Over 35 restaurants to offer $7 dishes for Lansing Restaurant Week. What you need to know

Niko's Taverna, a Greek-inspired gastro-pub sports bar in Williamston, opened its doors about a year ago.

Keith Buchele, general manager for owner Gavrilides Management, said the restaurant is "a relatively new player in the Lansing area restaurant game," so the decision to be part of the first-annual Lansing Restaurant Week made sense, he said.

"We really want people to know that we're there," Buchele said.

Beginning Friday, Niko's Taverna is one of 36 area restaurants offering a dish on its menu for $7. The week-long effort, a partnership between Facebook group Lansing Foodies, nonprofit Lansing 5:01, WLNS TV-6 and Lansing City Pulse, encourages residents to explore the area's food scene.

It runs through May 17, said Erin Brains, a Lansing Foodies founder, concluding on 517 Day.

"We intentionally did that because it's kind of a celebration of the food of Lansing leading up to the celebration of Lansing area," she said. "It's a great opportunity for people to take kind of a self-guided tour through all the different types of food that Lansing has to offer without breaking the bank."

Here's what you need to know about the first annual event.

Which Lansing area restaurants are participating?

There's plenty of variety within the pool of nearly 40 restaurants offering a $7 dish throughout the week, both in price point, flavors and location. The restaurants are throughout the tri-county area, including Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Eaton Rapids and DeWitt.

Upscale restaurant Toscana Kitchen & Wine Market, located in the Red Cedar development off Michigan Avenue, is in the mix. So is The English Inn near Eaton Rapids. Social Sloth Cafe and Catering, a Turkish cafe and bakery in Okemos is participating, along with Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine and Bar in East Lansing.

For a full list visit bit.ly/LansingRestaurantWeek.

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What types of dishes are being offered for $7?

Every restaurant taking part is offering its own $7 dish through 517 Day. Among them are appetizers, main dishes and desserts. Here's a look at five of them:

• Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine and Bar, at 1312 E. Michigan Ave., "Garlic Lentils or Mild Yellow Peas."

• Eaton Rapids Craft Company, at 204 N. Main St. in Eaton Rapids, "Mini Bo Da Ga Tots," described as "Tater tots, topped with cheese curds, our homemade cheese sauce, our (mix) of smoked brisket, pork belly, bacon with sautéed peppers/onions, our white bbq sauce, fried egg, and flaming hot cheese dust."

• Hooked, at 3142 E. Michigan Ave., "Hot Mess," a "sandwich with salami, banana peppers, cheese & hot honey."

• Kin Thai, inside Lansing Shuffle at 325 Riverfront Drive, "Crab Rangoon Nachos," which the eatery describes as "Crispy fried wonton chips with melted cheese sauce, sweet chili and shredded crab top it all off."

• Toscana Kitchen & Wine Market, 3170 E. Michigan Ave., "Toscana Pasta Trio," described as "a trio of hand-rolled pastas and accompanying sauces..."

How can I participate?

Just visit any of the 36 restaurants participating between Friday and May 17 to order the dish each offers. Although some of the restaurants are providing the promotion to take-out or to-go customers, Brains recommends dining in if you can.

Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing Restaurant Week. 35 restaurants offering $7 dishes. What you need to know