By Alyssa Esposito

Staff Writer

For those with a taste for the finer things in life, the city of Suffolk will be holding a Culinary Crawl this Saturday.

Having the opportunity to “sample different flavors” and “learn from the chef to see what makes their restaurant so successful” are among the most exciting parts of attending this event, said Theresa Earles, tourism development manager for the city of Suffolk.

Those who are at least 21 years old, and have signed up for one of the 12 available spots, will have the opportunity of joining in on the fun, touring all four of the different restaurants. There, they will get the chance to sample foods and meet the chefs or owners.

The city has been putting on similar tours for the past few years, Earles said. Multiple events take place throughout the year, and the event rotates among different areas of the city. The goal is to get approximately four or five restaurants to participate in each culinary crawl experience.

The restaurants included in these events are generally Suffolk originals, which gives people the chance to experience cooking from non-mainstream eateries.

Baron’s Pub, The Plaid Turnip and Vintage Tavern have been past participants in this event.

This weekend’s crawl will feature eateries located in North Suffolk’s Harbor View area and include River Stone Chophouse, The Egg Bistro, YoYo Sushi & Pho and Rajput Indian Cuisine. Taste Unlimited has become a recent addition to the itinerary.

The chefs usually offer one item to sample at each restaurant. Earles believes that one of the restaurants will be offering the chance to sample lobster.

Discussions revolve around the food on their menus, the preparation of their food and maybe even the story of how their restaurant began.

The event is based on similar offerings in other localities that tourism staff have heard about. Earles considers it a cross between a pub crawl and a progressive dinner.

The event will take place on Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m.

As this event is designed to be on a first-come, first-served basis, advance ticket purchases are necessary in order to ensure a place on the tour. Contact the Suffolk Visitor Center at 514-4130 or visit their website, www.visitsuffolkva.com.

A shuttle will be available to take attendees to and from restaurants that are farther apart, but some walking will be involved. Tickets are $30 per person, and the tour begins in the parking lot of Rajput Indian Cuisine, 5860 Harbour View Blvd.

If you can’t attend this weekend’s event, future Suffolk culinary crawls will be held before the end of this year.