The inaugural Fort Wayne Dishcrawl will hit downtown at 7 p.m. Tuesday. There are still tickets left for anyone who wants to try some unique or fine-dining options offered at the four-restaurant event.
Think of Dishcrawl as a kind of pub-crawl, says Hana Hawash, who organized the event (Dishcrawl calls her an “ambassador”). Each restaurant will have three food options to try, starting with an appetizer at the first restaurant, dinner at the middle two and dessert at the fourth.
“People are encouraged to get a drink and to talk to people, and it’s 50 percent food, but it’s also 50 percent networking and socializing and meeting people in your community,” Hawash says. “We’re trying to get people involved in their community over food.”
A twist to the event keeps the restaurants involved a secret until right before the event, when Hawash will contact everyone and tell them where to meet. Each restaurant will be within a 10-minute walk from the other. This first event will feature downtown restaurants, though Hawash has plans to move future Dishcrawls to different areas of Fort Wayne. She hopes to hold the event a few times a year.
Tickets will be sold up to 24 hours before the event. You can buy them for $45 at www.
Coming soon
If all goes as planned, O’Reilly’s Irish Bar & Restaurant, 301 W. Jefferson Blvd., will open Thursday.
This will be the restaurant’s second location – the first is in Indianapolis. It will be the first restaurant in The Harrison, the new building at Parkview Field. The patio, which will seat 150 people, overlooks the ballpark, owner Keith Reilly says.
The menu isn’t a completely traditional Irish menu – in addition to meals such as bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and fish and chips, it also includes burgers, salmon, salads and more. O’Reilly’s also features daily lunch specials, a kids’ menu and a late-night menu, which will start at 10 p.m.
Fundraisers
•The Italian Connection, 2725 Taylor St., is having a benefit for disabled veterans and the families of deceased veterans at 6 p.m. March 9. The event features a six-course meal with wine pairings.
Tickets, which are $100 a person, are limited and can be bought at the restaurant. Each ticket comes with a $10 gift card to use at the buyer’s next visit to The Italian Connection. Call 432-9702 for more information.
•Community Harvest Food Bank will host a gala at 5:30 p.m. March 9 at the Hotel Fort Wayne ballroom, 111 W. Washington Center Road. The event, which commemorates 30 years of service, includes fine dining, a signature cocktail and special wine selections. It also includes live and silent auctions.
Tickets are $175 a person. For more information, go to www.communityharvest.org, call 447-3696, ext. 322, or email jbrown@communityharvest.org.
