, we can put out a whole array of little bowls,” says Ivens-Brown. “That’s a great way to add value for the consumer.”
Menu Sampler: Eurest
Value Bowls/Small Plates
- Eastern Carolina BBQ Turkey Sandwich with Sweet Roasted Peach Slaw
- Za’tar Greek Salad with Chicken
- Baja Cod Tacos with Avocado Cream and Slaw
- Grilled Chili Lime Corn on a Stick
- Mongolian Beef with Oyster Sauce
- Steak Coconut Curry
Price range: $1.00/$1.59/$2.59/$2.99