Tour Info
Duration: 3 Hours
Tour Includes: 6 tastings: enough food for lunch! Your local, licensed tour guide will provide laughter, storytelling and uncover hidden gems.
Dietary Restrictions: Vegetarian & Vegan friendly; Gluten Free not currently available on this tour.
Walking Distance: 2 miles. Guests must be able to move at a moderate pace.
Meeting Location: Essex Market
Tour Capacity: 14 people maximum
New York City is a city built by immigrants; take a walk in their footsteps and explore the tenements of the Lower East Side, the busting streets of Chinatown and the iconic heart of Little Italy.
This holiday season, step into the heart of New York City’s Lower East Side, where vibrant food traditions and rich immigrant stories come together in a celebration of cultural resilience and culinary excellence. Join us on a festive tour through this iconic neighborhood, where each bite tells the tale of perseverance, history, and community. Whether you’re visiting for the holidays or a local looking for something special, this tour promises an unforgettable journey through time and taste.
Tour Highlights:
Lower East Side: Start your exploration in the Lower East Side, a gateway for generations of immigrants seeking new opportunities. As we navigate through streets lined with historical tenements, our guides will share poignant tales of the neighborhood’s evolution from an immigrant enclave to a culinary hotspot.
Chinatown: Dive into the vibrant life of Chinatown, where traditional Chinese culinary practices meet modern innovations. This area serves as a living museum of Chinese-American history. During the holidays, this vibrant district truly comes to life, with festive decorations and seasonal specialties. Discover how Chinese-American food tells the stories of migration, adaptation, and cultural pride—making it the perfect place to savor both history and holiday spirit.
Little Italy: Continue to Little Italy, where the essence of Italian heritage flourishes. In this festive neighborhood, traditional Italian recipes passed down through generations take center stage. Learn about the community’s efforts to preserve its cultural roots through food while celebrating the holiday season with rich Italian holiday flavors.
Essex Market: Experience the global culinary fusion at Essex Market, a testament to New York’s melting pot identity. This market supports local vendors and artisans, showcasing global flavors while fostering community resilience and innovation.
Featured Food Stops:
- Mille Nonne: Revel in reimagined Italian classics at Mille Nonne, a zero-waste restaurant that marries traditional Italian cooking with modern sustainability.
- Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys: Taste authentic Eastern European flavors with a bialy or bagel from Kossar’s, representing the Jewish community’s historical presence.
- Economy Candy: Indulge in sweet holiday treats at Economy Candy, a beloved New York shop that has been spreading joy since the Great Depression. From nostalgic candy to holiday sweets, there’s something for everyone.
- Nolita Pizza : Sample a slice from Nolita Pizza, where New York meets Italy in every bite.
- Russ & Daughters: Add a sweet note with a slice of babka from Russ & Daughters, a celebrated Jewish deli known for its delicious Eastern European desserts and a century-old legacy of immigrant success.
- Ferrara’s Bakery & Cafe: Treat yourself to Ferrara’s legendary cannolis, a true Italian holiday classic dating back to 1892, offering a sweet taste of history.
- Mei Lai Wah: Conclude with a Cantonese pork bun from Mei Lai Wah, illustrating the contributions of Cantonese immigrants to the city’s food scene.
This holiday season, celebrate the enduring spirit of the immigrants who have shaped the Lower East Side into the cultural and culinary powerhouse it is today. Through each bite and every story, uncover how these diverse communities have woven a rich tapestry of history, heritage, and flavors. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time local, this festive culinary tour will leave you with lasting memories of both delicious food and the stories behind it.
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After many years in the restaurant business, Pilar Rigon, Mille Nonne Chef and Co-founder, felt the need for a new approach to Italian food. Partnering with her husband Bernardo Notargiacomo they created Mille Nonne (A Thousand Grandmothers), a zero-waste and sustainable concept based on providing happiness through great dishes, with a modern and diverse touch. At Mille Nonne each ingredient is used at its full extent, while creativity and respect are key.
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On your tour you will hear the term “social impact”, but what does that really mean? For us, social impact is making sure that we have a positive impact on the communities we live and work in, as well as the amazing places we explore with our tours. We believe that truly experiencing a place “like a local” means having meaningful engagement that supports local, community-based organizations and learning about their causes and the people making them happen. Just as we carefully select the places you’ll visit and the food you’ll try, we have also carefully selected our social impact partners to showcase the amazing work being done in our communities. Your patronage on our tours is a small act to help these initiatives flourish. We want to help our visitors explore NYC on an authentic level and make sure that we are all having a positive impact while doing it.
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Plans sometimes change. We get it; it happens to us too. So we’re happy to provide a hassle-free, 100% refund if you give us 24 hours’ notice.
Inside of 24 hours, we’ve already started preparing for your visit, and can’t easily fill your slot, so we sadly can’t provide you a refund in that case. -
We get it, some of us are details people and some of us are just along for the samples. We’ve got you covered either way on tour, but this tab is for our detail oriented planners. You’ll also receive this information in your confirmation email:
Meeting Point: Essex Market- 88 Essex St on the corner of Broome & Essex
Ending Point: Doyers Street
