Hudson Valley Restaurant Week a big draw

From barbecue at American Glory to zuppa at Zuppa, the Hudson Valley is luring foodies to the restaurants that have made the region an epicenter of American gastronomy during the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, March 18-21. 
Actually two weeks but who’s counting, this year’s Hudson Valley Restaurant Week includes more than 200 restaurants, bistros, cafes and other eateries, up from 159 last year, a strong sign that the Valley’s restaurateurs are eager to beat the record of 200,000 participating diners in 2011. With $20.95 lunches and $29.95 dinners, this is an unbeatable opportunity for local residents from one end of the Hudson Valley to the other as well as foodies from the New York metropolitan area, Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond to chow down in style – as many styles are there are cuisines, in fact - and at great prices.
The 6th annual edition of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is produced by The Valley Table, The Magazine of Hudson Valley Farms, and Food & Cuisine. This year it is co-chaired by Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Chef Peter Kelly, owner of Xaviars Restaurant Group.  Many of the participating restaurants have chefs from the prestigious CIA.
We know you’ll agree that this is a great story. Aside from their positive contribution to the quality of life in their communities, restaurants are tremendous drivers of economic growth on the local and regional level – they support other local businesses, boost employment and help to attract visitors, who then spend money locally, as well as new businesses. On top of that, Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is just a great chance to eat well and eat often!
Here are some quick facts:
•    Participating restaurants report a 30-50 percent increase in business during Restaurant Week
•    Over 53 percent of diners report first-time visits to participating restaurants
•    80 percent of restaurants feature Hudson Valley products on their menus
•    90 percent of diners, who come from the Hudson Valley, NYC, NJ, CT, MA and PA, say they will return to the area