My friend and I thought this would be an interesting way to spend our day in NYC, rather than going to a show on Broadway, as we usually do when doing a day trip from Philadelphia. We are both glad we did, too! A chilly morning didn’t deter us from going on this tour, and it turned out to be a perfect day! We met outside this upscale “market” at 10:30. There were only about 8 of us in the group. First of all, our guide, Megan Bowers, was excellent! Her enthusiastic and easygoing manner was infectious as we learned about the history behind Eataly, a wonderful food, shopping and tourist attraction that we never knew about prior to this tour. We will definitely return in another day trip. The tour was only a few blocks around, as we stayed in the Flatiron district. Megan asked about any food allergies/preferences in her introductory talk so she could order appropriately for lunch for us. Tasted delicious focaccia from the bakery in Eataly before heading out to walk to see the statue of Seamward across the street in Madison Park, along with the well-fed squirrels! We learned about the displays in the nearby LEGO store, the history of the neighborhood and its beautiful buildings/architecture as we made our way to a “diamond hidden gem restaurant” in NYC for lunch (included) Eisenberg’s deli. Having made reservations and preordering our sandwiches, we made our way into this very narrow and crowded 1929? Original deli. Pastrami sandwiches (half portion) for the meat eaters and my full sized tuna salad sandwich with homemade pickles was the fare. Tall glass of water was perfect! Then we made our way walking through Union Square, bustling with farmer’s market. So much fun! Stopped at Beecher’s Cheese Factory and were served a decadent grilled cheese (cold water, too, which was appreciated) while learning about the fascinating history behind this famous company. Delicious cheese samples to try, to boot!
We concluded our trip at Breads Bakery, sampling one of the best ruggelachs I’ve ever tasted!
I highly recommend taking this tour. You can tell I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you get a chance to experience it, too!