Collingswood Restaurant Week starts Sunday, and what a great week for “foodaholics” like us. Not only are we fans of the food itself, but also the creativity and culture it brings to town. 

For the unfamiliar, Collingswood Restaurant Week models itself after Philadelphia’s Center City version, where participating fooderies create multi-course, prix fixe menus ranging from $25-35 per person.

Restaurant week is a celebration of food: an opportunity for chefs to flaunt their culinary creativity, and diners to experience something special. Although food options may sometimes include items from a restaurant’s regular menu, oftentimes chefs choose to have fun and create limited and exclusive dishes.

For example, Ecuadorian grill El Sitio’s Restaurant Week menu includes special items like mahi mahi topped with Peruvian huancaina seafood sauce, or bicolor lobster ravioli in a creamy white wine sauce. IndeBlue puts a twist on the standard Indian favorite chicken tikka by topping it with a chipotle chili, pineapple chutney, and kidney bean masala. 

When we moved to Collingswood from Philly a few years back, we briefly mourned the loss of instant access to every cuisine imaginable. The city has earned a reputation as a culinary destination, and for good reason.

Luckily for us, the South Jersey food scene is also evolving and on an upward trajectory. Collingswood especially embraces epicurean indulgence with its row of exceptional restaurants. We love Italian food, and Collingswood certainly delivers on that front, but we cherish the range of options here and welcome more (let’s get some Ethiopian and another barbecue joint)!

In our opinion, when restaurants and diners participate in Restaurant Week, they participate in a celebration of food and culture. Whether diners choose Indiya’s tofu rizzla, a “little-known fresh herb and tofu curry from the royal kitchens of Bhopal,” or Nunzio’s wild boar loin over pumpkin gnocchi, they invite diversity—not just in the food, but also the community. That a modern Cuban restaurant like Casona succeeds as well as the traditional Italian Villa Barone shows that our town embraces variety. It’s good for our taste buds as well as our community.

Check out the list of restaurants participating in Collingswood Restaurant Week and make your reservations early. These deals and menus are too good to miss. 

Tortilla Press - 856-869-3345 
Four courses, $29 per person or a la carte 

Villa Barone - 856-858-2999 
Call for menu

IndeBlue - 856-854-4633 
Four courses, $30 per person

That’s Amore - 856-869-5683 
Four courses, $35 per person

El Sitio - 856-240-1217
Three courses, $30 per person

Blackbird - 856-854-3444
Four courses, $35 per person

Sapori - 856-858-2288
Call for menu

The Pop Shop - 856-869-0111
Three courses, $30 for two people

Bistro Di Marino - 856-858-1700
Three courses, $35 per person

Casona - 856-854-5555 
Three courses, $30 per person

Joe Pesce - 856-833-9888
Call for menu

Nunzio's - 856-858-9840
Four courses, $35 per person

Indiya - 856-858-0020
Four courses, $25 per person

Akira - 856-858-1888  
Four courses, $35 per person

Check out the sample menus for Restaurant Week attached to this story for a preview of the dishes coming to Haddon Ave. Found one we haven't? Upload it above.