Mountain Brook eateries take part in Birmingham Restaurant Week
The annual celebration is set for Aug. 12-29 with about 70 metro area restaurants taking part
Birmingham, once known only for its heavy industry, has won wide acclaim as a foodie destination over the last decade.
Just in the last few years, the Magic City was named one of the 50 Best Food Towns in America by the Daily Meal, called a Top Tier Location for Drinking and Dining by Wine Enthusiast and named one of Zagat’s 30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America.
In 2018, TV food personality Andrew Zimmern called Birmingham “the hottest small food city in America,” according to Alabama News Center.
In 2020, CNN Travel included Birmingham in its story about surprising foodie cities.
Other national outlets praising the city’s chefs and eateries have included Garden & Gun, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR and Buzzfeed.
But that doesn’t mean that the city’s restaurant owners don’t continue to promote themselves locally, especially during the dog-day summer doldrums of August.
That’s especially true now, given the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant and bar business since March 2020.
Eateries in the area — including those in Mountain Brook — get a big boost each year from Birmingham Restaurant Week.
The 12th annual BRW, a 18-day event, will take place from Thursday, Aug. 12, through Sunday, Aug. 29, according to a news release from organizers.
“Birmingham’s culinary and beverage industry and its residents have been through a year of heartbreak due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Birmingham Restaurant Week 2021 is a bright spot for everyone,” said Bill Stoeffhaas, co-founder of BRW and owner of Style Advertising, one of the organizers of BRW.
BRW patrons can enjoy two-, three- and four-course meals at a prix-fixe price at over 70 participating restaurants, bars and food trucks.
Participating eateries will offer a variety of special breakfast, lunch and dinner prix-fixe menus ranging from $5 to $50 per person.
Both to-go and dine-in options will be offered again this year.
BRW, which began in 2010 with only 30 participating restaurants, helps to stimulate the local economy and boost local attention for the city’s award-winning restaurant scene.
The event helps expose local restaurants to new patrons and promote them to existing customers.
“This 18-day culinary affair provides an opportunity for the public to revisit old favorites or to experience new restaurants while allowing local chefs to showcase delicious recipes that put Birmingham on the foodie road map,” Stoeffhaas said.
The line up for BRW was not finalized at press time, but approximately 70 businesses are expected to participate.
The list of Mountain Brook eateries taking part in the event include Davenport’s Pizza Palace in Mountain Brook Village; Vino & Gallery Bar, located in English Village; Evelyn’s Southern Fare, formerly Bobby Carl’s Table, also in English Village; Basil Pizza & Bar in Crestline; Sol y Luna in Lane Parke; and Crestline Bagel, including its locations in downtown Birmingham and Cahaba Heights.
Vino will also host the limited-capacity Wine-O-logy event, a wine tasting with food and live entertainment on Wednesday, August 18, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Details regarding tickets are to be announced.
Other establishments taking part in BRW include the following: 5 Point Public House Oyster Bar, Bayleaf Modern Indian Cuisine, Bistro 218, Cahaba Brewing Company, Michael’s Restaurant, Ocean, Ovenbird, Rojo, Roots & Revelry, Sabor Latino, Slice Pizza & Brewhouse in Vestavia, Slice Pizza & Brewhouse in Lakeview and Tortugas Homemade Pizza.
The restaurants that participate in the event seem to reap the benefits, according to numbers supplied by the organizers.
During Summer BRW 2020 and Winter BRW 2021 in January, an estimated 130,000 meals were served, generating more than $4 million in total gross revenue to participating restaurants.
During Summer BRW 2020, overall average sales for all participants increased more than 50 percent.
“If you as a restaurant are debating on if this is something you should join, you absolutely should,” said Christie Lowe, owner of Evelyn’s Southern Fare. “Through establishing relationships with sponsors and the helpful guidance from organizers, we had all the resources we needed to succeed in BRW.”
In addition to helping restaurateurs, the event helps the city’s neighborhoods.
”BRW will encourage diners to visit new areas of town to promote vibrancy throughout our city and surrounding communities,” Stoeffhaas said.
In fact, over the last decade or so, restaurants and bars have helped to revitalize areas such as Avondale, Five Points South, Pepper Place in Lakeview and Second Avenue North downtown, according to the BRW website.
The organizers of BRW are also trying to help eateries respond to the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a shortage of labor.
“During the pandemic, many restaurants were able to avoid closing their doors by offering curbside pick-up, to-go and delivery services, but now restaurants are facing labor shortages that are making operating normally challenging,” Stoeffhaas said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 37,000 people employed at restaurants and bars in the Birmingham-Hoover area as of March 2021, down 9.3% from 40,800 a year ago.
BRW plans to add a job posting dashboard on its website, where restaurants can list available openings and information about how to apply, making it easier for interested candidates in the restaurant industry to find jobs
In its 12 years of existence, BRW has also raised more than $75,000 for local nonprofits.
After the 2021 Winter BRW, organizers — along with Tito’s Handmade Vodka — donated $2,500 to the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association’s (ARHA) Hospitality Workers Relief Fund. Created in March 2020, the fund provides emergency assistance to hospitality workers in Alabama affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information about BRW, which is organized by Style Advertising and James Little, go to bhamrestaurantweek.com.