Haverhill’s Fifth Annual Restaurant Week will again be bookended by a sold-out, under the stars eating event and a capstone awards night.
In between, more than a dozen local dining establishments are celebrating the year with appropriately priced $20.22 specials. The kickoff is L’Arche Boston North’s Longest Table Thursday, Aug. 18, on the Rep. Brian S. Dempsey Boardwalk. Haverhill Chamber President and CEO Alex Eberhardt said Restaurant Week kicks off in earnest the next day.
“Every single restaurant chooses some items on the menu or some special discounted item where they kind of put those together. It could be something as simple as choose an appetizer and an entrée for $20.22 so you are essentially getting money off to kind of come in and try new items. Or, they may have some special drink items they are bringing to the menu or they could do a special couple’s night out meal where then it could be $20.22 a person, so $40.44,” she said.
L’Arche Boston North Executive Director Jennifer Matthews said Longest Table tickets sold out in about 30 minutes. Eberhardt, a recent guest on WHAV’s morning program, said 15 restaurants are participating starting Friday, Aug. 19.
Restaurants include Peddler’s Daughter, 110 Grill, Barking Dog Ale House, Casa Blanca, G’s Texas Southern Flare, Bradford Brew House, Carbone’s Kitchen, Joseph’s Trattoria Bakery and Café, Krueger Flatbread & Olivia’s, Tawa Tandoor, Stacks, The Tap, Triana’s Real Mexican Food, Keon’s and River Street Café.
There are additional events, including one for Thursday, Aug. 25.
“We’re also doing special events this year. We’re bringing back the Tasty Award at the end of the week to really honor those restaurants and get customers who are coming from all over to go to those restaurants during Restaurant Week when they have their special. Every single participating restaurant this year will have a $20.22 cent special as an ode to the year 2022, in addition to other things they are doing as well. But every single one will have that special on the table,” said Eberhardt.
Diners will vote for Tasty Awards in such categories as Most Amazing Restaurant Owner, Best Chef, Best Vibe, Best Barista, Most Memorable Staff Personality, Favorite Bartender, Favorite Regular also known as “Bar Stool Hero,” Best Pizza Spinner, Tastiest Dessert, Around the World—Favorite Cultural Cuisine, Customer Choice—Restaurant and Customer Choice—Personality.
The Tasty Awards take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m., at Barking Dog Ale House, 77 Washington St., Haverhill, with a $20 admission, available at crafthaverhill.com.
Besides WHAV.net, WHAV’s “Merrimack Valley Newsmakers” podcasts are available via Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, TuneIn and Alexa.