Northern Taphouse, one of nearly 50 restaurants participating in Chippewa Valley Restaurant Week this year.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your palates! Thursday, Sept. 20, is the kickoff of Volume One’s second annual Chippewa Valley Restaurant Week, brought to you in partnership with Time Federal Savings Bank. The First Taste Culinary Crawl at River Prairie Center in Altoona is the launching point for 10 days of events, activities, and good eats at nearly 50 participating restaurants. And the food-related fun continues into November with a contest to win a trip to Mexico!

Here’s what you need to know: Restaurant Week starts with an exclusive chance to taste-test food and sample beer from 12 local restaurants and six breweries. First Taste features live jazz, nearly a full meal’s worth of treats, two cash bars with a selection of beer and wine, and the chance to try three signature Restaurant Week cocktails all at the indoor-outdoor River Prairie Park and Center. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Community Table, a nonprofit that provides meals to Chippewa Valley residents every day of the year.

It’s a grand start to a grand week of food-focused festivities, including an Autumn Valley Vino Tour; a Bikes, Bridges, and Brews social bike ride; Local Restaurant Trivia; a Fall Farm and Food Tour; and a beer dinner with Leinenkugel’s. Find even more tasty events at chippewavalleyrestaurantweek.com.

If that’s not enough, whip out your Restaurant Week dining guide – wait, you don’t have a dining guide? That’s a-OK. Find a copy of the Sept. 5 issue of Volume One or grab one at our headquarters at 205 N Dewey St. It’s got even more event details and a full guide to the great specials and limited-run menu items that dozens of restaurants, distilleries, and breweries are offering during Restaurant Week. Visit 10 participating locations for a meal between Sept. 20 and Nov. 14 and fill out your Restaurant Week passport (which you can only get at participating restaurants Sept. 20-30) for a chance to win that trip to Mexico.

Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to enjoy old favorites and explore new menus in Eau Claire, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, and everywhere in between. We’ll see you out there!