Tacos top the list of specials at Catmando's Bar & Grille during Restaurant Week in Esky. It is hoped that Restaurant Week this year helps the downtown bounce back from recent fires and closures. (Courtesy photo)

ESCANABA — The focus of Restaurant Week in Escanaba this year is on supporting the remaining food businesses in the downtown following fires and closures in the past two years that have taken their toll on the community.

The promotion began Sunday and continues through Saturday the 28th.

The Escanaba Downtown Development Authority hopes people this year will use Restaurant Week to show they support those restaurants that remain in the downtown, said Executive Director Craig Woerpel.

“Restaurant Week in Esky is an opportunity to reconnect with a favorite restaurant or try a new one,” he said. “And, at time when the community has been dealing with so many setbacks, now is a good time to raise a fork and lift a city.”

Many people were surprised to learn that there were 17 food businesses in the downtown, Woerpel said, but with the loss of three to fire and two to closures, 12 businesses remain.

Curt Spaulding has been serving food at Catmando’s Bar and Grille for about 10 years. Yet, he says he still gets people who didn’t realize that food is served at his bar.

“Absolutely, I still occasionally get, ‘I didn’t know you served food here,'” Spaulding said. “It’s hard for me to understand that of course because we are out in the public so much, especially in the summertime doing our fundraisers for our local community.”

Topping the specials at Catmando’s during Restaurant Week are tacos; three types of tacos are available on Taco Tuesday, and fish tacos are made on Friday. Wednesday, Spaulding is serving wings with turkey sliders on Thursday. Saturday is the ultimate prime rib sandwich.

Spaulding takes pride in what he serves, with patrons frequently highlighting the quality of the food.

“Well, I’ve got numerous years in the business, and my dad taught me to be very passionate in what I do and that what I do is a reflection of me. I want people to understand and be able to taste that and see that in what I do.”

Ludington Grill at 1110 Ludington Street has a new owner and new name since Restaurant Week last year. Sara Papaik said Eleven 10 Bistro is named for the street location.

Transitioning to a new restaurant has been an incredible experience, Papaik said. There have been challenges including menu changes. The menu, she said, is a matter of what inspires her.

“I love a miso sake marinated cod but I also love chicken pot pie. Just a balance of all the things. I have kind of an unpretentious take on food,” Papaik said.

Her favorite on the menu? Papaik paused as she savored her favorite items.

“I would have to say confit beans and the spanakopita,” she finally said. “Both of those items are something that are very dear to my heart. I love to share with my friends and family both of those meals.”

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek pastry, often described as a spinach pie, featuring a crispy, flaky exterior of buttered phyllo dough and a rich filling of spinach, feta cheese, onions and herbs, like dill. It is commonly served as an appetizer like at the Bistro.

Confit beans are cannellini beans slowly cooked in a generous amount of olive oil at low temperatures until tender, creamy, and infused with aromatics like garlic, herbs, and chili. Papaik said it is served with crostini bread.

To participate in Restaurant Week in Esky and support restaurants in the downtown, people may go to escanabadowntown.com for a list of food businesses and notices of what some of them are serving.