by Diane Claytor
Smoked trout salad on a peppered crostini with red pepper jam!
Spinach and feta spanakopita!
Bay shrimp gazpacho!
Ahi Tuna Poke Bites!
Wines from Jacuzzi Family Vineyards!
Is your mouth watering yet? Are you wondering why we’re teasing you with the thought of these delectable gourmet treats while you’re sitting at your computer with nothing more exciting to eat than a tuna sandwich or last night’s leftovers?
We don’t mean to tease. But we do mean to entice. These wonderful sounding — and no doubt even better tasting — culinary dishes are just a few of the incredible foods and wines you’ll be able to sample when you sign up for Diablo Ballet’s 6th annual Gourmet Gallop. With 13 Walnut Creek restaurants offering delicacies to nibble and/or drink, the Gourmet Gallop is a fun — and yummy — way to spend a warm summer Thursday evening (so much better than working or watching reruns). And not only will you end the evening with a happy palate and full stomach (and perhaps a few new restaurants you want to return to), you’ll know that you helped raise funds for Diablo Ballet’s PEEK Outreach programs for underserved children and the PEEK Extension program for teen girls incarcerated within the Juvenile Justice System.
This is an evening to Sip, Sample and Stroll. You’ll enjoy the tastes and views of beautiful downtown Walnut Creek. Maybe you’ll purchase an incredible olive oil from We Olive while you’re enjoying the Cold Corn Chowder they’re serving. Or pick up a bottle of wine from Buon Vino while sampling the wines they’re pouring.
The August 11 evening begins at 6 p.m. at Massimo, where you’ll check in and nibble on their incredible Pasta with Pesto. You’ll receive a map of the participating restaurants and then you’re off….to 1515 Restaurant & Lounge; Buon Vino; Cinco De Mayo; Lark Creek; Opa!; Peet’s Coffee & Tea; San Francisco Creamery; Silk Road; Steinway Piano Gallery; Sunol Ridge; Walnut Creek Yacht Club; and We Olive.
One Yelp reviewer called the Gourmet Gallop “a great way to experience a taste of Walnut Creek,” while another said “Great date night…strolling through WC and grabbing small bites along the way is a fun event.”
You — and your friends — can be part of this incredible evening. Tickets, which may be purchased online at krissyg.sg-host.com or by calling 925-943-1775, are $45. Come with 9 friends and they’re only $30 per person. It’s a night you won’t forget. Your stomach will thank you. Diablo Ballet and their PEEK programs will thank you. And your tv, which will not have to show one more rerun of Scandal, will thank you for a night off.