Baker and Able Rooftop Bar at 106 Jefferson hosted a kick-off for Huntsville Culinary Month and Restaurant Week at 2 p.m. on August 1.

The objective of Huntsville Culinary Month and Restaurant Week is to highlight the Huntsville dining scene. Restaurant Week in particular is being called the event’s “main course”.

From August 11-20, participating restaurants will offer limited-time discounts. The Rocket City Delivered app will waive its delivery fee for participating restaurants with the code HRW2023. Each of the participating 87 restaurants have been asked to create specials offered exclusively during Huntsville Culinary Month.

Huntsville Culinary Week is also a qualifying event for the World Food Championship, which means one participating chef and their team will represent Huntsville’s dining scene in Dallas later this year.

Throughout the month of August, there will be weekly-recurring and date-specific events aiming to share Huntsville beverage, dining and culture with a special focus on showing the talent behind the Huntsville dining scene.

The kick-off included a pre-recorded video featuring Kristen Caroselli, Executive Chef of Poppy and Parliament, an upscale English, Irish, and Mediterranean restaurant in downtown.

“I had a four year fantastic culinary degree. I studied in France. I studied under some insane chefs. The customer reaction is what’s exciting to me. This is why we do this. Front of the house staff, back of the house staff, people are really proud to serve the food that we’re serving. Fifteen hours went into this dish, and you know exactly why the product is the way it is,” Caroselli said.

The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau will be releasing similar videos featuring other participating restaurants and chefs throughout the month.

Jason Reynolds, Executive Chef of Revivalist, provided refreshments at the kick-off event, taking pride in his seasonal bruschetta selections.

“It’s really been warm outside, so I thought about doing some different bruschettas: one is with a tomato and, strawberry salad … another one is with Cambozola cheese, which is blue cheese as you know, and I sugared some orange peel. And another one is with just really great heirloom peppers with some Great Goods goat cheese,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds’ excitement for Culinary Month and dining was clear, as he introduced himself only after naming each dish featured at the event as well as those that will be offered at Revivalist for Culinary Month.

The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau launched Restaurant Week in 2012, making this its eleventh year. Following the success of Restaurant Week, CVB established Culinary Month last August.

For more information and a complete list of events, please visit www.huntsville.org/events/restaurant-week/special-events.