10 Things You Should Eat/Drink During Huntsville, AL Restaurant Week 2018

August marks the seventh year that eateries throughout Madison County, Alabama have participated in Huntsville Restaurant Week, a 10-day celebration of the fast-growing Alabama city's local cuisine. Located a mere hop, skip, and a jump (see also: just less than 2 hours) south down I-65 from Music City, Huntsville, Alabama is a small town escape from the weekend hassles (read: Bachelorette parties) that Nashville now brings.


Over 55 restaurants participate in the annual event, (this year it takes place from August 10-19, 2018) offering special menu items at fixed prices for lunch and/or dinner. Each restaurant hopes to showcase their own unique specialties and local flavor, attracting locals and out-of-towners to dine around Rocket City, USA.

Alabama's Restaurant Week and Huntsville's Restaurant Week overlap, so you could technically make a whole thing of this and dine your way across the entire state. Go north to south and end up on the beach, relaxing (#sweethomealabama, #summerbod, and #noregrets).

Want to live like a food blogger? Use the hashtag #DineHsv when posting about a Huntsville restaurant meal on social media that week, and be entered to win gift cards to local restaurants plus other HSV prizes.

Pro tip? Book your meals now through OpenTable, the official online restaurant reservation provider for Huntsville Restaurant Week.

And now, I leave you drooling with 10 things you should eat/drink during Huntsville Restaurant Week 2018:

1. Chicken Paillard with poached egg and grilled local peaches, bacon lardon, plus Cotton Row's hot sauce at James Boyce's Cotton Row Restaurant (lunch menu for restaurant week)





















2. Peanut butter and jelly in phyllo dessert, also from Cotton Row Restaurant, gets major Dining with Delia Jo bonus points. I don't care if it's not on the restaurant week menu; it's possibly my favorite dessert of all time and you're having it. (Sorry, not sorry.) Strawberry compote, chocolate ice cream, salty peanuts, and marshmallow fluff - this baby is literally all of my favorite things (sans queso, thank goodness) spun into one stunning, unforgettable dessert.



3. Royal Rose Diner's Seafood Crepes: Shrimp, scallops, halibut, and salmon wrapped in homemade crepes, topped in creamy lobster sauce (dinner menu)

4. Nick's Ristorante: Chef Tom's Rotolo Carne di Maiale: pork roulade filled with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, pine nuts, and Mozzarella, topped with a balsamic glaze. For dessert? Order gelato or the peanut butter baked Alaska (yes, I like peanut butter desserts. Leave me alone, they're fantastic.)

5. Purveyor's Ahi tuna poke tacos, scallop and shrimp pasta, or duck meatballs

6. Rollin' Lobstah: (dinner menu) Bangin' shrimp: lightly fried shrimp tossed in sweet chili sauce over a bed of slaw, Connecticut or Maine roll, plus brownie cheesecake

7. Peanut Butter Mocha at Honest Coffee: the house-made beverage combines peanut butter, honey, condensed milk, and mocha sauce

8. Beignet Cafe's Praline French Toast: NOLA-style praline sauce served over three thick slices of French bread, dipped in French toast batter and grilled to perfection. Don't miss the beignets, either, kids, or the coffee.

9. Louisiana seafood gumbo at Ruth's Chris Huntsville

10. Shepherds Pie from Keegan's Public House (lunch menu).  Save room for Krispy Kreme bread pudding for dessert.

*My Huntsville trip was hosted by the CVB, but as always, all thoughts shared remain my own.