New York bakeries are not your typical pastry shops. While you may be used to simply ordering a cake and a few pounds of those tri-color rainbow cookies, New Yorkers expect their bakeries to double as delicious cafes where you can stop for a bite to eat. Pasticceria Bruno is a delightful bakery and cafe where you can expect delicious croissants and scones, but also delicious sandwiches, soups, salads, and even pizza.

Although their main shop is in Staten Island, they opened up a location in the West Village which is a stop on the New York food tour. But if you don’t trust our judgement, you should ask Bobby Flay.  Pasticceria Bruno was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay for their famous cannoli.  But as an Italian, how can I pass up prosciutto and mozzarella? Although their sandwiches and pizza are must-haves, you can’t really pass on an opportunity to have their Italian pastries. Maybe more than one visit is in order.

Pasticceria Bruno is yet another shining example of New York’s finest cuisine that is both affordable and delicious. You don’t have to be part of the 1% to enjoy some of the best quality food in the area. Take a New York food tour and find out what you’re missing.

Sidewalks of NY offers a lot of tours, and while the NYC food tours and NYC food trucks tend to be their most popular, they have expanded outside the food realm. If you’re belly is full and you’re looking for another way to learn about this beautiful city of ours, sign up for the 9/11 Memorial Tour. The tour is more than just visiting the Memorial, although that is a large part of it. You will also see the major sights in the Financial District. There is more to the area than just the the New York Stock Exchange. Although you will be learning about the history of the Stock Exchange and Wall Street.

You will also go inside some of the oldest churches in the United States –Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel. Naturally the highlight of the tour will be visiting the beautiful new 9/11 Memorial. See the waterfalls where the towers were and visit the Fireman’s Memorial. This is one memorial that every New Yorker and every American should see.

The tour is only $30 and is given on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Check Sidewalks of NY’s website to look up times and make a reservation. Don’t pass up this wonderful tour!

Did you ever watch the television show on Food Network Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives? I’m fairly obsessed with that show. Essentially people recommend mom and pop type joints to chef Guy Fieri, the crazy one with the spiky blonde hair and the red convertible. He visits, he watches how they make the food, he eats the food, he listens to people comment on how amazing the place is. And of course every place he goes to is phenomenal, and by the end of the show there is a pile of drool on my lap.

So why are these places only known to locals? Why are they so darn good? It probably has something to do with integrity and pouring your heart, soul, and money into a business that you’ve established. Major cities and towns are flooded with restaurants and places to eat. All you can do is offer something different, something better than everyone else. That’s why Grandma is in the back making tortillas from scratch every single day at 6 a.m. When food is fresh and handmade, you can taste the difference.

People can get some cheap, mediocre food from a million places. It’s these lesser known establishments we visit on food tours NYC that stand out above all the commercial places. They need an edge, and you can taste it on your next New York food tour.

In our last blog post I began talking about the rich culture of Greenwich Village, but there’s just too much to talk about in one blog post. Today we’ll focus on two famous spots that you’ll pass by on the New York food tour with Sidewalks of NY. First is the Cherry Lane Theatre, located on Commerce Street. Perhaps you’ve passed by the red awning before not realizing its cultural significance. It is the oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York. It was originally a farm silo in the early 1800s and later a tobacco and box factory before members of the Provincetown Players converted it to a playhouse.

Next up is Stonewall Inn. Perhaps you’ve heard of this famous bar and the Stonewall riots of 1969 –an event to be considered the most important one leading to the gay liberation movement in the U.S. They first opened their doors in 1967, making quite a name for themselves as a popular gay bar. But at the time, the bar, like many others, were subject to police raids. A few months after the riots in ’69 began, they closed their doors. Various other businesses took over the space. In the 1990s a new bar simply called Stonewall setup shop in the west half of the original Stonewall Inn.

Learn more about these two historical spots on your next New York food tour.

One of the most popular NYC food tours is the West Village tour which takes you to beautiful Greenwich Village, also known simply as the Village. Located on the lower west side, the Village was once home to artists and beatniks.  It was the East Coast’s birthplace for the entire Beat Movement –think berets, black sweaters, and bad poetry. Today the artists have moved onto SoHo and Williamsburg. But what stayed is beautiful architecture, some art galleries, and the liberal attitude.

The Village is home to Washington Square Park, Off Broadway shows, jazz clubs, a plethora of bars and nightclubs, and the famous Halloween Parade. Naturally it’s also bustling with some amazing food like Mamoun’s Falafel and Magnolia Bakery. Besides hearing about the good eats on this New York food tour, you’ll make some famous stops like the Washington Irving house (where “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was written) and the buildings used for both Friends and Sex and the City. Of course Carrie “lived” on the Upper East Side but you couldn’t tell the difference, could you?

There is much to see in the Village, so much so that we’ll continue our discussion about this hotspot next week.

