Taste of Lafayette

Mechanics Bank Lafayette in the Wheel Well! Photo by Jeff Heyman

Thank you for helping make the 2023 Taste of Lafayette a big success!   

We are most appreciative of everyone’s time, sponsorships, participation, and efforts. Our restaurants out did themselves once again! The food samplings were delicious, each stop shared a new savory taste or sweet treat, amazing beverage offerings and displays throughout. The entertainment was great and added to the fun ambiance of the night. AND we couldn’t have asked for better weather or a better crowd. Thanks to everyone who participated in the downtown restaurant tour.  
 
We would like to send a special thank you to Jeff Heyman@heymanfoto, for the photos of the event. They can be viewed at: https://heymanfoto.smugmug.com/Photojournalism-Commercial/Taste-of-Lafayette-2023/. Photo credit: Jeff Heyman. 📷 Pictured above is Mechanics Bank in the Wheel Well!
 
We have also posted photos on our Flickr account, social media: Instagram and Facebook.
 
This event was a huge team effort by so many so please let the credits roll …   
 
 
Thanks to the 34 participating restaurants and businesses in downtown Lafayette.  
 
Thanks to all the volunteers who worked to help make the event such a huge success from setup to take down and everything in between:  The Lafayette Police Department, The Acalanes Community Music Club, Grace Dixon, Susan Candell, Cheryl Noll, Carol Federighi, Jeff Dieden, Claire Mueller, Tim Regan, Dennis Markam, Anita Embleton, Kate Saville, Jacob Light & Team, AJ Rogers, Doug Warrick of Generation in Jazz, Vanessa Mancebo, Kyle Sumner, Grant Krogius, Dennis Garrison, Mike Heller, Yolanda Mendoza-Heller, Ali Stoddard, Patricia Bouie Hinds, Mike Hayes, Roberto Hernandez, Reid Edwards, Becky Maher, Jennifer & Grace Birdsey, Chris, Cooper, & Quinn Carmichael, Julie & Ethan Pancoast, Claire, David, & Liam Gallacher, Elizabeth & Sierra Culbertson, Aubrey, Corrine, & Emily Dugan, Kira & Ryder Reinhart, Jocelyn, Kirsten, & Sloane Larsen, Amy, Brooke, Catie, & Livvy Lewis, Katie & Cassie Moreno, Lisa & Madalena Obertello, Abigail & Corrie Raphael, Matt & Will Roberts, Alexis & Tina Sappal, Anne & Lily Schmidt, Allie & Emily Schofield, Emma & Jessica Stokes, Amy & Lauren Stuffmann, Lisa & Talia Tichenor, Mia & Jennifer Walloch, Angela & Niko White, Jennifer & Tegan Woodford, Taejin Chung & Caitlin Pak, Cec Serrano & Lucy McLaughlin, Praveen Singh & Lina Parikh, Dill Sammons & Cate Mercier, Valarie Pettegrew, Lillian Lathers, Katie Peacock, May Gonzalez, Kathy Desse, Melanie Bardales from your local Mechanics Bank Team.  Your volunteer efforts and support were the key to the successful night! 
 
Thank you to our partners at the City of Lafayette and the Community Foundation of Lafayette for the great team effort!  
 
🍽 Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 21, 2024!
Taste of Lafayette 2023 Participating Locations

Taste of Lafayette 2023 Participating Locations

 
 
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About the Taste of Lafayette

The “stroll” begins when ticket holders head out at their own pace to stop at any or all of the participating restaurants for sampling.  Will call, live music and bar will be at Lafayette Plaza Park 5pm-7:30pm on Tuesday, May 16. Evening includes music in Lafayette Plaza Park by ModernTone Studios musicians and the Acalanes Community Music Club, and at select locations throughout the stroll.

 

FREE Live Music – No Passport Required!

The community is invited to Lafayette Plaza Park for FREE live music by Acalanes Community Music Club (5pm-5:30pm) and ModernTone Studios performing artists on May 16 (5:30pm-7pm.) No Taste of Lafayette Passport (ticket) is required to enjoy the live music. Bring a picnic or takeout from a local restaurant and your lawn chair or blanket! Learn more about who is performing below!
 

Tickets are limited and the event will account for any state/county health and safety guidelines.

What is the refund policy?
All tickets are non-refundable. IF this event is cancelled due to health code guidelines we will hold your ticket and reservation for the rescheduled date.

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to participate?
There is no age limit to participate. But please note YOU will need to show ID at the Plaza Bar and any location sampling alcoholic beverages.

What are my transportation/parking options getting to the event?
A map of the participating restaurants will be on your Passport. Event is within walking distance of Lafayette’s BART station. All parking meters will be in effect. Public parking is located throughout Downtown. The Lamorinda Spirit Van will be available for the evening. If you need assistance throughout the stroll, please let us know.

Where do I start?
Begin at any participating restaurant starting at 5:00pm but you must have a Passport! Will call and bar will be in Lafayette Plaza Park starting at 5pm.

Taste of Lafayette 2023
May 16, 2023 - Taste of Lafayette

 

Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors!

Cobain Orthodontics

Cobain Orthodontics
Event Sponsor

Concentric Wealth Management, LLC
Diablo Foods

Diablo Foods
Event Sponsor

 

La Fiesta Square

La Fiesta Square
Event Sponsor

SITE Centers

SITE Centers
Event Sponsor

Tom Stack

Coldwell Banker – Tom Stack
Passport Ticket Sponsor

Lewis Asset Management

Lewis Asset Management
Event Sponsor

 

Mechanics Bank

Mechanics Bank
Event Sponsor

ModernTone Studios

ModernTone Studios
Music/Entertainment Sponsor

Wheel Well Events

Wheel Well Events
Event Sponsor

Lafayette Chamber Premier Member Pacific Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital
Oakwood Athletic Club

Oakwood Athletic Club
Event Sponsor

 

Town Hall Theatre

Town Hall Theatre
Event Sponsor
Town Hall staff will be running the Will Call again this year! Thank you THT!

