The Setup
Four restaurants, one night, a group of strangers. Dishcrawl is a way to meet new people while enjoying a dining experience at (typically) four local establishments in your community. One stop is typically a food truck (which makes it easy to keep the perimeter of these wanderings as small as possible), and they try to set it up so that there's not more than 10 minutes or so of walking between each stop. A Dishcrawl leader (or two) guides groups to pre-arranged venues for tastes of local cuisine. Groups can range from about 20 up to 80+ people depending on the venue choices, and Dishcrawls occur in select cities across the U.S. and Canada.
For the June 2011 San Mateo Dishcrawl, here were the highlights:
Stop #1: Versailles Apartments
This 55+ housing community is situated just a few blocks from downtown San Mateo and features luxurious living quarters, an on-site restaurant and other amenities for happy retirees with a few bucks to spend. It was an odd place to start a Dishcrawl, especially considering that the night began with a tour around two of the apartments, but despite the time-share-esque vibe we all started to get at first, it turned out to be just a way for Dishcrawl to gain a nice venue with good food, and for Versailles to show some folks around their establishment who otherwise never would have come by.
The food at Versailles was catered by their on-site chef and consisted of tuna tartar with avocado mousse, melon and feta salad, and hamburger sliders. This was all enjoyed in their upscale library to the tune of a Nordstrom-style pianist (super classy) and bottomless champagne. It is probably accurate to say that this wasn't what anyone was expecting, but it did serve to kick off the night in style.
Stop #2: HiYaaa! Food Truck
Parked conveniently outside the Versailles, Dishcrawlers were tasked with simply sauntering out to the sidewalk to enjoy the next stop of the evening. HiYaaa! is one of many food trucks that is part of the food truck revolution taking over the SF Bay. With gourmet Bahn Mi sandwiches and other Vietnamese and "fusion" foods, HiYaaa! introduced diners to a sampling of their foods for the evening.
Meat eaters received a tray with three dishes: beef sandwich, chicken over salad, and pork over rice -- all flavored with mild to fiery Vietnamese spices and topped with accompanying foliage and sides. Vegetarians were served a meat-free version of the same trio: mushroom sandwich, salad, and spicy tofu over rice -- all with similar spices and flavoring to the corresponding meat dishes.
Stop #3: Las Americas Peruvian Restaurant
The next stop was Las Americas in downtown San Mateo, just a short ten-minute walk away. Though Las Americas is a smaller facility, it accommodated the 20 or so patrons on this Dishcrawl without a problem. After a brief yet impressively fire-leaping cooking demonstration, diners jumbled together at small tables to enjoy the fruits of the demo. Small plates of grilled beef and veggies with rice and French fries were provided, while vegetarians were given the same sans-meat and offered their choice of dish off the regular menu.
After the meal was finished, Las Americas passed around a taste of their delicious homemade shortbread cookies which Dishcrawlers eagerly gobbled up. A few patrons even purchased more cookies to bring home (or eat on the walk back to their cars).
Stop #4: Haute Pops
The next stop brought its food to Las Americas such that Dishcrawlers stayed put for the final course. Haute Pops creates "gourmet ice delights" and presented diners with three out-of-the-ordinary flavors of mini-popsicle treats: pineapple Thai basil, mandarin-orange lychee, and mango lime cayenne. Haute Pops creates their goodies with all-natural fresh and organic fruits and herbs, and they're inventing new flavors all the time. They currently cater to clients by appointment only.
Wrap Up
Overall, patrons seemed to enjoy themselves at the June San Mateo Dishcrawl. The food was tasty and diners were thankful that the final "course" was light, as the previous courses had been nearly enough for a meal each. Surely no one left hungry, and it seemed like everyone left happy.
Dishcrawls occur throughout cities in the Bay Area and are popping up in new cities all the time. Check their website to sign up for the next Dishcrawl, or check back frequently to see where the newest Dishcrawls are starting up.
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