It’s a big week. Not just because the Sun is in Gemini and we’re seeing the shadow period of the upcoming Mercury retrograde, but because Arizona Restaurant Week is kicking into high gear. Restaurant week is a celebration of food and fun with a convenient, fixed-price menu offered by participating establishments. Diners can nosh on the week’s specials for a set price of $33-$44 per person at participating restaurants around the Valley, just in time for the vaccinated to start venturing out of their homes for the summer.

Did you miss going out to eat this spring? Z’Tejas has taken that into consideration. Their Restaurant Week menu will consist of their most popular spring items for a $33 per person four-course meal. Z’Tejas COO Robby Nethercut is looking forward to rejoining the tradition after a few years away.

“Food is something that brings people together, and where people gather, there is community, family and camaraderie,” Nethercut says. “We are passionate about creating memories for people, and Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to create some memories for others that share our passion.”

This year’s Arizona Restaurant Week also serves as a fresh start for Z’Tejas. “We have worked very hard to rebrand our food, logo, website, and décor to stay up to date and continue to sizzle,” says Nethercut. “We have a beautiful brand new facility opening in Scottsdale that will show the world the new Z.”

This sense of renewal is a common theme this year. Mairead and Steven Buschtetz of the family-owned B Gastrobar in Gilbert are excited to bring a new location into the Restaurant Week fold. B Gastrobar will be offering a special three-course meal for $44 per person.

“This is our first time participating, even though our sister restaurant in Chandler has been participating for several years,” the owners say. “We rebranded our five-year-old restaurant during Covid and so we are hoping that Restaurant Week will help get our name out there and give people a chance to try our delicious homemade food.We closed for six months in 2020. It was a time of reflection, a time to be thankful for having a patient landlord, and a time of change.”

The Ghost Street Asian Taqueria in Scottsdale is has gone through its own transformations over the past year, first by reimagining itself as a take-out only establishment during quarantine, and now incorporating that revised menu into the in-dining experience.

“Ghost Street is a virtual restaurant located within Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill in Scottsdale,” President and CEO E. John Banquil Jr. says. “The concept was launched in September 2020, while restaurants were required to operate at 50% capacity for in-person dining. Since Ling & Louie’s was filling up every day, the only way we were able to increase sales was by increasing take-out and delivery orders.”

He continues, “Since then, we have opened up Ghost Street items for in-person dining within Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill, as a sort of ‘secret menu.’ This gives our guests something new and exciting every time they dine with us.” Ghost Street Asian Taqueria will provide a 3-course meal for just $44 per couple.

Spring is generally the season connected to growth and rebirth, but when the world has spent the last year locked indoors, you learn to improvise. 2021’s Arizona Restaurant Week is more than just good food and good prices. It’s a chance to start over, for both the restaurants and their patrons.

Arizona Restaurant Week runs from May 21 through May 30, 2021. B Gastrobar’s Gilbert location is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. They can also be reached on their website and Instagram. Ghost Street Asian Taqueria is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more information, check out their website and Instagram. Z’Teja’s new Scottsdale location is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Find them on their website and on Instagram.

B Gastrobar: 1422 W Warner Rd.Gilbert, AZ; www.bgastrobar.com // @bgastrobar

Ghost Street Asian Taqueria: 9397 E Shea Blvd. Ste. 125 Scottsdale, AZ; www.ghoststreettacos.com // @ghoststreettacos

Z’Tejas: 10625 N Tatum Blvd. Phoenix, AZ; www.ztejas.com //@eatztejas

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