Tasty Tours NYC Greenwich Village Food Tour does an amazing job not only with its food route but also with highlighting various interesting cultural landmarks.

In this blog post, I will take you along on this Greenwich Village NYC Food Tour by Tasty Tours NYC. We’ll go to the general itinerary which I hope convinces you to book this gem of a tour for your next weekend adventure.

Whether you’re a local or someone visiting New York looking for a unique activity, this is an amazing tour that I highly recommend!

Why Choose Greenwich Village for a Food Tour?

With so many interesting neighborhoods in NYC, I often find it hard to narrow down which area I want to explore when choosing a food tour. While I am no stranger to Greenwich Village, I realized how little I know about its history and its staple food gems.

Greenwich Village boasts a captivating tapestry of cultural history and a food scene that emphasizes the culinary diversity of NYC. Steeped in artistic legacy and progressive ideologies, this iconic neighborhood has long been a melting pot of cultures, attracting intellectuals, bohemians, and food enthusiasts alike. Greenwich Village’s culinary landscape is a reflection of its eclectic community, offering an array of flavors from around the globe.

In essence, Greenwich Village isn’t just a destination for food; it’s a destination for culinary discovery, where every bite tells a story and every meal is an opportunity to connect with the soul of this iconic neighborhood.

Why Choose Tasty Tours NYC Greenwich Village Food Tour Compared to others?

Tasty Tours NYC is run by Ryan who is truly passionate about bringing you on this culinary journey with him. He started the company last summer to combine activities that make his soul happy: being outdoors while finding something unique about his neighborhoods, eating well and sharing that experience with others, and meeting exciting people from all over the world.

I had a blast spending the afternoon with him and he made everyone on the tour as if he was your NYC friend taking you on an afternoon adventure around his favorite neighborhood.

What I specifically loved about his itinerary were the following:

1. diversity of the foods chosen for this route – it was a selection of some of the best NYC staples
2. dietary accommodation for a vegetarian diet – this particular tour accommodated my friend who was vegetarian and didn’t feel like she was left out of any tastings!
3. historical spots and learning about the neighborhood which I otherwise wouldn’t have known about
4. group size, and overall atmosphere!

What to Expect on tasty tours NYC Greenwich Village Food Tour

Food Tour Logistics

The Greenwich Village Food Tour consists of 6 food spots along with stops at historical landmarks in between. It’s meant to highlight the cultural staples of NYC food with its diversity in cuisine. It’ll last between 2-3 hours depending on the pace of the group and you’ll walk for about 1.5 miles. It’s priced very well at $79 a tour which is more than reasonable for all that you get!

Food Stops

When you’re eating at 6 places, the key to experiencing every bite equally is pacing. The last thing you want to do is be full after the first or second stop. I could confidently say that Tasty Tours NYC figured out the perfect portions for us! Each of the stops below was awesomely chosen and the combination of all different cuisines genuinely hit the spot each time.

If you’re curious about the itinerary, on Tasty Tour’s Greenwich Village Food Tour, these are the stops we covered on our particular tour:

Food Stop 1: Bagel Bob’s

The tour started at a local college staple, Bagel Bob’s. Having grown up in New Jersey and been spoiled by some really good bagels throughout my life, I am very picky about my spots. What makes NYC/NJ bagels so good is indeed the water that we have in this area and years and years of craft experience. Bagel Bob’s did not disappoint with their perfect creations: a classic hand-rolled sesame bagel with whipped cream cheese.

And the cutest thing was the fact that these bagels were miniature! I mean … perfection.

Landmark Stops: House of Death, Washington Mews and Washington Square Park

After our delicious bagels, we made our way over to the House of Death, an unassuming brownstone known for multiple ghost sightings and some spooky history. Oh, and it’s famous for the fact that Mark Twain briefly lived there and is seen roaming around as a ghost to this day 👻.

Our next landmark stop was the Washington Mews, now a picturesque gated street and previously a known horse stable/home neighborhood. It’s not hard to understand why this area was and still is highly desirable among artists, creatives, and educators. It is truly a super charming oasis in the middle of busy NYC.

Our last digestion stop for this leg of the tour was the amazing Washington Square Park. This park is simply a must on any NYC itinerary so I’m glad it is included on this tour. I always love people-watching there at any time of the year, however, Ryan told us some spooky history that I didn’t know was a part of the park’s story.

Food Stop 2: Mamoun’s Falafel

Having gone to Rutgers University, I am no stranger to Mamoun’s which also has a location in New Brunswick. So when we stopped at the original location, I was ecstatic. We had the most perfect Falafel along with their homemade sauces! I am not lying when I tell you these are some of the best falafels you’ll ever have.

Landmark Stops: Comedy Cellar

Right next to Mamoun’s is NYC’s best-known comedy institution, Comedy Cellar. If you’ve never heard of this place, it’s famous for comedians to randomly show up and test out their new material there. It has multiple shows per day and is a place that you should visit at least once in your life. Don’t be surprised when your phone is taken away, that’s usually a sign that someone big is coming up on stage!

Food Stop 3: Faicco’s Italian Deli

There is nothing more NYC than a true Italian Deli! So our next food stop had to naturally be that at Faicco’s Italian Deli. You can truly feel the vibe of a traditional Italian shop when you step foot inside the store. Not only can you find a variety of Italian products but you can also get a fresh Italian sub for later 🙂

Our tasting included mini arancini balls in fresh marinara sauce. They were truly mouthwatering and I would have easily eaten 5 more.

Landmark Stop: T-Swift Apartment

Unlike the rest of the world, I am not a Swiftie. However, it was cool to make our next landmark spot at 23 Cornelia Street, a former home of Taylor Swift. While unassuming from the outside, this is actually a giant space with a pool!!! inside the apartment!

More than the apartment, I enjoyed the charming street and neighborhood that it was located on. I can certainly see the charm of this place as an inspiration for her songs.

Food Stop 4: Bleecker Street Pizza

And now to my favorite stop of the tour, the pizza stop!!! I am a huge pizza gal so when I found out that we’ll be stopping at Bleecker Street Pizza, my soul was happy.

We had the traditional Margherita-style slice. If you’re not a stranger to NYC-style pizza, you’ll love this particular slice! On the other hand, if you’ve never had a true NYC slice, this will set your standards pretty high.

Food Stop 5: Little Taco

Continuing the trend of NYC staples, we stopped at an unassuming hole in the wall, The Little Taco. We had carne tacos for the non-vegetarian group and cactus tacos for our plant eaters. Both versions were awesome and I’d certainly come back to try other foods there.

Landmark Stops: Friend’s Apartment, Twin Houses of Commerce Street

Next, we took a walk towards the famous Friend’s Apartment. Most fans of the show know that the show wasn’t filmed there however, this apartment is seen as the opening scene for most of the episodes. It was cool to see it in person especially that I wouldn’t have probably visited this touristy spots by myself!

After seeing the Friend’s Apartment, we walked over to see the Twin Houses of Commerce Street. We learned about the history of this unique building and walked around the charming streets surrounding them.

Food Stop 6: Molly’s Cupcakes

Last but not least, we ended the tour at Molly’s Cupcakes tasting NYC’s famous sweet treats. Molly’s is an award-winning cupcake shop and has a very unique selection of flavors!

I had the Samoa Cupcake which was stuffed with some mouth-watering coconut filling. It was the perfect ending to our afternoon tour!

Final Thoughts on Tasty Tour NYC’s Greenwich Village Food Tour

Having been on a dozen+ food tours all over the world, it’s hard to find unique experiences that don’t feel scripted. But I can easily say that Ryan from Tasty Tours NYC has created the PERFECT Greenwich Village Food Tour!

All the stops were perfectly curated, the portions perfectly portioned and most importantly, the tour was a ton of fun. I’m sure that repeating the same route multiple times per week gets well … repetitive. However, his excitement and enthusiasm felt as if he was taking a friend around for the first time. He made sure to personally spend time with each of the tour’s participants and share something personal with them.

If you’re in NYC looking for a unique activity, don’t think twice and book one of Tasty Tour NYC Food Tours. In addition to the Greenwich Village one, Ryan also hosts routes on the Upper East and West Side as well.

How to Book Your Greenwich Village Food Tour with Tasty Tours NYC

Simply visit his website for the schedule! Here is the link for ya.

I want to thank Tasty Tours for hosting me and my guest on this tour. You can be sure that this opinion is honest and that I wouldn’t recommend something I personally did not enjoy!

Now let me tell you. If you want to eat some seriously delicious food, learn about local Jewish history, and spend time with an awesome host, this tour is just that!

In this post, I’ll take you on this Upper East Side Jewish Food Tour journey with me! I hope it inspires you to check out this unique NYC activity 🙂

A little bit on Ultimate Food Tour’s background

I gotta say, aside from my curiosity about the food and its history, I always love learning about how unique ideas were born. Rarely are cool things carefully planned and executed, often times they happen because of a random life circumstance that pushes us to do something different. That follows Scott’s baby, or Ultimate Food Tours, which started as hobby, turned an Airbnb experience, and now is a well-established NYC Food Tour company offering 4 amazing options through NYC’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Things born out of pure passion and interest often reflect that in the actual experience and that’s certainly how I felt listening to Scott. He walked us through the history of the food and the neighborhood all with a personal connection and passion radiating from him. He was very knowledgeable about the topic and genuinely excited to take you on this tour. There is such a difference in the quality of your time when your guide has his full heart in what he does!

And Some Quick Logistics about the Jewish Food Tour

• The tour starts on the Upper East Side and continues throughout it
• This is mostly an outdoor walking tour so wear comfy shoes and dress weather appropriate
• Yes, there will be bathroom stops along the route
• Don’t eat much prior to the tour and portions will keep you full so no need to book resys for after either!
• The cost of the Jewish Food Tour is $90 per person which is very standard for a food tour experience

Let’s go on a Jewish Food Tour in NYC!

Stop 1: Orwashers’ Bakery

What’s more iconic than a real NYC bagel with lox? Nothing, so it was only appropriate to start this awesome food tour with the most delicious bagel topped with cream cheese, lox, and some green onions. If you know me, you know I am very picky about my lox and I do not overhype anything subpar. But let me tell you, Orwashers nailed this!

In addition to the tasting itself, this is where our history of Jewish foods begins. We learned that traditionally this was a sandwich that in order to become appropriate with kosher customs, had to get “re-invented” a little. This combo was originally intended to have a herring addition but since salmon was more available and cheaper in NYC, that ended up being the winner. Who knew that this substitution would become such a staple! Since the Yiddish word for Lox is Laks, that’s where that name came from. Today, this iconic sandwich is something most New Yorkers enjoy for their weekend breakfast!

In addition to their amazing bagels, Orwashers also serves bread, pastries, and cakes! Make sure to grab a traditional rugelach cookie as well!

Stop 2: Schaller’s Stube Sausage Bar

For our next stop, we had some delicious New York hot dogs. But this wasn’t some simple hot dog from a street vendor, this was some next-level meat. A perfectly done hot dog in a pretzel bun with sauerkraut and mustard was the perfect next bite!

At first, I was surprised about how hot dogs can be tied into local Jewish history. But we learned about how the famous Hebrew National Dogs came into the market and how they are still one the most popular selling hot dogs around! They’re iconic slogan of answering to a “higher authority” got them national attention and was one of the first major kosher items to start selling in supermarkets.

We also learned about the kosher custom of eating meat vs. dairy and how kosher restaurant certifications come about. I absolutely love learning about the influence of cultures on food and especially the new inventions that come about in melting-pot cities like New York!

Stop 3: Pastrami Queen

Continuing on our tour, we headed over to Pastrami Queen. If you’re a New Yorker, a good pastrami sandwich is a staple in your diet. While some will argue that Katz’ has the best one in town, after trying Pastrami Queen, you might change your mind. This hole-in-the-wall spot does indeed serve an awesome sandwich that I will cross the Hudson River from Jersey to have again. Not only was the pastrami perfectly cured and seasoned, the rye bread (which comes from Orwashers Bakery!) perfectly complimented it as well.

Stop 4: William Greenberg Desserts

Last but not least, we stopped at William Greenberg Desserts for the one and only, Black and White Cookie! If you’re from this area, chances are you had dozens of these in your life. Although what appears to be a pretty simple cookie, it’s not as easy to find a well-made black and white as you’d imagine. This bakery did indeed nail this and it was the perfect way to end our Jewish Food Tour in New York.

As many black and white cookies as I enjoyed in my life, I had no idea it carried a Jewish-American history nor that it’s thought to have roots in Manhattan itself. It also carries some interesting stories related to the war! Who knew this simple classic cookie carries so much cultural importance!

