Grand Valley State University Alumna Amy Baird was browsing job websites when she happened upon a posting to be an ambassador for Dishcrawl. The company that began in San Jose, CA sets up restaurant crawls in cities around the United States and Canada.

On June 11 at 7 p.m., the very first Dishcrawl Grand Rapids will take place. Rain or shine, participants will get the chance to tour four restaurants on foot.

“At each restaurant, we’ll be having a trio dish, sampling three of the individual restaurant’s signature dishes,” Baird said. “The chef as well as a manager will be available to introduce the restaurant as well as what is special about the dishes.”

Appetizers will most likely be served at the first restaurant, main courses at the middle two, and dessert at the last, Baird said. Vegetarian options will be available, and although alcoholic beverages are not included in the ticket price, some of the restaurants may have drink specials or pairings.

To keep people guessing, the names of the restaurants will remain secret until the event. Until that point, Baird will be leaking clues via twitter.com/dishcrawlggr and facebook.com/dishcrawlgrandrapids.

“It’s a great opportunity for people who normally don’t dine downtown or don’t know where to go,” Baird said. “They can grab a friend or their significant other to come with and enjoy great food made right here in Grand Rapids.”

Because people do not usually get the chance to meet the owners and chefs of restaurants, the event also has potential to be a good networking opportunity, she said.

For Baird, it was her love of food and living in Grand Rapids that drew her to the company.

“I’m the type of person who loves to have great conversations with my friends over a plate of delicious food and drinks. I take the expression ‘eat, drink, and be merry’ very literally,” she said. “I fell in love with the city and all the restaurants and bars.”

With the Grand Rapids Local First movement, a lot of the restaurants take pride in serving local foods and supporting other local businesses.

“It’s been a great privilege to see how far the local businesses have come since I started college,” Baird said. “Dishcrawl is all about supporting community and local businesses and most importantly just having fun and getting to know people through the restaurant scene. I love what they’re all about.”

This is the first and only Dishcrawl event in Grand Rapids. Based on popularity, there may be more set up in the future. To purchase tickets, go to www.dishcrawl.com/grandrapidsmi.

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