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
Thank you for booking directly with us!
Use code LAL10 for 10% off
Adult (11 years & up)
$ 78
Child (4-10)
$ 68
Children 3 & under
Free
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.
Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of the immigrant experience in New York City’s Lower East Side, brought to life through its diverse and historic culinary landscape. Join us for a journey that not only offers a taste of the neighborhood’s flavors but also celebrates the stories of perseverance and cultural richness brought by immigrants.
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, with food that tells stories of migration, adaptation, and community.
Little Italy: Continue to Little Italy, where the essence of Italian heritage flourishes. Here, traditional recipes and culinary methods passed down through generations are savored. Learn about the community’s efforts to preserve their rich cultural heritage through food.
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 sweets from Economy Candy, a shop that has delighted New Yorkers since the Great Depression.
- Nolita Pizza : Sample a slice from Nolita Pizza, where New York meets Italy in every bite.
- Ferrara’s Bakery & Cafe: Delight in Ferrara’s legendary cannolis, a taste of Italian history dating back to 1892.
- 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 culinary tour is a celebration of the enduring spirit of the immigrants who have shaped the Lower East Side. Through each bite and story, discover how the neighborhood’s cultural and culinary fabric has been woven together by diverse communities.
Join us on this flavorful exploration of history, heritage, and cuisine. Let our expert guides illuminate the past and present of the Lower East Side, making your experience not only delicious but deeply enriching.
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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