Thoughts on the Jewish Food Tour in NYC

I personally love learning about cultures through their food. It’s especially fascinating in areas like New York City where multiple nationalities, religions, and customs all come together in search for a better life. With that, different combinations of origins along with substitutions for traditional ingredients created masterpieces like a lox bagel, a pastrami sandwich, a hot dog or even a cookie! While we may be eating these foods on a regular basis, learning about their origins makes each bite that more special.

Going on this Jewish Food Tour in New York with Scott’s Ultimate Food Tour was such an awesome weekend activity. I’d certainly recommend it if you’re looking for a unique thing to do in NYC! I loved it for its history, exploring the Upper East Side neighborhood in a different way, and most importantly the delicious food choices.

Whether you are a local like myself or someone visiting NYC for the first time, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this activity as much as I did!

And if the food stops on this route don’t necessarily go with your taste palette, Ultimate Food Tours has other routes in Chinatown, Times Square, and their Iconic Food Tour throughout the city.

I want to thank Scott for inviting me and my guest to spend the day with him! The opinions in this post are my own!

When I visit new cities, I simply love doing food tours! But when Ahoy NYC Food Tours invited me on a tour in my own neighborhood, I didn’t know what to expect. I mean, a Little Italy and Chinatown food tour in NYC? I’ve eaten in these areas dozens of times so how could I possibly discover new things?

Well, spoiler alert. Ahoy Food Tours killed it! Not only did I eat some amazing Asian and Italian food but also learned about their shared immigrant history and saw some cool new spots in both neighborhoods. It’s safe to say that even when you think you’ve seen it all, you can ALWAYS find hidden gems in your own neighborhoods! You can have a Perfect Day right around the corner.

In this review, I will share some general information about the NYC Little Italy and Chinatown Food Tour along with an overview of the food we tasted.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a discount code for Ahoy Food Tours that you use when booking!

Let’s Start with Some Useful Info

Ahoy Food Tours has been around for a while, since 2008 to be exact. Each tour consists of a small group of up to 13 people. Their most popular public tour is the Little Italy and Chinatown Food Tour in NYC but they also have another multicultural one on Mulberry Street. They also offer private and corporate events. Prices are pretty average for a food tour compared to local companies.

Our tour guide Maryana was amazing. She was super knowledgeable about the neighborhoods, history, and food of course. We really enjoyed her expertise!

Dietary Accommodations

Food tours and dietary restrictions don’t always go hand in hand. Previously I attended a food tour in another city where a company listed that they accommodate a specific food allergy. In practice, that accommodation ended up being a total failure and the tour ended up a dud for our group then.

My guest on Ahoy’s Food Tour was vegetarian so we knew that she wouldn’t be able to taste everything. But what pleasantly surprised us is that in every spot which included a meat bite, the tour had prepared a substitute delicious veggie tasting for her. Each accommodation is different but if you’re a vegetarian, don’t worry about missing out! They do a great job with substitutions!

Overall Itinerary

The tour lasts approximately 3 hours, there are 8 tastings with one alcoholic beverage included. You will certainly feel full after the tour as the portions are generous (for a food tour of course).

You’ll be walking for about half a mile outside so dress accordingly to NYC seasonal weather. During the stops outside, you’ll learn about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the tenements of the area, the dark history of Chinatown, and the immigrant history of Little Italy. As an immigrant myself, this was a very interesting portion of the tour. It shows how the people and history shaped the area along with the food and how much struggle they went through in hopes of a better life in this country.

Tasting Stop Overview

• At our meeting spot, we enjoyed hot tea and a pork bun
• Then we had some dumplings
• Next was a Chinese sponge cake
• Then a fresh mozzarella with prosciutto
• And some gnocchi with amazing marinara sauce
• Next was a cheese sampling from a famous cheese shop
• My favorite was the following sit-down stop with eggplant rollatini and a cold beer
• And lastly, we had cannoli to end on a perfect sweet tooth!

I was so full at the end and so happy with all the delicious tastings. There truly wasn’t a bad meal on this Little Italy and Chinatown food tour in NYC.

Now let’s dive a little more into each tasting!

