New York City Food Tour

Now that I have been back at school for a few hours and have sampled the cafeteria food, I am already reminiscing about New York City and all the dining options I had at my fingertips. Yesterday, the best birthday gift – a food tour of Greenwich Village –  reminded me of all these choices.

On a three hour guided tour, my mom and I explored the streets of the West Village. I learned about the culture and entertainment of this neighborhood, and most importantly, the food!

Here is the list of places the tour took us to and the food we ate:

1. Murray’s Cheese Shop: three different cheeses, whose names I forget, but were very good.
2. Joe’s Pizza: half a slice of excellent thin crust pizza.
3. Faicco’s Italian Specialties: a deep fried rice ball, which was my least favorite thing I ate on the tour.
4. O and Co. Olive Oils: a piece of bread with basil olive oil (though seemingly simple, this was my favorite item I ate on the tour), and another piece of bread with honey and truffle salt.
5. Milk and Cookies Bakery: a warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie – perfect for a cold winter day.
6. Rocco’s Pastry Shop: the best-tasting cannoli I’ve eaten (I never really liked cannoli, but now I am a fan)
7. Centro Vinoteca: a plate of four antipasti (from left to right in photo below: bacon rapped gorgonzola (my least favorite on the plate), zucchini fritter, artichoke heart with a piece of cheese, and deviled egg with truffle oil).

Most of the food I ate on the tour was truly exceptional, and I learned things about NYC that I had never known in the 20 years that I have resided there. For example, did you know that the street signs near Wall Street are black to indicate that the area is an old Dutch neighborhood?

You definitely do not need to be a tourist to go on a tour in Manhattan, so why not try a food tour? All you need to bring is your appetite.