Local Food Tours are a Great Way to Savor the Flavor

Why take a food tour?

“I’ve always wanted to try that place.”  “I never knew this restaurant existed.” Good reasons to take advantage of a local food tour!  Whether you’re a city native or a visitor, food tours are a great way to get a feel for the local flavor, discover a hidden gem, and learn about the area culture.

You can find general themed food tours that combine eclectic samplings of neighborhood cuisine and libations.  There are also an abundance of tours that have specialty themes – craft beer tours, seafood tours, ethnic food tours, wine sample pairings, Cajun cuisine. You get the idea! 

How a food tour works

In general, participants eat and drink local style over 3 hours and will experience 4 – 7 stops along a 1 ½ – 2 mile trek.  Most tour companies keep their groups small, 10 – 15 people, allowing a personalized experience for each guest. Many companies will craft private group tours.

I recently took a food tour in my home town that was a surprise Saturday afternoon activity arranged by my husband. This tour featured the following over 5 stops: Blood Orange Margarita, Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Crab Cakes, a flight of locally brewed beer, Lobster Quesadilla, Lobster Pizza, Fried Snapper and a dessert choice with coffee. Enough food and drink for a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon! The group was ½ locals and ½ tourists who shared lots of laughs, learned about the eating establishments, met the restaurant owners and filled our bellies full of yummy seafood. We learned some area history and ate at three restaurants that my husband and I “had been meaning to try”. 

Reasons to take a food tour

Besides wanting to sample local fare and learn the history of an area, other good excuses for taking a food tour include: girls/guys nights out, corporate events, wedding showers, birthday/holiday gifts, reunions, supper club outings. Any excuse is a good excuse! 

For a gastronomical treat, try a local food tour to sip and taste some of the natives’ favorite dishes and tipples. You won’t be disappointed!! 

Are there any food tours in your town that you would recommend? 

KRISTA GALLATY is an influential coach, trainer, and consultant who has enjoyed a highly successful 20+ year career in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, all the while traveling extensively for both business and pleasure. Combining her vast business experience and her passion for helping others, she’s an extraordinary facilitator, coach, and trainer aimed at improving performance outcomes by aligning people strategies with their goals.

As a Midlife Road trip correspondent, she shares her experiences on land and sea from multigenerational travel, to where to find the best eats in the French Quarter and much, much more.