For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2009 

Cookie and Gourmet Launch First-Ever Kids' Restaurant Week in Washington, DC
Top Restaurants in DC to Participate in New Promotion Sponsored by Destination DC and Pure Via

NEW YORK CITY, May 2009—Two Condé Nast publications—Cookie, the lifestyle magazine for the modern mom, and Gourmet, the magazine of good living—jointly announced that they will unveil the first-ever Kids’ Restaurant Week in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the joys of eating out as a family. Destination DC, the official convention and tourism corporation for the nation’s capital, and Pure Via, the all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener, sponsor this inaugural Kids’ Restaurant Week.

Carolyn Kremins, VP/publisher of Cookie, says, “Meals are an important time for families to spend together, and we are thrilled to be able to offer them this unique experience.”

From June 13 through June 21, families with young children will have the opportunity to enjoy fine family dining at some of the best restaurants in Washington D.C., including Art & Soul, Asia Nine, Beacon Street Bar & Grill, Café du Parc, Firefly, Juniper at the Fairmont, Mie N Yu, M Street Bar & Grill, Palette at Loews, The Hay-Adams and Zola. “This program is a great opportunity for children to have fun trying new foods while learning to make healthy choices that will last a lifetime,” says Nancy Berger Cardone, VP/Publisher of Gourmet.

Throughout the week, participating restaurants will offer special discounts and fixed-price menus with dinner seating from 5 P.M to 7 P.M.  Kids 11 and under will pay their age, while adults and children 12 and over will pay $29.00 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Eastern Market and Miriam’s Kitchen.  Kids’ Restaurant Week festivities kick off with the national launch event on June 13 at Eastern Market, on Capitol Hill neighborhood. The event, from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M., will feature cooking demonstrations, as well as food tastings with top chefs from other participating restaurants and culinary activities for kids. 

For information on reservations and details on participating restaurants log on to kidsrestaurantweek.com. In addition families will also be able to make reservations online at Open Table (opentable.com) with the restaurants registered with the site.

 “Kids’ Restaurant Week gives parents a chance to enjoy a fun family night out while their children learn more about the food they’re eating and where it comes from,” said Victoria Isley, Sr. VP, marketing and communications, Destination DC. “We’re excited to work with two great titles like Cookie and Gourmet to bring this program to Washington, DC and to give local families a chance to celebrate the end of the school year.”

Cookie is a family lifestyle magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, tailored to the sensibilities of parents with young children. Catering to a mom with a contemporary lifestyle, it covers fashion, travel, food, health and nutrition, home, and beauty in a modern way, giving moms permission to retain their “premotherhood” sense of style and adventure.  www.cookiemag.com

Gourmet, the magazine of good living, celebrates the pleasures of dining, entertaining, and travel with an affluent and active audience of more than 5.8 million passionate readers each month. Gourmet is first to identify and report on America’s changing epicurean landscape that will influence the way we eat, drink, and travel tomorrow. Gourmet presents authentic and unique experiences from around the globe, ranging from the everyday to the extraordinary, through award-winning journalism and photography by acclaimed writers and photographers. www.gourmet.com

Destination DC serves as the lead organization to successfully manage and market Washington, DC as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination, with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historical communities.  By developing and executing centralized and cohesive sales and marketing strategies, Destination DC generates economic development for the city through tourism and meetings.  For more information, please visit www.destinationdc.com.  

Contact:
Cherie Gallarello
Cookie
212-286-3809
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jennifer Petrisko
Gourmet
212-286-6523
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Rebecca Pawlowski
Destination DC
202-789-7099
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it