Editor's Notes

A Growing Restaurant Scene Means It's Time to Take the Next Steps

Nick Meyer |

Tucked inside this issue you should find the latest edition of our annual restaurant and bar guide, Eat Scene/Night Out. The keeper guide digs in deep to all the varied options for food and drink across the entire Valley, with all kinds of themed lists to help you find just the right places for your evening outings. Creating Eat Scene each year gives us a great chance to take a step back and notice the trends happening in our area, and right now there’s no doubt our local scene is evolving. Over the last year a true farm-to-table movement has finally hit our region as multiple establishments opened their doors with that exclusive focus for the first time – enough to start a whole new category in the guide. And with new breweries and craft cocktail bars popping up, the nightlife is getting a bit more sophisticated around here as well. Geographically speaking, whole new districts of restaurants/bars are on the way, too, as multiple spots are slated to open in Altoona’s River Prairie in the coming year. There’s never been a better time to tune in to the restaurants of the region and get out there with some friends and family. In fact, with so much growing in the name of local food and new restaurants, we thought it was finally time to declare a celebration of our local establishments with a proper Restaurant Week annual event. A Restaurant Week is a multi-day festival featuring custom menus at great prices across dozens of participating restaurants, as well as special ticketed and free events, fundraisers for community causes, and other fun surprises. We’re working now with local restaurateurs to set dates for the first Chippewa Valley Restaurant Week, and if you’re interested in keeping tabs on it visit ChippewaValleyRestaurantWeek.com to sign up for emails and follow social media. And if you’re a restaurant or sponsor looking to get in on the action, email eat@chippewavalleyrestaurantweek.com for more information. For now, stay tuned as we announce the inaugural Restaurant Week event in the coming months, and get out there to support the growing scene of chefs and entrepreneurs across the Chippewa Valley.