"You paid a thousand dollars for this jacket?! Alright, fine. I'm walking out of here right now thinking you paid a thousand dollars for this jacket, unless you tell me different."
-George Costanza, Seinfeld
da Scene: We had a great outing with the Secret Food Tours (Chinatown & Little Italy) Sometimes the stars align and things just work out nicely... this was one of those. Would be running behind to search for parking, so txt'd w/ Zach to get a catchup spot to meet - didn't need it, as we turned on Mullberry, there was a spot almost directly across from our 1st bite, so was perfectly on time! As we get out, I notice it's almost warm? I brought my favorite Kenneth Cole overcoat to do some crisp weather stomping around the West Village... gotta look sharp, right? Didn't need it, left it behind in the trunk; good signs so far!
da Tour: Found Zach w/ the rest of the group, had a delicate/savory Northern China 1st bite in the park and off we went. Zach shared both historical & recent stories of Chinatown streets, buildings, art and culture as we wound our way to the next few bites, another savory, then a cute/sweet one. The streets are packed with locals elbowing by you just doing business, shopping for fresh meat & veggies, tea & nut shops, etc. You'll be tempted along the way, but hold-fast as all these bites will add up.
As you turn a corner, you leave distinct Chinatown, for a completely different vibe. We literally smell the pizza and garlic in the air as Zach winds us into Little Italy and the bustling smells, sights and sounds of the Mulberry Street experience. We even witnessed protective NYC shopkeepers "dealing" with a rowdy local... "fugetaboutit"! Reminiscent of common squares in Florence/Tuscany, restaurants spill into the street, alfresco style with barkers standing by their menu boards, trying to lure you in... fun conversations can be had! You'll get 2 more each savory and sweet bites, YES, there's an excellent NYC slice mixed in. We ended at a busy little park where serendipitously a local band was playing as we enjoyed our last sweet bite.
da Service & Experience: Perfect ending to a great afternoon, we noted several spots to visit on our own and revist, really informative; Zach was entertaining, as a working NYC actor, we hope to see him receiving an Emmy on stage one day and say "We knew him as Secret Food Tour Guide!!"
Locals and out of towners both will enjoy this experience... book with confidence.