Chuck and Jen Van Fleet own Vino Grille & Spirits. Chuck became the president of California Restaurant Association's Fresno chapter. Photo contributed.

You may find some new menu items coming out of your favorite restaurant’s kitchen this month.

The California Restaurant Association, coordinated with the Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitor’s Bureau to create the first annual Restaurant Week, Sept. 12-21.

The organizations gathered together 21 restaurants throughout Fresno County to participate in the event, according to Chuck Van Fleet, president of the Fresno chapter of the Restaurant Association.

“We’re just excited as can be that we can pull this off this year,” said Van Fleet, who also owns Vino Grille & Spirits.

Chefs develop special menu items within fixed price points for either lunch or dinner.

 

 

“Everybody is reaching down into their creative juices for ingredients they can showcase,” said Van Fleet.

At Vino, they are offering a three-course meal beginning with duck bruschetta or stuffed figs to prosciutto wrapped chicken, grilled salmon or New York steak and dessert for $30. At Schoolhouse Restaurant & Tavern in Sanger, you can get a three-course meal beginning with ravioli, ahi tuna or iceberg wedge followed by Hawaiian snapper, chicken breast or “dean’s list meatloaf” and ending with dessert for $45. Other restaurants include Sal’s Mexican Restaurant, Trelio and more.

 

 

Lunches run between $10 – $20 and dinners cost either $20, $30 or $40.

This is the first Restaurant Week event by the California Restaurant Association. And while 21 restaurants is a good starting point, Van Fleet wants 40 restaurants for next year.

Van Fleet says they coordinated the week with the California Food Expo, Sept. 8-10. “People get excited around that time,” he said.

Menus for each of the participating restaurants can be found at the California Restaurant Association website.