Old Town Orcutt has evolved into an entertainment hot spot.
My last column chronicled the wonderful barbeque sponsored by the Old Orcutt Merchants Association in the courtyard of Deja Vu.
This column is about the Boys & Girls Club’s eighth annual Tour & Taste of the Valley fundraiser held in Orcutt Union Plaza (also known as the parking lot outside of Rooney’s Irish Pub).
This event combined cycling and running activities followed by tastes of wine, beer, and food from a slew of vendors, including Trattoria Uliveto, Patricio’s Pizza, BBQ in the Stix, Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, the Far Western Tavern, and Sugar Daisy Bake Shop.
Brooks Wise was the chairman of the event (which attracted more than 600 people) and the overseer of the tour part of the day. He was also in charge of barbecuing pork bellies for a food booth covered with green Cal Poly tents.
I asked someone at the booth if she thought the pork bellies were from pigs raised in Cal Poly’s ag program, and she said, no, she thought they were from Costco. Whatever. The pork was tasty and worthy of seconds.
Terri Lee Coleman and Tim Rooney deserve credit for arranging the taste part of the happening.
The B&G Club’s executive director, Jeremy Deming, and special events and marketing coordinator Kathryn Scott were at the sign-in table, hard to miss in their bright neon green staff shirts.
Oy vey! Such energy generated by those milling about.
There were very thin and very fit-looking cyclists in their stylish, eye-catching sport outfits. So much spandex. There were the runners, and then there were those who cycled or ran nowhere and paid $40 for the opportunity to sample wines, food, and many different beers.
Beer tasting has become quite popular—and justly so. It’s a chance to broaden one’s beer palate.
Kevin and Shannon Walthers, Nancy Jo Ward and Rick Sweet, and Deby and Ed Flynn were among those who enjoyed the pleasant, not-too-hot day. I spotted Tammy Bennett, Vikki Connor, and David Addamo among the mélange.
While all this is going on, the band Steppin’ Out played at the far end of the Plaza. Of course, folks could not resist the opportunity to dance.
The B&G Club put up a big white tent in case there was an unrelenting hot sun (as there was last year). The tent provided an oasis of shade. Better than a palm tree.
Lisa and Ed Murray served a spicy cheese and mac and what seemed like an endless supply of grilled corn on the cob at the Rooney’s Irish Pub booth. Ted Ortega stopped by to chat with Martin Testa, who was serving up polenta from Testa’s Catering.
Jay Hardy of Hardy Diagnostics and Moxie Café fame checked in at the Moxie Cafe booth (serving trip-tip chili and gelato).
Moxie Café brought along a restored U.S. Army 1944 Dodge truck that is sort of a huge SUV without one single amenity. The truck, which sat in the front of the parking lot, garnered a lot of attention.
Jordan Cunningham, who is running for the state Assembly, came down from Templeton, wearing his Jordan Cunningham T-shirt.
Susan Matthews, an avid food and wine fair attendee, summed up the occasion. “This is,” she said, “an awesome event.”
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Sep 15-22, 2016.
