Foodies Try Some of Park Street's Best Eats During Alameda Dishcrawl

About 40 people gathered on Park Street Tuesday evening for one specific goal: to taste some of the best dishes Alameda has to offer.

As part of the first-ever Dishcrawl Alameda event, diners went on a guided walking and eating tour of four local restaurants along Park Street. They tried featured menu items, met the chefs and owners, and got to know people in the local community.

"From dives to fine dining — great food is the focus," said Dishcrawl Operations Manager Amy Peterson. "Within a month, most people come back to one of the four restaurants."

The four featured Alameda restaurants included Habanas, Central Vegetarian Cuisine, Linguini's Cafe Pasta and Vino, and Cafe Fudgelato. However, Dishcrawlers did not know which eateries they'd be visiting until that evening, right before walking into each one.

"It's community building through food." said Alameda Dishcrawl Ambassador Rebecca Miller. "It's giving people opportunities to meet and eat."

Each restaurant offered Dishcrawlers three of its most popular dishes.

At Habanas, diners sampled Cuban cuisine by trying its Cuban sandwich, black bean soup and crab cakes. Claimed to have the "best mojitos in the East Bay," general manager Sile Jadesimi was behind the bar serving one minty cocktail after another.

"We don't want too much, otherwise it will really be a Dishcrawl," said diner Donalda Murphy.

Folks were able to get their veggie fix through a generously-portioned plate filled with Central Vegetarian Cuisine's spicy chicken salad, vegetable curry and fried wontons.

"There wasn't anything on the plate I didn't like," said Theresa Johnson of Martinez. This was her sixth Dishcrawl.

Linguini's was the next stop. The restaurant, which actually houses two under one roof, offers diners two different ambiances — a sports bar with a casual setting and a fine dining establishment with an intimate atmosphere.

"This place rocks during game season," said Murphy.

On the sampler plate was the house salad, pepperoni pizza and a few slices of their filet mignon.

The evening ended with gelato at Cafe Fudgelato, where everyone got to choose three of their many flavors to sample. Employee Hannah Terry said between 24 to 36 gelatos and sorbets are switched on a daily basis. That evening, tiramisu seemed to be most popular.

After sampling dishes from around the world, Jennifer Heroux of Fremont felt like "it was an international event." Until that evening's Dishcrawl, she said she had only ventured to one of the four featured restaurants.

Dishcrawl started three years ago in San Jose and has expanded to include cities all over the U.S. and some in Canada.

Missed this past Alameda Dishcrawl? There will be two others that will feature a new lineup of restaurants. Another similar Dishcrawl will be held on Dec. 12. On Jan. 27 diners can participate in a Dishwalk, a self-guided tour of eight local resturants.

For more information visit www.dishcrawl.com.

Have you tried the foods and/or restaurants sampled that evening? What's your review of them? What restaurants do you think should be included in the next Dishcrawl or Dishwalk in Alameda?

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