Organizers of the 15th annual Birmingham Restaurant Week have a handful of new events planned for the culinary showcase, including an art exhibit celebrating one of the Magic City’s most influential chefs. 

“Birmingham Restaurant Week’s goal is to promote locally owned restaurants and provide assistance to them whenever we’re able to,” said Bill Stoeffhaas, co-founder of BRW and co-owner of Style Advertising, the organizer of BRW. “Without our restaurants, the vibrancy of our culinary community will diminish. So we’re making sure that folks in our community know about all of the great new places to eat and even offer them some deals at restaurants they already frequent.”

This will be the first year of BRW to feature an art exhibit. Birmingham native Arden Upton has created a collection of paintings and photographs called Frank’s Table, which honors dishes created by Birmingham culinary icon Frank Stitt. He is the chef and owner of Birmingham restaurants Chez Fonfon and Bottega Restaurant. Upton’s photos will feature dishes from restaurants that started because of Stitt’s influence.

BRW organizers will premier the exhibit at a news conference Monday at City Hall, followed by an event for participating restaurants and sponsors. 

This year’s BRW celebration will include two scavenger hunts, a pop-up market and food truck park as well as the traditional preview party to kick off the event. 

The week also helps fight food insecurity in the region. Over the past 14 years, Birmingham Restaurant Week has donated more than $100,000 to local nonprofits and community organizations.

Organizers of the 10-day event expect dozens of Birmingham-area restaurants, food trucks, bars, coffee shops and caterers to participate. 

Patrons get the opportunity to indulge in two-, three- and four-course meals for a fixed price at dozens of participating restaurants, bars and food trucks across the city.

Diners can search participating restaurants and their offerings on the BRW website. Users can also search and view participating businesses by neighborhood, meal, price point and service.

Additionally, BRW is hosting several events: 

• July 15, 5-8 p.m., Preview Party: Get a sneak peek at the dishes participating restaurants will be serving on their menus. More than 10 restaurants will serve a signature bite alongside drinks from event sponsors. At Haven. Tickets are $35
• July 20, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Sipology: A small-bite and drink-tasting event featuring beverages made with sponsored liquors paired with hors d’oeuvres from local catering companies. At City Walk. Tickets are $35.
• July 26, 2-7 p.m., Food Truck Pop-Up Park and Market: The Green Block at City Walk Bham will be a central spot for BRW participating food trucks to offer meals to the public. This year, BRW is teaming up with The Modern Green Book Marketplace. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to Birmingham Restaurant Week’s event page.