New York Noshes
Skip the grub in tourist-filled Times Square and head for Greenwich Village. A mecca for the hip and artsy since the 1950s, this funky neighborhood is now a hotbed of foodie activity.
Foods of New York features a 3-hour Greenwich Village food walking tour, with tastings such as thin crust pizza at
Famous Joe's Pizza, salty cheeses and cured meats at
Murray's Cheese shop and miniature pastries at
Rocco's Pastry Shop. Wear your loosest pants; you'll take plenty of bites out of the Big Apple.
Taste of Philly Food Tour
Did you know a hot dog vendor cooked up the first cheesesteak in 1930? And that Philadelphia may be the birthplace of the soft pretzel? Savor these classic Philadelphia eats (and trivia) on a
Taste of Philly Food Tour. The tour winds through
Reading Terminal Market, the oldest continuously operating farmers market in America. A Taste of Philly tours last 75 minutes, but with more than 80 vendors in the marketplace, you may just want to plan on a few more hours to chow down some more.
Savor Seattle
When you think “Seattle” and “food,” chances are the famed
Pike Place Market comes to mind. The 11-acre indoor market overlooking the Seattle waterfront is as much a place for locals to shop as it is for travelers to discover the heart and soul of Seattle's foodie culture. Embark on a
Savor Seattle Pike Place Market Food and Cultural Tour to explore the market scene. See enormous fish, like a 3-foot long salmon, tossed into the air at one of the many vendor stops along the way. Get your fish fix with smoked salmon samples at
Pike Place Fish, crab cakes at
Etta's Seafood Restaurant and creamy clam chowder at
Pike Place Chowder. The tour also takes foodies to
Beecher's Handmade Cheese for a taste of mac-and-cheese, and
Daily Dozen Doughnuts for miniature doughnuts. You certainly won't be sleepless in Seattle after this food tour; prepare for a post-tour food coma and nap.
New Orleans Culinary History Tours
With Creole and Cajun cooking traditions, New Orleans has plenty of historic restaurants. Experience the city’s greatest culinary hits on the
New Orleans Culinary History Tasting Tour. This walking tour of the French Quarter leads visitors to famous restaurants for a behind-the-scenes peek at their vibrant kitchens. Tastings have included red beans and rice from
Creole Delicacies Gourmet Shop, brown butter gumbo from
Arnaud's Restaurant, shrimp rémoulade from
Antoine's Restaurant and pecan pralines from
Leah's Pralines. No need to wait until Mardi Gras; these foodie favorites spice up a Nola visit year-round.
San Francisco's Chocolates
Looking for a natural high? Spend 3 decadent hours on a
Gourmet Walks San Francisco Chocolate Tour. Studies show chocolate boosts serotonin levels and mood -- and Gourmet Walks founder Andrea Nadel has just the right medicine, in just the right city. In the 1850s, chocolate production began in the Bay Area when Domenico Ghirardelli opened the town's first chocolate shop. Today, San Francisco is an epicenter for artisan chocolate, made with locally-sourced ingredients. The chocolate tour features 7 different tastings, including truffles infused with spices (such as cardamom and pink peppercorn) at
Recchiuti Confections, and more than 225 different types of international chocolate bars at
Fog City News. Finally, try truffles with a requisite stop at
Ghiradelli Chocolate Company, and a blissful taste of ganaches at
CocoaBella Chocolates. By day's end, rest easy knowing you've done your body some chocolate-filled serotonin good.
