{"id":462347,"date":"2026-09-13T06:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T06:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/462347\/"},"modified":"2026-09-13T06:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T06:48:23","slug":"couple-wins-drawing-for-tower-bridge-dinner-talks-about-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/462347\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple wins drawing for Tower Bridge Dinner, talks about event"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 11 a.m. on July 27, Michael Dennis received an exhilarating email. He had just been notified that he was one of the handful of entrants selected in the random drawing for a pair of tickets to Sacramento\u2019s Tower Bridge Dinner. His partner Will Crews was taking a nap.<\/p>\n

\u201c(I felt) great excitement; I could barely wait to tell him,\u201d Dennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he could have woke me up and told me, but no, he was very nice and let me sleep,\u201d Crews replied.<\/p>\n

Each year, Visit Sacramento\u2019s Tower Bridge Dinner<\/a> unites dozens of local chefs to showcase the area\u2019s culinary talents before an exclusive crowd of a few hundred diners. Most tickets are snapped up by the event\u2019s sponsors, but Visit Sacramento reserves a few for the general public.<\/p>\n

Because they are so in demand, the tickets are put in a random drawing. Applicants, if selected, are committed to paying the $300 per ticket price.<\/p>\n

Dennis and Crews had tried to obtain tickets numerous times before, to no avail.<\/p>\n

\"Kitchen Kitchen staffers prepare appetizers during the Tower Bridge Dinner in Sacramento on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. ZIYU JULIAN ZHU julian.zhu@sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Not having been to the dinner before, the couple was filled with a mix of excitement tinged with apprehension.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you go to those things and you can\u2019t get to the food to try it because it\u2019s just a massive crowd, so I was a little nervous about that,\u201d Dennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done the State Fair wine competition things, and you can never get to the table. You can never get any food, and this was the complete opposite,\u201d Crews confirmed.<\/p>\n

For the couple, the opportunity to sample multiple appetizers was the highlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Majka (Pizzeria)<\/a> appetizer was the best thing I\u2019ve ever put in my mouth,\u201d said Dennis, referring to chef Alexander Sherr\u2019s semolina baguette toast topped with tonnato sauce and heirloom tomato. t<\/p>\n

Sampling bites also provided an opportunity for the two to discover new-to-them places they want to explore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe empanadas from Buenos Aires Grill food truck<\/a>, we totally need to go find them,\u201d said Dennis. \u201cAnd the chicken bites from Origami Asian Grill<\/a>. The chicken was formed and then perfectly cut to fit on the bread, and everything was in one bite, and it was delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the mains, Crews called out chef Joe Pruner of Bocce Ristorante<\/a>\u2019s Filipino-inspired dish of adobo quail, crispy garlic rice, marinated tomatoes and cucumbers, and lettuce and fresh herbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t had quail since I lived in Dixon, so that was fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Ceviche Ceviche of albacore tuna tataki with toasted quinoa and sesame crust. Chef Giancarlo Zapata of Chicha Peruvian Kitchen created the first dis served at the Tower Bridge Dinner in Sacramento on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. Sean Timberlake sean.timberlake@Sacbee.com <\/p>\n

Dennis fondly remembers the first two entrees as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mushroom ricotta rotolo with the linguica ragu (from chef Francisco Rivera of Hawks Public House<\/a>), that was so good. The albacore tuna tataki (from chef Giancarlo Zapata of Chicha Peruvian Kitchen<\/a>) was really good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The couple was seated at a table of fellow drawing recipients \u2014 including one who had been selected three times. The spirit of camaraderie got the better of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were sitting and talking with our table for so long. We only got to try a couple desserts. That\u2019s how we got drunk. Desserts were a blur,\u201d Crews said.<\/p>\n

Dennis did manage to recall enjoying chef LaQueanya Henry of Sugar Coated Cupcakes<\/a>\u2019s fig honey-vanilla cheesecake, layered with almond shortbread crumble, Black Mission fig compote, honey mascarpone and pistachio praline crunch.<\/p>\n

For the couple, being in the company of others who had been selected felt like winning the lottery.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all people that won it for the first time, and everybody was so excited,\u201d Crews said.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 6:30 AM.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Sean Timberlake<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n

Sean Timberlake is the food and dining reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He has been writing professionally about food for over 20 years.\n <\/p>\n