Photo by Jon Anderson.
The Whole Scoop ice cream shop in The Village at Brock’s Gap is a part of the Hoover Restaurant Week spotlight.
Hoover’s independent restaurants will take center stage July 17-25 as Hoover Restaurant Week returns for special menus and spotlight events aimed at showcasing the city as a locally rooted culinary destination.
Launched during the pandemic as a way to keep kitchens busy and customers connected through curbside orders, the promotion has since expanded into a citywide celebration expected to feature about 50 locally owned restaurants this year.
“The sole purpose of Restaurant Week is to promote our privately owned independent restaurants in our town and to show that we can be a culinary destination,” said organizer and Enjoy Hoover magazine publisher David Cohen, whose own ice cream shop, The Whole Scoop, is part of the showcase.
Participating eateries are set to include longtime favorites such as Trey Luna, Cookie Fix, Moe’s Barbecue and Silver Coin, along with newer additions to Hoover’s dining scene.
“It’s important because most of these restaurants are owned by local people that have roots in the community, and we all need to support each other,” said Elizabeth Rae Chapman, owner and operator of Cookie Fix at Brock’s Gap.
Chapman said it’s also important to support those local restaurants and eateries after the week.
The food portion of the week will officially kick off July 17 at the Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens in Bluff Park for restaurant owners, sponsors, city leaders and supporters. The event is not open to the public, but WBRC 6 will have coverage, as chefs and restaurateurs talk about what they’re serving and why Hoover’s food scene is worth the trip.
“Hoover Restaurant Week helps to spotlight that and maybe remind people to try something new or try out an old favorite you haven’t been to in a while,” said Andrew Adams, owner and operator of Biscuit Belly. “Bring friends or family, share your experience with others and leave a positive review online.”
In the days leading up to Restaurant Week, organizers will also host a bartender challenge beginning July 14 at Brock’s Gap Brewing Company.
Local bartenders will compete in a high-energy mixology showdown using spirits from Southern Spirits, a Bluff Park-raised distiller, in a contest designed to underscore what Cohen calls the event’s “local, local, local” focus.
Once Restaurant Week begins, diners can visit the event website and Facebook page to see which restaurants are participating and what dishes they’re featuring.
Cohen said the promotion is about visibility, not bargains.
“We do not ask our restaurants to discount,” Cohen said. “We just ask them to feature what they’re most proud of on their menu.”
For Cohen, that pride is what keeps Hoover’s independent restaurants at the heart of the event.
“There’s nothing like a privately owned restaurant,” Cohen said. “The investment of time, energy and reputation is what’s special.”
For more information, visit hooverrestaurantweek.com or search Hoover Restaurant Week on Facebook.
