Going to Restaurant Week with Saint Joseph’s University Student Union Board has been a tradition that I have followed since my first year here. While the places that I went to and people that I went with have changed, my feelings towards it overall have stayed the same: It is one of the best activities that I have signed up for at St. Joe’s.

Restaurant Week is one of those experiences that you just love so much the first time, you get excited just thinking about the next one. You and your friends always talk about going to the city more, but it can be expensive and sometimes don’t know what to do once you’re there. Philadelphia has these amazing and extravagant restaurants but the prices are not reasonable for a college student’s budget.

Now picture this: a whole week where restaurants give you three or four course meals for as little as $20, and a chance to get into the city. e best part about going with St. Joe’s is that transportation is covered in your ticket cost, as well as tax and tip. So instead of paying upwards of $50 for each of the meals on a night out, you only have to pay a fraction of the cost while still gaining the memories and good times that come along with it.

The restaurant that I went to this year was La Viola West, a small, Italian restaurant on S. 16th Street. La Viola West offers a luxurious and romantic atmosphere with exquisite food. e bread is so so in the middle, yet has the perfect crunch on the outside. e pasta is cooked to perfection, and the menu features a cannoli cake that melts in your mouth with its rich, creamy flavor.

I splurged that night and ate a meal that was not something that I can heat up in the stove or order over the phone. Instead, I was able to enjoy an actual meal while con- versing with my friends at a place none of us had ever been to. If not for Restaurant Week, I probably would have never been to La Viola West, especially since their regular menu is too expensive for my budget.

Restaurant Week only occurs a couple of times a year, which makes sense because it adds to the hype of the experience. is week gives me an opportunity to go to places in the city I might never visit, take chances on food I don’t normally eat, and allows me to have a night out with my friends without breaking the bank. For now, Restaurant Week has come and gone, but when it returns, think about taking a chance on something new.