It's time to fall in love with Downtown all over again! The 2008 Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week will take place July 21-27 and will showcase the Downtown Dining District as a hotbed of culinary activity and diverse dining options. A dynamic partnership between Central Atlanta Progress, The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Brand Atlanta and Bank of America, DARW will again be one of the most anticipated food events of the year and welcome a handful of new hot spots that opened this year.

“With the great restaurants that Downtown has always boasted and the new ones that have opened this year, the 2008 Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week will truly give Atlantans the chance to ‘savor the city,’” says Bank of America Senior Vice President of Market Development Shirley Mitchell. “From the signature cocktail to each restaurant’s special menu selections, this week-long event is one of the best culinary experiences the city has to offer and we proud to be a part of it.”

The National Blacks Arts Festival is also taking place in and around Downtown during DARW, which has struck up a friendly partnership between the two big city happenings. Patrons of each event will be encouraged to experience the other, and with all that the area has to offer during this week, it’s the perfect time for a “vacation within your own city.”

A number of this year’s participating restaurants are in some of Downtown’s finest hotels, creating the ideal opportunity to explore all that the area has to offer by day, enjoy a fabulous three-course dinner with family and/or friends in the evening, and then stay the night.

For one week only, the following restaurants will offer three-course meals for $25, including an appetizer, entrée and dessert: Avanzare Steakhouse, Azio Restaurant, City Grill, Dailey’s Restaurant, Durango Steakhouse, E Street Grille, Fandangles, French American Brasserie, Grille at 590, Hsu’s Gourmet, Luckie Food Lounge, Max Lager’s American Grill & Brewery, Maxim Prime, No Mas! Cantina, Pacific Rim Bistro, Peasant Bistro, Pittypat’s Porch, Prime Meridian, Ray’s in the City, Room, Sear, Spoon Thai Café & Lounge, Stats, Thrive, Trader Vic’s and Tringali’s. Many restaurants will take the opportunity to highlight signature dishes from their regular menus, while some may create specialty dishes (that still reflect the restaurant’s quality and style) for the occasion. In addition, each restaurant will suggest the DARW signature cocktail and/or offer optional wine pairings for the courses.