Take "Restaurant Week" home with you.

"Restaurant Week" has been a staple of Hampton Roads restaurants for years now, and 2021 is no exception. It's always been a time for eateries to spotlight their chefs, offer tantalizing deals to the public, and promote local business. The event has always been a good opportunity to take advantage of discounts at your favorite hot spots, to check out new places or ones you just haven't been to yet.  

With the nation still dealing with the pandemic, restaurants have had to alter their approach to just about everything. Traditionally, the pre-fix menus (and their discounted prices) are offered for dine-in only. This year, most participating restaurants will be offering the same deals for carryout and many for delivery as well.  

Norfolk

Downtown Norfolk's "Restaurant Week" just started and runs until January 24. Some businesses have changed their hours or added new options to the menu such as lunch or brunch. There are 25 restaurants participating this year, offering a wide variety of styles to tempt pretty much any palette. The deals include $12 lunches, brunches, and two-three course meals priced at $25 or $35. Check out the link to see all of the participating restaurants.

Newport News

Newport News has made even more changes, introducing "Restaurant Awareness Week," which is actually two weeks and will be running until January 23.  The specials vary as much as the styles of food, so check the link for a full list of participants. Most of the Newport News restaurants are also offering their deals for carryout as well.  

Courtesy of Newport-News.org

Additions to the event include contests on their Facebook page to win a $50 gift certificate to one of the participating eateries. Ten qualified entries are drawn randomly both weeks to win one of the gift cards. And in the spirit of ongoing support for local businesses, there will be more contests in the near future.

In an interview with WTKR, Jessica Kliner, with Downtown Norfolk, wanted to remind patrons that "every week is Support Your Restaurant Week," and added that, "many times our restaurants independently decide that they want it to last for two weeks so when that happens we continue to promote what they're doing."

Don't forget Portsmouth and Virginia Beach will be launching their "Restaurant Weeks" soon too. Details to come.

What's your favorite local restaurant? Which deal are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments!