Because food is literally the best thing on the planet, I knew the perfect birthday gift would be to go on a NYC food tour with my family. I went on the "Nolita & Little Italy Tour" by Foods of NY Tours and had the experience of a lifetime.
Not only are guests introduced to various unique and delicious restaurants, but they are taken back through time with some quick and fascinating historical Nolita and Little Italy stories along the way.
(This NYC food tour cost $58 a person and yes, there were vegetarian options!)
1. Emporio Ristorante
Our first stop on the tour was to "Emporio Ristorante", a rustic pizzeria. The group was taken through the step by step process of the creation of the above pizza and then sat down to enjoy our delicious dish. Loaded with buffalo mozzarella (yum!), cherry tomatoes, prosciutto, and grana padano cheese, this slice was definitely made in heaven. Talk about starting off with a bang!
Worth mentioning: The chef heard it was my birthday and prepared my group a Smores pizza, topped off with lots and lots of nutella!
2. Seamore's
Our next stop was at "Seamore's", a delightful little seafood restaurant. The tour was served fresh battered fish and sweet potato "chips" paired with tartar sauce (not pictured). Each guest was also given a glass of white wine (with freshly squeezed orange juice for the nonlegal foodies). I highly recommend visiting this restaurant and experiencing this crisp and mouth-watering meal.
3. Oficina Latina
(I was so excited to eat this taco that I forgot to take a picture of it on its own!)
Our next step was to "Oficina Latina", a restaurant with a mechanic-shop theme! We were given amazing beef tacos with beans and rice on the side. If you are looking for a cute Latin-bistro, this is definitely the place to go, especially if you love unique cocktails.
4. Little Cupcake Bake Shop
Who can forget the most important part of any meal: dessert! Stopping for a quick bite, guests indulged themselves with sweet cupcakes from "Little Cupcake Bake Shop". I may be a little biased, but I definitely recommend trying the Cookies and Cream Cupcake (pictured above).
5. Tacombi
Our next stop on this flavor adventure was to "Tacombi", a delicious Mexican taqueria. We were served corn sliced from the cob with cotija cheese and a homemade morita mayo concoction. This was paired with a refreshing watermelon juice which went perfectly with the spicy nature of the dish. We left with flaming mouths and content stomachs.
6. Stick With Me
The last stop on our tour was "Stick With Me", a sweet shop filled with some of the prettiest chocolates I had ever seen in my life (yes that is chocolate in the picture!) It was the perfect way to end an amazing tour and left me feeling satisfied and happier than can be.
So Was It Worth It?
Yes! I definitely believe that the experience of going on a NYC Food Tour is absolutely worth its price. Not only do you leave with a full belly, but you have the wonderful opportunity of being exposed to some of the best restaurants and history of your tour's specific area.
If you're looking for a fun thing to do with friends or family or looking for an interesting way to celebrate a birthday or anniversary, try a food tour! I promise you and your stomach won't be disappointed.