A native New Yorker is probably cringing right now at the thought of pizza from a truck. How could it possibly be that good? We don’t question how they do it, we just accept the fact that Eddie’s Pizza Truck is simple amazing and delicious. Eddie’s Pizza is a restaurant first and foremost on Long Island, New Hyde park to be more precise. They opened in the early 1930′s and quickly become known for pizza that is high in flavor and low in calories. Win-win, right?

When people from all over New York realized how good the food was, they kept requesting Eddie’s Pizza open up a location in Manhattan. Not to disappoint, they figured the best way to let everyone have a taste was through a food truck. The truck uses the exact same recipes, so you’re not missing out on the experience. Best of all, the truck does move around the city quite frequently. Check out the official website to see what area they will be in each day.

But you won’t have to worry about location if you sign up for a New York food tour. Eddie’s Pizza Truck is just one of several stops on the New York food trucks tour from Sidewalks of NY.

Last week I mentioned what an awesome idea it is to purchase a gift certificate for friends and family members. But what if mom, dad, siblings and their spouses, and some of your favorite cousins want to come too? What if you’re looking for a field trip of sorts for your office or theater company? You don’t want them to be separated into different groups. You want everyone to enjoy NYC food tours together, so you can all share in the experience.

Luckily for you, Sidewalks of NY actually offers private group tours. They can accommodate groups up to 54 people. However, each group can only have a max of 18 people. You will still go at the same time and see the same establishments, but each will have a different tour guide. It’s the perfect option for corporate events or family gatherings. Even if you’re all native New Yorkers, it’s fun to spend time together while eating absolutely delicious food. One tour goer gave some positive feedback,

The food sampled were a great mix of the tried-and-true NY establishments as well as some newcomers.  A number of my colleagues, including myself, are local to NYC, and we all agreed that this tour provided us with a fresh look at the city we’ve all been calling home for years!

So muster up your hungry troops and take them on a wonderful New York food tour. Learn more about private groups at the main website.

Holiday shopping can be a giant pain for many of us. After a few decades shopping for the same people, i.e. your family, it can be hard to think of new and inventive ideas. I’ve always found that the best gifts are “experience” gifts. You send them to the spa for a day of relaxation. Or you get their heart pumping with a sky diving lesson. But a more tame option are NYC food tours. It’s a wonderful experience that will get people out of the house and doing something they enjoy…eating!

I recently had an epiphany with this marvelous idea for my sister and her husband. They live on Long Island, they only venture into the city every so often for a Broadway show, and they need a bit more adventure in their lives. Signing them up for New York food tours seemed like a viable option. It’s right in my price range, they get to learn more about the city, and they get to go to all the cool spots to eat. What could be better?

Sidewalks of NY even offers gift certificates to make purchasing even easier. The hardest part will be stealing your friends and family’s calendars to make sure they’re free on the day you choose!

Many, many months ago I was on my way to a bar over on Stanton. But before I could indulge in the delights of good beer, I needed some dinner and sadly there was no food in the area to be had. My friends led me all the way up to St. Marks Place in search of some quick eats. It was there that I informed about the savory falafel. I knew of them but never partook. I kept it simple, I ordered a falafel sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini sauce. Needless to say, falafels have made burrowed their way into my heart.

The place I’m talking about is Mamoun’s, one stop on a New York food tour. The restaurant first opened its doors in 1971 and is actually the oldest Middle Eastern establishment in the city and one of the first in the United States. The flagship location is in Greenwich Village and a sit-down place is in New Haven. They welcome their newest addition across the Hudson in Hoboken, NJ.

You can find traditional Middle Eastern food like hummus, baba ganouj, shawarma, chicken kebob, and spinach pie. The food is authentic, flavorful, and just darn good. It’s sure to become a favorite of yours so stop by when you sign up for NYC food tours.

Once you begin indulging in what real, homemade food tastes like, you’ll never want to go back to these generic chain stores offering processed food. Americans tend to have a skewed sense of what a real doughnut tastes like. I had my first real doughnut on the east end of Long Island on a farm. It was an apple cider doughnut. It was heaven.

And heaven is what you’ll eat when you visit Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side New York food tours. Although the establishment itself didn’t come to fruition until 1994, the recipes date back to 1910 when owner Mark Israel’s grandfather started working in a bakery at age 16.  His grandfather, Herman, opened up his own shop in 1934 in North Carolina. It is with his grandfather’s recipes and inspiration that he opens up Doughnut Plant. Flash forward to 2004 and Mark has invented the first jelly-filled square doughnut. Oh, and he opens up a bakery in Tokyo too!

Their doughnuts contain no trans fat, preservatives, artificial flavorings, and no eggs. Just high quality, fresh ingredients, and of course some love. Try a crème brûlée yeast doughnut or perhaps a cake doughnut. Yes, I said cake. Don’t forget to show some love to his homemade churros and cinnamon buns. After you check this New York food tour, you’ll say bye bye to Dunkin.