Roaming dining events sample four restaurants each night

Pop-up and roaming restaurants have both graced our virtual pages on numerous occasions before, but it wasn’t until recently that we came across anything quite like Dishcrawl. Whereas most of the ventures we’ve looked at before have focused on a single location and set of culinary experiences at each event, Dishcrawl targets foodies with an experience that promises to let them sample four restaurants in a single night. Launched last year, California-based Dishcrawl now serves New York, Montreal and various cities in California, with regular events featuring a select set of restaurant experiences. Participants begin by buying tickets to an event in the city of their choice. Then, the participants meet at a designated spot that evening — locations are revealed two days before the event — where they don a Dishcrawl button and proceed to the first of four selected restaurants. The ticket prices for events in California, for example, are USD 26 — which covers the cost of all the food the participant cares to sample as they progress from restaurant to restaurant. As well as the company of fellow foodies, participants can enjoy a chance to hear the featured chefs discuss their work. Just recently Dishcrawl added a “Lunch in 60” series to its offerings as well, giving participants a full meal at a local food truck, a chance to meet the chef and an hour-long social experience for USD 10. Coming soon from Dishcrawl will be events designed for singles, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News. In addition to the obvious lure for participants — a chance to discover new places while enjoying a social experience — Dishcrawl offers restaurants benefits at least as compelling. After all, what better way to win new customers than through a little well-packaged tryvertising? One to partner with or emulate in cities around the globe! (Related: Dutch company takes pop-up dining to the great outdoors — Urban adventure game culminates in a secret dining experience — In Italy, secret pop-up restaurant gives directions via SMS.) Spotted by: Jim Stewart