On Saturday, we joined a food tour of Greenwich Village and learned a bit about the history of the area, but more importantly we got to sample some good food! The way it worked is that the tour itself was free but you paid $1 at each stop to try the food.
We started the tour with falafel from Mamoun’s which is known for its delicious food and cheap prices!
The tahini sauce was amazing, but the hot sauce BURNED my mouth. I think my tongue was numb for a good five minutes after =(.
Mamoun’s is also right around the corner from Cafe Wha? which is were Bob Dylan used to play, and across from the tavern where some of the great American writers would meet up.
Next up was some artichoke pizza! Apparently the owners have never shared the recipe with anybody, and get together every morning to make the sauce in secret. But I definitely understand why since it’s so delicious!
Cecilia: Why didn’t I get two??
On our way to the next stop, we passed by an a cappella group called A Cappella Soul. They were so good that Cecilia bought their CD! I never realized that New York auditions its street performers (you have to have a special permit and everything!)
At Faicco’s, we had arancini. Arancini (which means little orange in Italian) is a deep fried ball of risotto and cheese. Need I say more?
After Faicco’s, we headed over to Bantam Bagels which sells little pretzel balls filled with cream cheese. They have about a dozen flavors and were recently added to Oprah’s list of her favorite things for 2014. (This seems like a weird addition to me but whatever floats her boat!)
The Bleecker Street one was my favorite!
Our second last stop on the tour was for Bleecker Street Pizza which has consecutively won the Best Pizza in New York from the Food Network for a few years now. (The secret of New York dough is the pH levels.) We tried the nonna’s recipe which was the original recipe passed down from the owner’s grandmother, and he religiously recreates this recipe. He even flies his ingredients from Italy which is pretty legit.
They have this special technique of coating the bottom of the pie so that it lifts off the pan and creates a good crunch while baking. The sauce is not your regular tomato sauce either, but a complex blend of spices that give it a good kick!
Finally we ended the tour at Sugar Plum, which arguably has the best hot chocolate in the area ( I still preferred the hot chocolate from Jacques Torres.)
They also sell some chocolate replicas, like the Statue of Liberty.
I definitely enjoyed this walking tour especially since we tried a few places that I would never have noticed on my own. I would definitely recommend this one if you’re ever in the area!
In West Philadelphia 