Tasting 1: Tea Tasting with a Chinese Pastry

Our tour started at Silk Road Cafe for our first tasting of Jasmine Tea. It was served in cute little glasses and we let it seep while we settled in and got our introduction to the tour. Our tour guide explained the importance of balance within traditional Chinese cuisine. We sipped our tea and enjoyed her explanation of herbal concoctions throughout history.

Next was an insanely delicious pork bun (and taro bun for my vegetarian friend) from Fay Da Bakery. The slightly sweet bread along with the salty and perfectly seasoned pork was a perfect combo. The taro bun had a combination of sweetness with floral undertones, and almond slices on top were a great touch. I could have easily eaten two more!

Tasting 2: Dumplings

Next, we headed over to Tasty Dumplings for some meat dumplings! Dumplings to me are always fascinating since most cultures in the world figured out their unique way of stuffing their favorite ingredients in a form of a dough pocket. For example, Eastern Europeans have pierogis, South Americans have empanadas, Italians have ravioli and Asians have dumplings! In essence these are allt’s the same food, yet they are all so different to each culture.

Back to Tasty Dumplings though, don’t let this hole-in-a-wall fool you with its simple appearance. The dumplings were superb!

Tasting 3: Spongecake

We enjoyed our next tasting which was a (purple) spongecake from Kam Hing Coffee Shop while listening to some interesting history behind Doyers Street. It’s quite wild yet fascinating and I won’t spoil it for you because it’s just one of those stories you’ll have to hear about in person. For a tad more suspense, I also won’t tell you the ingredient that makes the spongecake purple. I’ll save that detail for your tour too.

Tasting 4: Fresh Homemade Mozzarella wrapped in Prosciutto

After our Chinatown tour stops, we headed over to Little Italy. Personally, I have eaten many meals there and attended (my favorite) San Gennaro Feast! I love the food in that area so I was very excited about discovering some new gems!

Our first location in Little Italy was Alleva Dairy, which is the oldest cheese shop in America. Upon entering the shop, you could immediately smell the delicious scents of authentic Italian deli. We sampled homemade mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto (or if you’re from Jersey like me then call it mutz) 🙂 Since the cheese was unsalted, the cured prosciutto beautifully complimented it!

Tasting 5: Fresh Pasta

Our next bite was pasta in tomato sauce at Piemonte Ravioli. It was a small pasta store that sells pasta to very popular clients! I expected the sauce to be salty, however to my surprise, it had a slightly sweet aftertaste. We learned that it’s the tomatoes that give it that distinctive taste.

Tasting 6: Imported Cheeses and Olives

You can NEVER ever have enough cheese so when we arrived at Di Palo’s Fine Foods and tasted some Piave (cow milk) and Moliterno (sheep milk), my soul was super happy. Not only was the cheese amazing, but the store itself is such an institution. Their imported foods are impressive, I mean check out these cheese wheels!

Tasting 7: Eggplant Rollatini

Benito One was our sit-down spot where we had some Eggplant Rollatini along with an alcoholic beverage of our choice. The rollatini was probably my favorite meal out of the tour since I am a sucker for some good Italian!

The restaurant itself was such an interesting place and I am certainly planning to come back for a full dinner soon with my family.

Depending on the tour, the sit-down locations vary between this one and having Dim Sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor.

Tasting 8: Cannoli

Last but not least, we ended the tour with the perfect sweet tooth treat, a pistachio cannoli! Normally the tour does this tasting at Ferrara Bakery, which I LOVE dearly, however, it was closed on the day we did the tour.

Is Ahoy’s Little Italy and Chinatown Food Tour in NYC worth it?

Yes it is. As someone who has done a dozen of food tours, I have to say I really enjoyed Ahoy’s Food Tour. All the tastings were delicious and it was great to learn some interesting neighborhood history along with it. The food portions and picks were great, our tour guide really knew her stuff, and it was a great afternoon activity to do with my best friend.

Ahoy was generous to share this discount code for Perfect Day readers so you guys can save some $$. Visit their website for the tour schedule.

USE CODE PDSAHNY TO SAVE 20% OFF AHOY FOOD TOURS!

If you’re a fan of food tours, you’ll like this one. If you’ve never done one, Ahoy will set the bar high!

I am thankful to Ahoy’s team for the invite and I assure you that this is a truly honest and independent opinion about it.