Running Tab: Crave returns with one-night-only outdoor sellout event

After a one-year hiatus because of the pandemic, Crave Northwest returned Friday with a one-night-only outdoor event that sold out quickly, according to event organizers Adam Hegsted, Tom Stebbins and Karen Upchurch Stebbins.

The second annual Crave in 2019 was the event’s biggest yet – with three sold-out walk-around dining events and programming – and despite the year off and only one event this year, all 600 tickets were sold, with an additional 100 attendees when food and beverage vendors are included in the total.

“We’re just happy to provide an event to the public and continue to sell out Crave,” Stebbins said Friday night at Crave at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley. “People are having a really good time and enjoying the food and beverages.”

Friday’s culinary vendors included Anthony’s (Rick Reichelt and Russ Seaman), Baba (Trevor Stratton), Cochinito Taqueria (Travis Dickinson), Cosmic Cowboy (Chris White), Doughlicious (Paul Shields), Gilded Unicorn (Mary Weaver) and Honey Eatery & Social Club (Rudy Velasquez).

Also, Max at Mirabeau Hotel (Michael Durbin), Monarch Ramen & Noodle House (Viljo Basson), Republic Kitchen & Taphouse (Cody Crouch), Scoop (Jennifer Davis), Sweet Frostings (Nevada Burch), Tavolata (Roger Harper and Scott Siff), U.S. Foods (Alexa Wilson), Wooden City (Payton Johnson), Yards Bruncheon (Corey Jackson) and Zona Blanca (Chad White.)

Wine, beer, cider, seltzer and spirit vendors included Arbor Crest, Castaway Cellars, Coeur d’Alene Cellars, Latah Creek, Terra Blanca, Brick West Brewing, Hidden Mother Brewing, Hierophant Meadery and Icicle Brewing.

Also, Laughing Dog Brewery, Millwood Brewery, Mountain Lakes, No-Li Brewhouse, River City Brewing, Snoweater Brewing, Summit Cider, Trailbreaker Cider, Dry Fly Distilling, Montgomery Distilling, Side Hustle Syrups and Skip Rock Distillers.

The evening’s food favorites included Cochinito’s pork pibil taco, Zona Blanca’s tuna peanut taco, Doughlicious’ caramel tres leches cake, Honey Eatery’s oil-poached Spanish octopus, Monarch’s tonkotsu and vegetarian ramen, Wooden City’s hamachi crudo, Tavolata’s roasted pig and Scoop’s multiple flavor offerings, including the bestselling cheese plate ice cream.

“People really wanted and needed an event like this,” Upchurch Stebbins said Frid ay night. “We kept COVID-19 in mind, especially with the delta variant concerns, but decided to continue with the outdoor event partly because there were only two ticket cancellations.”

Crave organizers are taking a wait-and-see approach for a 2022 event. Check out the photo gallery from 2021 Crave at spokesman.com/ae.