I have never done a food tour before, and this was my first time experiencing it. Apparently, there are food tours in major cities around the globe. Happily, I had my first experience in New York City with Tasty Tours NYC.
Ryan, the owner of Tasty Tours NYC, is from Australia. He has a wonderful accent and is personable yet knowledgeable about the food and culture in New York City. He invited me and a guest to take the tour. Since my son is a true “foodie,” I thought he would be great to go along with for the ride.
Bagel Bob’s
The tour started on 10th and University Place in New York City. Two other groups besides my son and I were there, including a couple from Dallas, Texas, and a father with his two teenage children from France.
Ryan started the tour by explaining how the bagels are made at Bagel Bob’s and then gave us a mini everything bagel with cream cheese.
The crust on the bagel was superb. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was truly a treat and a great way to get started on the tour.
Washington Square Park
Before hitting the park, Ryan took the group to an interesting street that was stables back in the day. Today, it’s professor housing for NYU. It was a lovely block and felt as if it didn’t belong in New York City.
About a short block away, we went to the park and stood under the arch. I love Washington Square Park. It reminds me of my youth because I spent a lot of time there when I was in college.
One of the things I love about the arch is that you can see the Empire State Building in the distance right through the arch.
As we were walking out of the park toward MacDougal Street, we saw a human asparagus. New York City never ceases to amaze me. There’s something on every corner.
Mamoun’s Falafel
When my husband started NYU back in the late 70s, I spent a lot of time on MacDougal Street. He had an apartment on the 7th floor of one of the tenement buildings. I vividly remember walking up the seven flights of stairs and saying announcing that I wasn’t walking down until the next day. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and we walked up and down those stairs often forgetting something.
Anyway, Ryan took us to Mamoun’s Falafel and let me tell you, it was incredible. It was one of the best falafels I have had. I remember having them back in the day and thinking they were so incredible. But I haven’t found another place anywhere around the world that replicated the ones I had at Mamoun’s Falafel.
Pop Culture Sights
Throughout the tour, Ryan took us to Taylor Swift’s former home, the Friends’ building and even Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment building in the West Village.
Bleeker Street Pizza
This was one of the best pizzeria’s that I have tasted in New York City. Ryan explained how Bleeker Street Pizza made the crust and history of the pizzeria.
Little Taco House
Since I’m not a huge taco fan, this was my least favorite place on the tour. However, the people in our party loved it. We had a carne taco and sat outside the restaurant eating it.
Faicco’s Italian Specialties
Next, we went to Faicco’s Italian Specialties. There we were given a rice ball. It was creamy, rich on the inside and crunchy on the outside. As we sat outside eating these rice balls, the aroma from the specialty store seeped outside and was so refreshing. By experiencing this you wanted to taste everything in the store!
Melissa’s Cupcakes
Ryan finished off the tour by taking us to Melissa’s Cupcakes for a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. It was amazing. The cupcake melted in your mouth. It was the perfect way to end a great tour.
Tasty Tours NYC
I would highly recommend all the Tasty Tours NYC. Ryan was professional, personable, and knowledgeable about everything New York. In addition to the Greenwich Village Tour, he has tours in Chinatown and Little Italy, Upper East Side and Upper West Side of Manhattan. The tours are $79 per person and last for two hours and thirty minutes.
You can book a private or a corporate walking tour with Ryan by going to https://www.tastytoursnyc.com/food-tours.
