One of the very first things that we do when visiting a city either here in the USA or abroad, is to take a food tour (or two!). We have found that we learn so much about the culture of the city, and really, the food is simply a vehicle to share a story.
The very first time we took a tour with Secret Food Tours, it was in Paris. It was incredible. So incredible, in fact, that we took the very same tour back in May, one year later. So when we were invited to take Secret Food Tours’ tour of San Francisco’s Mission District, we were excited. We knew that the food would be good and the tour would be a ton of fun. And we were right!
What makes it secret? There’s always one secret stop and secret food that you don’t know about in advance. You can search their website, but you won’t find it, and I’m not telling. But I will tell you this – the secret food on both the San Francisco and the Paris tour was fabulous!
The groups with Secret Food Tours are small – so you get personalized attention and really get to know and interact with your guide.
From the very beginning, it felt just as if our guide, Charlotte, was a good friend. Her passion for sharing the Mission District was obvious, and the food was superb. You need to make sure that you come hungry – we skipped breakfast for this very reason. These are not tiny little bites – you will NOT go away hungry!
We started with a brief description of the Mission District, then joined the line waiting to get into La Taqueria. We didn’t have to wait in line for a table – we just had to wait until they opened the doors. Inside, we enjoyed a delicious burrito (best we’ve ever had) with a glass of red wine. You wouldn’t think that red wine and burritos go together, but I’m here to tell you, it worked! And got all five tour guests in great mood for the rest of the tour! Charlotte gave us some inside info about what’s special about this burrito, and what’s special about the owners.
We followed the burrito up with our secret dish (I’m not telling!). We then had potstickers that were crispy and delicious, then on to the next stop for a wonderful clam chowder and glass of white wine. (Both the red and the white that we enjoyed were local to Sonoma). We finished up with salted caramel ice cream that was to die for, and a decadent cookie. I only ate half the ice cream because I simply couldn’t hold another bite. Seeing as how salted caramel ice cream is one of my favorites, you KNOW I’m full if I don’t finish it. They will do their best to accommodate you if you have food allergies or are vegetarian or vegan. Just ask.
As you can see, you get a lot more than just food. You meet great people, see really cool features in the city, and create a wonderful memory.
The meeting point was easy to find, but keep in mind that parking can be a challenge, so give yourself time. You will not end up at the same place you started, and there is a lot of walking involved, so if you have a hard time with that, bear it in mind. There are plenty of stops, though, so it wasn’t tiring, but when we were done, we were ready for a nap! Charlotte gave us some great info about the area and was simply delightful to spend time with. We would absolutely do this tour again and will recommend it highly to our friends. Thanks for a great time, Charlotte!
Secret Food Tours has several tours in Europe, one in South America and now several here the the United States.