 

 

Sequoia Signs
Lamorinda SPIRIT

Lamorinda Spirit Van
Transportation Partner

Republic Services

Republic Services
Recycling/Zero Waste Sponsor

RecycleSmart

RecycleSmart
Reusable Spork Sponsor

City of Lafayette

City of Lafayette
Event Sponsor

Minuteman Press Lafayette
Firestone Walker Featured Beer by Markstein

Firestone Walker Featured Beer by Markstein

 

Taste of Lafayette Beneficiaries

Lafayette ChamberCommunity Foundation of Lafayette

 

 

 

About the Community Foundation of Lafayette

The Community Foundation of Lafayette, in conjunction with its generous donors and business partners is proud of the work it has done to support community nonprofits for more than two decades. Since 1999, the Community Foundation has played an integral part in some of Lafayette’s most important projects, including the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, the permanent stage at the Lafayette Reservoir and Lamorinda Village. Most recently, LCF has supported the efforts of The Park Theater Trust which is working toward revitalizing Lafayette’s beloved Park Theater.

The Community Foundation’s most important work, however, is giving Excellence Grants to local nonprofits that support and touch the lives of so many. For almost 25 years, the Community Foundation has distributed hundreds of grants totaling more than $1 million to organizations in the categories of Human Services, Seniors, Youth Development & Education and Arts & Culture.

The Community Foundation takes great care in selecting respected, viable nonprofits that make the greatest impact on the communities they serve. Its Grants Committee, conducts in-depth analyses of these organizations so donors and businesses can be certain their investment is going to worthwhile causes that provide the highest level of assistance to those in need.

To learn more about the Community Foundation, please visit  http://www.lafayettecf.org.

 

FREE Live Music – No Passport Required!

The community is invited to Lafayette Plaza Park for FREE live music by Acalanes Community Music Club (5pm-5:30pm) and ModernTone Studios musicians on May 16 (5:30pm-7pm.) No Taste of Lafayette Passport (ticket) is required to enjoy the live music. Bring a picnic or takeout from a local restaurant and your lawn chair or blanket!
 
 

Acalanes Community Music ClubAcalanes Community Music Club is a group of high school students from Acalanes High School. The mission of our club is to spread the joy of music to the local community. This includes performing music in hospitals, senior homes, local businesses, and more. We also hope to connect with elementary schools to assist younger students in learning music and expose them to different musical instruments. We are excited to play and to see you at the Taste of Lafayette in Lafayette Plaza Park on May 16! Come see us!

 

Briget BoyleBriget Boyle will be on “stage” at approximately 5:30pm 
Briget Boyle is a Bay-Area songwriter, activist, and music educator. Her third LP, “Heartbreak Residue”, was produced and recorded at ModernTone Studios here in Lafayette and is set to be released on April 21st, 2023, through Waxsimile Records. With gritty, vulnerable lyrics, pristine vocals, and driving acoustic guitar playing, Briget’s 90s rock-tinged songs center the truth-telling power of the human voice. Her songs paint melodic pictures of the pivotal moments in life and her live performances are magnetic, engaging, and inspiring. Briget is also one of the most popular and in-demand instructors at ModernTone Studios, where she teaches voice, guitar, and songwriting.

 

Beyond FabBeyond Fab will be on “stage” at approximately 6:15pm
Beyond Fab is a local East Bay cover band that plays a selection of post-Beatles songs written by the Fab Four after the band broke up in 1970. This includes songs from Wings, Badfinger, and The Traveling Wilburys, which continue to bring joy to this day. Add in a collection of songs from projects and bands that the former Beatles influenced and worked with and you have a collection of iconic classic rock songs beloved by all and played by musicians who have the deepest admiration, respect and love for the Beatles in all their incarnations. Beyond Fab are Robbie Dunbar (guitars/vocals), Adam Blankman (lead vocals/guitar), Michael Gill (keyboards/vocals), Michael Oliver (drums) and David Wellerstein (bass/vocals).

 

ModernTone StudiosModernTone Studios is a state of the art recording and teaching facility in Lafayette, CA. It is a truly unique musical hub that caters to recording artists, bands, aspiring musicians and music students of all levels. Run by record producers and performing musicians who specialize in a wide variety of styles and genres, ModernTone aims to provide professional instruction, guidance, and support that empower people to realize and fulfill their potential and achieve their musical dreams.

As a recording studio, ModernTone serves local bands, singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, and musical groups in the Bay Area. We provide professional recording, mixing and mastering services as well as pre-production, instrumentation, arrangement and transcription. In addition, ModernTone produces audiobooks for local authors and records narration and voice-overs for film and television.

As a music school, ModernTone provides a nurturing learning environment for students of all ages and playing levels. We teach guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, songwriting and music production using handpicked high-quality equipment that is made in the USA. We are all active musicians who perform regularly on stages all over the Bay Area. Passing down our knowledge and experience is a labor of love, and it shows in the way we teach. Whether you are a child or an adult, a casual player or an aspiring pro, we would love to help take your music to the next level.

Thank you!

The Lafayette Chamber would like to extend a sincere Thank You to our volunteer groups for the Taste of Lafayette: Boys Team Charity and the National Charity League.

We’d also like to thank our supply partners, Chairs for Affairs and Bay Area Temporary Sanitation.