By Jeff Sherman OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer Published Mar 05, 2009 at 10:15 AM

My challenge for the week, fellow Milwaukeeans, is to dine out at least twice. Why? Well, the answer is easy -- we need to support our restaurants. Local, national, regional, I don't care. I just want you to dine out more often.

Please know that no one put me up to this blog. But, I was inspired by the release of the new Downtown Dining Week information. You'll have to wait a while for this big event, but it's sure to another big hit. OnMilwaukee.com, of course, is a proud sponsor and an original partner in the event. Here are the details:

From May 28 to June 4, 30 Downtown restaurants will offer a special menu of three-course meals at $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner. Beverages, tax and gratuity are not included. No passes, coupons or cards are required to participate.

Since the event's inception in 2006, Downtown Dining Week has attracted over 100,000 diners to participating restaurants -- many to experience a restaurant for the first time. Last year, more than 45,000 diners participated in the weeklong event with 63 percent reporting a first-time visit to a participating restaurant. We'll announce restaurants and menus later this month.

Meanwhile, I ask that you dine out this weekend or next week. Just skip the brown bag, and do your little part to stimulate Milwaukee's great dining scene.

Jeff Sherman OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer

A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.

He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.

Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.  He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.  

He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.

He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.