Restaurant Week to aid Three Square food bank

Since 2007, Restaurant Week has brought in nearly $1 million to Three Square food bank. This year, the event that brings foodies together to help feed the hungry is shifting from two weeklong events in the spring and fall to one 12-day event in the summer.

“We really want to maximize participation, so we’re doing the one event this year, and it’s from June 15 to 26,” said Elizabeth Blau, chairwoman of Three Square’s Culinary Council. “Some of the years before coincided with busy times in the city, so we picked the time of the year that’s generally a little slower.”

The change allows organizers to extend the event while reducing the expense and effort of getting the word out about it.

“There have been some years where people have told us that they really wanted to participate, but by the time they realized it was happening, it was over,” said Blau, who with her husband, Kim Canteenwalla, owns and operates five restaurants in the valley, including Andiron Steak & Sea, 1720 Festival Plaza Drive in Downtown Summerlin, and Buddy V Ristorante in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd. South. “Each meal purchased as part of restaurant week brings Three Square $4 to $6. That $6 equates to 18 meals for the hungry, and that’s why my husband and I are such ardent supporters of Three Square.”

The participating restaurants and lunch and dinner menus are available at helpoutdineoutlv.org.

The funds raised go to Three Square’s outreach efforts, including mobile pantries and after-school enrichment, including the Backpack for Kids program and the Kids Cafe summer food service program.

“Restaurant Week is great for Three Square, and 100 percent of the proceeds collected go back into our programs,” said Paula Pettit, senior director of marketing and communications for the nonprofit. “It’s also great for the people who get to enjoy the special meals created for the event at a price point lower than would otherwise be available.”

More than 100 restaurants are set to participate in the event. The chefs create multi-course meals, which are available at $20.15, $30.15 or $50.15.

“It gives the chef a chance to get a little creative,” Blau said. “For example, at Andiron, we have the Caesar and shrimp cocktail, but there’s also the roasted corn soup and the ribeye cap, which has been the runaway favorite along with our Ashley’s creme brulee doughnuts.”

The restaurants don’t just participate at their venues. Many restaurant staff members also make it a point to volunteer at Three Square.

“They feel like it’s part of their mission to come out and volunteer together,” Pettit said. “They’ll come out to pack meals for the Kids Cafe or our backpacks or sort food that we can get out to our agency partners.”

Three Square works with about 1,300 community partners to distribute food to the hungry. The groups include nonprofits, faith-based organizations, schools, government agencies and any organization that is trying to feed the hungry in Southern Nevada. Blau is seeking to get that sort of wide participation from her fellow restaurateurs.

“I’ve been pushing to get more restaurants because it’s really a communitywide event,” Blau said. “We’re so fortunate to be in a business where there’s ample food and people are coming to indulge and enjoy, but we can’t forget that there are children, seniors and a lot of people at risk who are not able to put meals together in our community.”

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.