Must do: one of these fun food tours in New York
Is there a more fun way to explore a city than eating? Without kidding, we honestly think the answer to this is simply 'no'. Not just because we love everything that has to do with food (understatement), but mainly because food shows the culture of a city just that little bit better. And then of course you take such a food tour with one local, because the best way to learn about eating habits is during a food tour with someone who knows the city and the wishes of its inhabitants a little better.
New York is a mecca of different food cultures. You may think of the famous bagels, pastrami and hot dogs (definitely try them!), but you could eat them around the world. That's because it's a city of immigrants, and the food of this city is largely related to immigration patterns. And therefore this one must do: in this list you will find the fun food tours of New York.
Let's get on that bike, because we are Dutch after all. If we sometimes want to cycle less in the Netherlands (guilty), we pedal with Tony van de Brooklyn Bike Tours preferably around a few more times. Seriously, we can safely call the bike tours that this man organizes with his wife a must in New York (see also the dessert tour below). During the Sunset & Skyline Pizza Tour tick off the best sights and tastiest pizzas in North Brooklyn. Not normal 'slices' (really a number of them), but rather the crème de la crème of pizzas. You can try Detroit style pizzas (square pan pizza) or Mini Montanara Pizzas (fried pizza) between tours. Tony has energy for ten and knows the neighborhood like no other. You won't get more relaxed in the city, when the sun is slowly setting while you're pedaling your bike.
There's a good chance you don't even know this neighborhood in Brooklyn. A shame, but that also makes it one hidden gems and therefore extra fun to discover. A little bit of background information, so you know where to go. The neighborhood runs from Empire Boulevard to Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, known as “The Junction,” to Church Avenue. The name already suggests that the food in Little Caribbean is guaranteed to be good. During the food tour you'll learn, uh, taste, about Brooklyn's Caribbean community and hop from the taste of jerk chicken to patties, curries, salted fish cakes with spicy tamarind sauce, sweet pastries, fresh juices and authentic Caribbean rum. Come on.
Authentic Caribbean Flavor Tour
There's no better way to eat your way around town than with bagels. Iconic for the city. New Yorkers prefer to eat it with cream cheese and smoked salmon, but there are so many more varieties to try in New York. During the day Ben's Bagel Walking Tours “The Bagel Expert” (name is Ben, how could it be otherwise) takes you through the nooks and crannies of NYC to try the classics and modern bagels.
The fresh bagels from the oven are waiting for you, you just have to choose which iconic neighborhood you want to know more about. You can choose from one of the tours through The Lower East Side Tour, The Tour of Grand Central, The Chinatown & Little Italy Tour and The Tour of Wall Street.
Back on that bike, because as we said, we would like to pedal another lap for Tony. The Sunset & Skyline Pizza Tour is a huge hit, and so is the Desserts & Treats Tour. Brooklyn is a dessert mecca and Brooklyn Bike Tours is happy to show you the best places in combination with a bit of history. From artisan ice cream to award-winning chocolate works, donuts and so much more. And that is of course accompanied by – the egg cream – Brooklyn's signature drink. Forget the calories, because you can cycle them off in no time.
Where are we pedaling to? Through the diverse neighborhoods of Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bushwick, past waterfront parks and piers and other attractions along the route. Honestly, we prefer to tick off all the tours from Brooklyn Bike Tours.
Food, walking, history, repeat. A three-hour food tour through the two historic districts Chinatown and Little Italy sounds like a tour to our hearts. They do two to three seated tastings and five to six tastings, because if there is anywhere they know how to prepare good (really good) food, it is in these neighborhoods. What you should not do in these neighborhoods is simply follow the crowd; that's why this tour takes in family-owned shops, off-the-beaten-path locations and centuries-old buildings.
And because you can enjoy yourself for a day in both neighborhoods, the guide will give you tips about other sights and places to eat after the tour. You can go back again on your own.
Donuts were somewhat neglected in New York for a long time. They were there, but other foods were simply more popular. But guess who's back? The donuts in New York. The Underground Donut Tour showcases the crème de la crème of donuts in New York. The tour starts in Manhattan's Flatiron District, where you'll learn about New York's history and architecture while tasting the best donuts. The tour stops at a unique donut shop that has a brioche-style donut (the dream). From there, a bit of history at two of Manhattan's most important sights – the Empire State Building and One World Trade. The next stop is a “golden oldie” – a donut shop that has been around for more than 50 years. The tour ends in Greenwich Village, where you can try a donut with all the trimmings. Sugar rush in 3.2.1….
