New York has a way of making you feel like you’re part of the story. You’re not just seeing the city, you’re tasting it.
As Women’s History Month winds down, we acknowledge that supporting women-owned doesn’t end at the end of March. Here’s a trip-planning idea that feels both fun and meaningful: build one day around women-owned food businesses we feature at Like A Local Tours, and pair each stop with a little “herstory” tied to the neighborhood.
You can do this two ways:
DIY style: Pick 2 to 4 stops below and wander at your own pace.
Let us handle it: Book a Like A Local Tours experience and get the tastings plus the neighborhood storytelling, without overthinking logistics.
Chelsea / Meatpacking: Seed + Mill (Chelsea Market)
Chelsea Market is a must for first-time visitors, and Seed + Mill is one of those places that makes you stop mid-bite and go, “Wait… how is sesame doing this much?”
Launched by three women founders, Seed + Mill built something modern and joyful around an ancient ingredient.
What to order
Go tahini- or halva-forward. If you’re torn, ask what they’re most excited about that week.
Herstory flair: Edie Sedgwick
Chelsea has long been a neighborhood for artists, outsiders, and creative risk-takers. Edie Sedgwick is one of the most iconic women tied to Chelsea’s cultural mythos. Edie Sedgwick was a 1960s New York “It girl” and Andy Warhol superstar, famous for her style, charisma, and tragic, short life.
What to do nearby
Walk the High Line right after for that “NYC in a movie” feeling.
Want Chelsea Market done the best way: bites + views + the backstory of what you’re looking at? Our Chelsea Market + High Line + Hudson Yards Food & History Tour includes stops in Chelsea Market and Market 57.
Pier 57 / Market 57: Bird & Branch (women-owned)
Bird & Branch is the kind of stop that makes a tourist day feel calmer and more local. On our Chelsea Market tour, it’s a perfect reset moment: something refreshing, a breather, and a reminder that the best NYC experiences often come from small places run with a lot of intention.
What to order
Go seasonal, or choose something bright and iced like the passionfruit iced tea if you’re in spring weather mode.
Herstory flair
This part of the West Side is modern New York, and it’s worth remembering it was built by a huge ecosystem of women behind the scenes across design, architecture, and development.
What to do nearby
Head up to The Roof at Pier 57 for an unexpectedly great, free view moment.
If you want Market 57, rooftop views, and the High Line without doing the “where do we go next?” shuffle, book the Chelsea Market + High Line + Hudson Yards Food & History Tour.
Lower East Side: Chomps-Élysées (Essex Market)
Tucked inside NYC’s historic Essex Market, Chomps-Élysées feels like a real neighborhood secret: warm, unfussy, and quietly charming.
It’s run by Tiffany “Tiff” Iung, a Brazilian-American maker who spent four years in Paris, including a chapter where they sold sandwiches from a vintage suitcase on a pink bicycle.
Chomps isn’t trying to be a big, fixed “concept.” The spirit is French more than the flavor, and the menu is intentionally flexible: it’s whatever Tiff makes that day. You’re not ordering the same thing everyone else ordered online. You’re getting the actual menu du jour.
What to order
Start with the soup of the day, which often includes vegan options (for example, orzo and chickpea with saffron, dill, spinach, and lemon, or sweet potato with coconut milk). If you want something more filling, check for grilled cheese, quiche, or baked extras like focaccia and cornbread.
Why it's a perfect NYC travel stop
Essex Market is a great “taste a bunch of NYC at once” anchor, especially if you’re exploring the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy corridor (and it’s why we love bringing guests through the market).
CTA: If you want Essex Market with the neighborhood story and the context that makes everything around you click, book our Immigrant New York Food Tour. It’s our love letter to the Lower East Side’s food and history.
Lower East Side: Rebecca’s Cake Pops
Rebecca’s Cake Pops is a reminder that NYC desserts do not need to be fussy to be memorable. It’s playful, portable, and genuinely sweet in the way a vacation treat should be.
What to order
Get two. One to eat immediately, one for later when you’re back at the hotel and you suddenly want a little “we really did that” snack.
Herstory flair: Bella Abzug
Downtown Manhattan has always been a home base for bold voices. Bella Abzug is one of the most famous women tied to New York’s political history and organizing spirit. Bella Abzug was a bold New York congresswoman and feminist leader known for her signature hats and outspoken advocacy for civil rights and women’s equality.
What to do nearby
Keep wandering through the LES into Chinatown or Little Italy and let the city do what it does best: surprise you.
CTA: Rebecca’s Cake Pops pairs perfectly with an Immigrant New York day. If you’d rather have the route mapped, the tastings handled, and a guide who can bring the neighborhood to life, grab tickets for our Immigrant New York Food Tour.
Two Easy Routes
If your ideal NYC day is “great bites, great stories, no overplanning,” that’s exactly what we do. Book a tour, show up hungry, and we’ll take it from there:
From
$68
Immigrant New York Food Tour: Lower East Side, Chinatown & Little Italy
- 3 Hours
- LES, Chinatown, Little Italy
-
Saturday 12pm
- COME HUNGRY!
- Private Tour
