Chicago Restaurant Week 2011

The best week of the year is Restaurant Week. During this time, restaurants can participate and create a 3-5 course prix fix meal at an affordable price starting at lunch at $22 and dinner from $33-$44. The restaurant types can range from the most elegant, pricey to casual and laid back. It's the best opportunity to try restaurants during this time with these prices that are nice to your wallet. The key to a successful week is strategy and make your reservations early bc they fill up quickly. My friends and family were excited to eat and venture out to Chicago food life. The first restaurant we tried was Carnivale, it's cuisine is influenced by South and Central America, the Caribbean, Spain and Asia. This place is huge, two levels of dining and such a colorful place. Dinner started off with a salad or a spicy potato soup, we ordered off the regular menu of ropa vieja with sweet plantains, braised beef, spicy mayo, queso fresco; entree choices of braised pork with rice or a seafood stew and ended with flan and caramel bar, but also ordered this 3 layer ice cream cake bc we just happen to look at the table next to us. Overall, the food was pretty tasty; I have yet to return, but wouldn't exclude this from my list.