Huntsville is becoming Alabama's restaurant proving ground

Huntsville has been blessed with dozens of new restaurants over the last 18 months, and 2009 shows little sign of slowing down. Even over months of financial meltdown across other areas, Huntsville has added dozens of innovative independent and chain restaurants. Some may be struggling, but confidence remains strong. Names of some of the recent additions are Mezza Luna, Grille 29, The Angus Steakhouse, Bistro de Ville, Dolce, Ketchup, Connor's Steaks & Seafood and Cotton Row Restaurant. They span from far South Huntsville to downtown and the new Bridge Street Town Centre and Providence planned development.

I've watched Huntsville's sprawl over the last 30-plus years, and it has been truly exciting. I moved into an apartment that was at the time on the western edge of town looking out over cotton fields and a lazy U.S. 72 heading west into the country. Now that same road is bounded by restaurants and hotels for five miles beyond, where another hotbed city called Madison begins.

I began working for The Huntsville Times in 1977, when the hottest restaurants were on Memorial Parkway. They were called Boots, The Elegant, Dwarf Restaurant, Cafe Palaka, El Palacio, Jade Pagoda, to name a few. Univeristy Drive was being transformed into the new restaurant row at the time with Cork 'n' Cleaver, El Chico and The Fogcutter. Many more were to open there soon.

That was 1977. Thirty years later, restaurants had begun to cluster in different parts of town -- Airport Road, Jones Valley, University Drive West and Cummings Research Park. This blog will continue to trace the transformation of Huntsville from a tiny cotton town with mill diners to a bustling rocket city with new culinary creations.

The blogs will continue with personal observations and also to supplement my Under the Table blog for The Huntsville Times. The link to it is http://blog.al.com/kaylor. Thanks for reading.