What Makes a Great Food Tour?
Foodie tours seem to be the next big thing everywhere. Sure, there have been pub crawls and other types of tasting tours, but there is a new level of sophistication to some of these tours. It’s a great way to get to the best food in a city or area, for travelers and locals alike.
Good food tours need to have a reasonable walking and/or transport schedule, excellent food, of course, but also something more: a great guide. The guide has to have the ability to immediately connect with the individuals in the group, to gauge the group energy level and keep them moving without making them feel rushed, and be able to speak knowledgeably about the foods. The guide also has to make it fun for the group. I’ll tell you about the best three food tours I’ve been on recently.
Lip Smacking Foodie Tour-Las Vegas
Chocolate desserts
I really liked this food tour because it was clear that our guide, Donald, a founder and owner of the company, knows food in general and the restaurants in particular that we visited. At each stop our group of 7 was led to a special table with printed menus. Donald would tell us about the restaurant and explain what we were going to taste. Our group was welcomed at each restaurant and either a manager or a chef came out and spoke to the group. Guests were encouraged to ask questions. There were multiple dishes to taste at each restaurant, so by the end of the tour we’d eaten at least 15 different items. The food was served family style, so people could taste a little of everything. On the particular tour we were on, “Savors of the Strip,” alcohol was not included but people could purchase drinks if they wished. It was fun to watch some people get the flaming absinthe drink at Sage (in the Aria Hotel)-I think that’s at $25 drink. (There is an option to include drinks when you make a reservation.) We went to 5 different restaurants and 2 other stops-one at the Hexx chocolate factory. The walking distance was reasonable,the pace was comfortable, not rushed or too slow.The tour did last the three hours advertised. I was impressed by our tour guide’s knowledge, the excellent quality of all of the food that we had, and the superb organization of the overall tour. The restaurants on this particular tour were some that I would definitely go back to and recommend to anyone going to Vegas. (Full disclosure: I was a guest on this tour with a group courtesy of the Las Vegas CVB .)
The Roman Food Tour- Rome, Italy
Pizza!
The tour we did from this company was called the Prati by Sunset Tour, and the tour guide, Alina, was also knowledgeable and upbeat about all the food. She kept the group moving but the pace was comfortable and the walking distance very easy. We never felt rushed. This tour includes cheeses and meats, pizza, pastas, gelato. Every stop had a special table for our group, with food already prepared, or served directly after arriving. Alina explained everything and there was wine included at each stop. The foods were all excellent, and if we had been staying in the Prati district (just north and east of the Vatican area) we would have been set for food options for the rest of our stay. The only drawback was that none of the shop proprietors came and spoke to our group. Perhaps this was due to the language barrier, but it would have made the tour more personalized. The tour lasts about three hours and Alina made sure everyone got back to their proper Metro stop or called a cab at the end of the tour. She also took group photos and sent people links to get them. The restaurant and store choices on this tour were top notch.
Food Chicks Tour- San Antonio, Texas
Julia Celeste is the consummate foodie-she is the top food writer in San Antonio and knows everyone in the local (and beyond) area that has anything to do with food. My husband and I bought this tour certificate at a charity auction and were delighted to play tourists in our home town. We had fun talking about the San Antonio food scene with her.
We took her personalized tour of the Pearl Brewery Neighborhood and loved each and every place. There were no pre-printed menus, but she knew just what we should have at each stop. The owner or manager greeted us at each place and also recommended certain items. At Southerleigh, we bellied up to the crab boil bar and watched the chefs preparing everything.We ordered the snapper throats and they are great. (Who would have thought a non-fish lover would love those? Not me!) Since there were just two of us and Julia in this group, the experience was more like doing a progressive dinner with a friend, rather than on a guided tour. A drink at each stop was included, and we had plenty of time to savor each dish. We found some new places that we have returned to and have taken friends. We would definitely do another of her themed food tours, for sure.
Another great food tour company is Paris By Mouth. They do neighborhood food tours and their website has great food resources if you are going to Paris.
What great food tours have you experienced?
