Foodie's Guide to New York

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Foods of New York Tours, Inc. offers unique food tasting and cultural walking tours through New York City's most delicious and historic neighborhoods. We provide a non-touristy experience so you feel like a native New Yorker.

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Dying to try the stellar cuisine of Daniel Boulud, New York's best French chef, but can't quite afford Daniel? Then head to Café Boulud, Boulud's more casual playground for new ideas and culinary cross-pollinations. Daniel's high style has been pleasingly laid back and toned down here. With the food, Boulud has gone eclectic, offering four menus: La Tradition, featuring Boulud's signature French-country classics; Le Potager, a vegetarian menu; La Saison, seasonal dishes; and Le Voyage, a monthly globe-hopping menu highlighting Tuscany, Thailand, or somewhere in between. The experimental nature of the wide-ranging menu makes choosing a thrill, and even the most inventive dishes tend to dazzle the palate. But in true Boulud tradition, La Tradition and La Saison are where the kitchen really excels. The poached Dover sole with baby leeks and sauce vin blanc is truly memorable. All in all, a first-rate dining experience at more palatable prices than cuisine this memorable usually costs. Don't be in a rush, though, especially at lunch.

Our Local Expert Says:

For just a few of the many diversions available in the park, check out some advanced roller blading skills at "The Hill" west of Sheep's Meadow, or have a drink/meal at the Boathouse, near 74th Street on the east side of Rowboat Lake and open all summer.

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The idea for Central Park was born in 1858, which a competition was held to choose a design for what would be the first public park built in America. The winners were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose Greensward plan proposed an entirely man-made park that would be intended only for public use, as a refuge from the relentless rhythms of New York City's already overcrowded streets. It took more than 15 years and $14 million (the equivalent of about $200 million today) to build the Park, with its 843 acres and six-mile perimeter extending from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue and from 59th Street to 110th Street. Those 843 acres include 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 7 different bodies of water totaling some 150 acres.

Starting in 1980, a public-private partnership between New York City and the Central Park Conservancy restored and preserved Central Park, and attendance has only been rising in recent years. Now, more than 25 million visitors per year stroll its 58 miles of pedestrian paths, go horseback riding on 4.5 miles of bridle paths, bike or jog on its 6.5 miles of winding roads, or simply relax on the grass or on the nearly 9,000 benches provided.... read more

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An ingenious mix of American Nouveau, Japanese, and Korean cuisine is what you'll find at Momofuku Ko, the newest East Village offering from David Chang (of Momofuku and Momofuku Ssam Bar). The 10-course tasting menu is $85, while the ever-changing fixed price menu contains specialties such as kimchee purée, deep-fried short ribs, and cereal-milk panna cotta.

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Dim Sum, dumplings and small appetizers are the specialties in this small, reasonably priced authentic Chinese restaurant. People from all over the city have been flocking here for years, leading to long waits on the weekend. Meals during the week are usually far less stressful. The emphasis is on the food rather than the decor or the service, so do not expect to be pampered.

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New York's Chinatown is a cultural haven full of ancient and exotic traditions, and a huge amount of restaurants. This bustling and crowded neighborhood is home to over half of the city's Chinese population. In the grocery stores and fruit stands, you will find many food items available nowhere else in the city-from exotic fruit and vegetables to live snails and dried shrimp. In recent years, excellent Thai, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants have joined the mix.

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This chic and popular dining spot is well known among the Manhattan elite for excellent service, superb food, plush surroundings and an extensive wine list. Gramercy Tavern has two rooms: The elegant main dining room is for those with more polished palates, serving such specials as venison and rabbit; reservations are a must. The dressed-down Tavern Room is perfect for the casual diner, and you are likely to get a table without a reservation, albeit with a wait!

Our Local Expert Says:

The line for Shake Shack's celebrated burgers, fries, and frozen custard snakes through the park and sometimes back towards the subway entrance—but fans say the food is well worth the wait.

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Billed as a modern-day "roadside" burger stand, Shake Shack goes back to the basics of the hamburger (no truffles, foie gras, pork belly or Kobe beef in sight). As a result, it's won over legions of fans since its opening in Madison Square Park in 2004 (around the corner from owner Danny Meyer's upscale star Eleven Madison Park), and has been a perennial contender for best burger in the city. In addition, the Shake Shack hot dog and frozen custard--a creamy twist on soft-serve ice cream--help build the lines in warmer weather to epic proportions in the park location.

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The same architects who designed Central Park in Manhattan, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, were responsible for creating this beautiful Brooklyn park. Unlike its more famous cousin in Manhattan, Prospect Park is not surrounded by skyscrapers. Many Olmsted fans dub this 526-acre park his crowning achievement. It features horseback riding, ice skating, tennis, paddle boats and a carousel, as well as the Prospect Park Wildlife Center. There is a band shell for concerts, and Prospect Lake is full of ducks, geese and swans.

Our Local Expert Says:

Give your name to the hostess and take a seat at the restaurant's wine bar around the corner to wait…or just eat there, as they serve the full menu.

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A vibrant ambience, colorful interior, and spacious feel are what this trattoria is all about. Al di Là serves up authentic North Italian cooking in an atmosphere that molds itself to your needs-if you're with a date, it can pass off as very romantic, and if you're with the family, as cheery and warm. The menu boasts of such dishes as creamy salt cod, braised rabbit, and tagliatelli with meat sauce, and the Italian wine list provides select accompaniments. Prices are reasonable, but no reservations are accepted, so make sure you come early-it can take up to two hours to get a table on weekends!

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Offering custom guided tours of New York's top restaurants and food neighborhoods, guided by founder Addie Tomei. Covering every inch of Manhattan, from Chinatown to Union Square, from ethnic neighborhoods to 4-star restaurants, you will get a taste of New York from the insider's perspective. The tours feature tastings, cooking demonstrations and behind-the-scenes tours. Rates are expensive, but it's worth every penny. Corporate group rates available.

Our Local Expert Says:

The flagship of Mario Batali's collection of Italian restaurants, Babbo turns out generous portions of delicious, inventive food. Some of the more daring choices include beef-cheek ravioli, pig-foot "Milanese" and a salad of warm lamb's tongue.

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Celebrity chef Mario Batali and restaurateur Joe Bastianich have come together to create the ultimate Italian dining experience in New York City. A giant stairway dominates the main dining room, set off by pale wood paneling and an abundance of fresh flowers. The Italian fare is often reinvented classics; for example, before Babbo opened you would not normally find beef cheek raviolis on a menu. Bastianich and Batali are also co-owners in the highly successful Italian restaurants Esca and Lupa.