A foodie mystery tour

TORONTO—For foodies with a fetish for footing it around Toronto, a new restaurant tour may fit the bill.

A concept that started in California’s Tri-Valley area, DishCrawl takes locals to four restaurants per evening. Diners pay for the cost of the food, and restaurants get approximately 10 per cent of the proceeds, Ontario ambassador Gretchen Wilson told Restaurant News. The first event, taking place on October 5th, will be $39, with each restaurant receiving approximately $4 per diner.

Gretchen Wilson is bringing DishCrawl to Ontario.

“We’re trying to base it around the community,” said Wilson. “It’s a chance for people to get out and meet the people behind the restaurants in their area.”

The tour is targeting restaurants at all price points, with “hidden gems” priced at $29, and higher end dining experiences at $80. Wilson is hoping to attract a regular group from 30 to 55 years of age.

Diners are kept in the dark as to which restaurants are part of the tour until 48 hours before the event, when the first location is revealed. Participants are then led to the other three restaurants, all within walking distance of the first.

Hints are dropped via Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Nosh the day of the event to build buzz.

Founded by Tracy Lee, Dishcrawl started in Canada earlier this year, in Ottawa and Montreal, and has a strong U.S. presence in San Francisco, New York and San Jose