The best moment may have been that first bite of chewy, arugula-topped white pizza. Or maybe it was the Banksy street art discovered in a wall of graffiti. Then again, there was the casual street encounter with singer/actor Joe Jonas and his latest impossibly beautiful girlfriend.
The Nolita/NoHo Tour provided the culinary delights and cultural insights that have distinguished Foods of New York Tours for the last 16 years. The focus is on food, of course, but tourgoers also get glimpses into the lives of New York City locals.
Foods of New York Tours offers six neighborhood tours, including Greenwich Village and Chelsea. The setup for most is similar: a three-hour, mile-long walking excursion led by a knowledgeable foodie that includes at least six tastings. Many of the stops are the kinds of places that look interesting but are not in the guidebooks.
“I love seeing the kinds of places I would not normally go into,” said Emily Maxson of Plymouth, Minn., who was on a 16th birthday trip with daughter Lydia.
Food is so much a part of the city’s culture, and New Yorkers are pretty fickle. That strange duality actually makes food tours a fresh option. There are new restaurants all the time, and many are grab-and-go places that are perfect for quick samples. Plus, New Yorkers have seen everything, so a group of tourists on a sidewalk is no big deal. (It didn’t bother Joe Jonas, did it?)
That also could be why Foods of New York Tours, which claims to be the first to offer food tours in NYC, has lots of competition. There are at least three other large food tour companies in New York, including Walks of New York, which has collaborated with chef Mario Batali on a Greenwich Village tour; Cloud 9 Living, which has a New York craft beer tour; and Free Tours by Foot, where tourgoers decide what they want to eat and pay.
Relationships with neighborhood mom-and-pop establishments are the backbone of Foods of New York Tours, and that insider knowledge really shines through.
“When we find something that works, then we focus on building that relationship,” said Nolita/NoHo guide Anny Finnestad. “There is so much thought that goes into the planning of the tour, the pacing, the way the tastings are laid out, and those little digestible pieces of culture, history and architecture.”
On a recent sunny Saturday morning, the Nolita/NoHo group gathered at one of those mom-and-pop places, the Little Cupcake Bakeshop. Finnestad called the vibe of Nolita, north of Little Italy, and NoHo, north of Houston Street, “industrial chic.” Tourgoers listened politely as she pointed out the Shepard Fairey “Obey” mural, though it was hard to concentrate while eating a decadent mini Brooklyn blackout cupcake with ganache frosting swirled with chocolate pudding.
The mix of food and art continued to be a theme of the tour. The neighborhood at one time was a hotbed of street art, and there are signs of that everywhere, if you know where to look. And Finnestad did, pointing out a Banksy figure at the top of a boring-looking facade.
She also shared the neighborhood’s Italian roots, including tales of altar boy Martin Scorsese and the baptism scene from “The Godfather” shot at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. You have to have pizza with all that Italy talk, and the chef at Emporio, Riccardo Buitoni, has a name that is pretty familiar to pasta lovers. His quaint spot on Mott Street has a wood-burning oven run by a pizzaiola, a chef who is dedicated to pizza. No sauce needed with this thin but chewy pie. The cow’s milk mozzarella was the perfect foil for the prosciutto de Parma and chopped tomatoes. Fresh arugula and olive oil added a peppery finish.
Even the locals learn something on these tours. Michelle Flessner has gone on three food tours since moving to New York nearly a year ago. “It feels authentic,” she said. “The tour guides live here and know the city, and they have a personal relationship with the establishments.”
Tartinery offered a bit of French respite, along with a gallery of rock ‘n’ roll photos and tiny street art by Space Invader tucked under the staircase. A sip of wine accompanied the tartine, which was toasted bread topped with roasted chicken, shaved fennel and herbed mayo. “It’s all about the bread in the tartine,” said Finnestad, and we’d have to agree.
Even dedicated foodies need a bit of a break, and The New York Shaving Co. gave a glimpse at what an old-fashioned shave (yes, with a straight razor) looks like.
The Public restaurant has a famous past, as it was the site of Thomas Edison’s laboratory in the 1880s. It retains an old-fashioned vibe, complete with a card catalog that lists wines served to its club members. Then it was off to the roadside diner, or at least New York’s version, Oficina Latina, for an arepas de carne, a mini sandwich filled with braised short ribs and sweet red onions.
Foods of New York Tours emphasizes variety, so a place like Tacombi, with its Mexican street food vibe, did not feel out of place. There were plenty of extra spices on the table to add to the esquites, roasted corn topped with a smoky aioli, and an agua fresca to wash it down.
They warn you not to eat before a tour, but at this point, it was getting hard to find room for one more taste. Luckily, the last stop offered a refreshing homemade gelato from Il Buco, a bakery that has been in the neighborhood for more than 20 years.
This is New York, so when it was time for the tour to end, there was a bit of theater as Finnestad offered a goodbye serenade. The group quickly scattered. Time to find some lunch.
If you go
Foods of New York Tours has six different tours, and all are researched for several years before they are added. In peak season, the inaugural tour, Greenwich Village, is seven days a week, up to seven times per day. That is a great tour; I also enjoyed the Chelsea Market tour.
“The tours take on a personality of their own, and of the guide and what the guide’s strengths are,” said guide Anny Finnestad.
Most tours are $52-$65. www.foodsofny.com
Other food tour options:
Walks of New York: Features a Mario Batali-inspired tour of Greenwich Village; $64. www.walksofnewyork.com
Cloud 9 Living: “Mad Men,” pizza and beer all have tours of their own; $42-$150. www.cloud9living.com
Free Tours by Foot: On these tours, the guides bring you to the spots, and you pay as you go. www.freetoursbyfoot.com
