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The Boone Independent Restaurants Second Annual Small Plate Crawl Begins Tomorrow; Continues through Sept. 5

by Madison V. Fisler

Sept. 2, 2013. Beginning tomorrow and continuing through Sept. 5, Boone Independent Restaurants and Carolina Epicurean present the second annual Small Plate Crawl.

Over three days, more than a dozen local area restaurants will create exclusive menus with small plate items which range from $3-$8 for guests to sample from. These “small plates” are designed to give a taste of what the chef’s at each restaurant are capable of. Take yourself on a self-guided tour of as many participating restaurants as you’d like and perhaps find your new favorite spot; or discover something new about an old favorite.

“It really opens the doors for people to go outside of what they know and try something different,” said Rick Pedroni of Casa Rustica who helped to organize the event.

“It also gives a lot of restaurants an opportunity to showcase what their chefs can do!”

Some restaurants are using the menu exclusively for an appetizer menu, some are using it as a completely separate menu and still others are using it as the exclusive menu for the establishment for those nights. 

The Small Plate Crawl will take place at participating restaurants from 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. Some restaurants are open only from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. and still others are open for the crawl from 5-9 p.m. For more information about when the restaurant of your choice will be participating, take a look at the Passport, which can be printed here

Let the Small Plate Crawl Passport be your guide. On it you will find which restaurants are participating and when they will be hosting their small plate crawlers. When you finish at each restaurant, present your Passport for a hole-punch, which will serve as your validation of being at each venue. When you are done with your Small Plate Crawl, simply turn in your passport to the last restaurant you visit. From there your passport will be entered into a drawing for free prizes like gift cards to the participating restaurants. Five or more restaurants are required to be entered to the prize drawing, and dining at a restaurant outside of downtown Boone and Blowing Rock to double your chances of winning!

“The more punches you get the higher the likelyhood of winning a prize,” said John Pepper of Pepper’s restaurant, who also organizes the event.

There is absolutely no charge for the event except for the plates that you purchase. Sharing is okay, and no extra charge will be included for shared plates. You wouldn’t want to get too full up on your first adventure! Organizers urge crawlers to please remember to tip their servers, as they work just as hard for the small plates as they do for the large ones. 

Participating restaurants in this year’s Small Plate Crawl include:

  • Pepper’s Restaurant and Bar
  • Vidalia Restaurant and Wine Bar
  • The Table at Crestwood
  • The 1861 Farmhouse
  • Makoto’s
  • Red Onion Cafe
  • Casa Rustica
  • Boone Bagelry
  • Bandana’s
  • TApp Room
  • Simplicity at Mast Farm Inn
  • Town Tavern
  • Char
  • Yosefa AntiquiTEA
  • Joy Bistro

“I feel like it encourages people to support local businesses and gets people out and try them when they may have not done so otherwise. It gives people on any budget the opportunity to try independent restaurants,” Pepper said. 

Perfect for college kids on a budget, savvy restaurant lovers who want a little taste of everything, or someone just looking for an excuse to hit all the best spots in town, the Small Plate Crawl has something for everyone. 

For more information on the small plate crawl in general, please click here