Empire Tours and Productions’ Little Italy and Chinatown Food Tour is bringing locals and tourists to the intersection of food and history, offering excursions through the immigrant communities that have both preserved their past and evolved into modern cultural and culinary destinations.
Starting at $80 per person, guests will embark on a two-hour journey with four stops for light bites — two in Chinatown and two in Little Italy — along with a few stops at notorious sites that helped craft the communities’ legacies.
Throughout the tour, guides tell stories and offer historical insight not often found in textbooks. Guests will learn about the gang rivalries, xenophobic attitudes, multicultural influences and culinary fusions that shaped the neighborhood, providing a deeper understanding of the foods that have become staples for local residents.
“Exceptional travel experiences go far beyond the plate,” said Aanand Mohapatra, CMO and CTO of Empire Tours. “Our guided NYC walking food tours bring the human narrative of historic neighborhoods into focus, pairing authentic culinary traditions with the powerful personal histories of the founders behind them.”
Where the Little Italy/Chinatown tour will take you — and what you’ll eat
First meeting in front of Spongies Cafe at 121 Baxter St., guests will learn the convoluted story of how British colonialism led to the birth of the zi bao dan go — the Hong Kong sponge cake. Spongies in particular offers a cultural twist on the sponge cake, incorporating Mexican influences and flavors such as horchata.
Travelling two blocks away to Tasty Dumpling at 42 Mulberry St., guests will have their first taste of the local cuisine, choosing between vegetable or pork dumplings. Guests can mix all three sauces served at the restaurant — spicy chili oil, hot sauce and soy sauce — while they learn why physician Zhang Zhongjing created the popular food as a medicinal treatment during the Eastern Han Dynasty in China.
Next, guests will be taken to Columbus Park at the corner of Baxter Street and Mulberry Street for a crash course in how the various immigrant communities residing in tenements — including a largely overlooked Indigenous population — were forced to live in deplorable conditions that made the park’s creation so essential to the community.
Moving toward the heart of Chinatown, guests will pass Delancey Street where a large mural covers the side of a brick building, painted by artist Jess X Snow during the coronavirus pandemic. The mural was created response to anti-Asian hate crimes perpetrated by extremists who blamed the Asian community for the spread of the virus.
Guests will then pass through Mott Street, the unofficial main street of Chinatown, and enter Doyers Street for a chilling story about why it has been dubbed the “Bloody Angle.”
Down the road, guests will be treated to a bun from Mei Lai Wah at 41 Mott St., where they can choose between vegetable or pork.
More adventurous guests, however, can try a signature pineapple bun. Contrary to its name, it does not actually contain pineapple but instead is named for how it is shaped. It is a sweet pastry filled with a sweet and savory pork filling, also derived from an interesting fusion of Mexican and Chinese cuisine.
Guests will also get a glance at one of the last Chinese pagodas in the neighborhood at the corner of Mott and Canal Streets.
Next stop is Little Italy, where guests will wander down the famous red, white and green-filled Mulberry Street, passing many restaurants featuring Italian classics like pasta and, of course, pizza.
Guests will learn of the many establishments in Little Italy that have been featured in films and TV shows such as “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos,” and others that have been frequented by famous figures like Frank Sinatra.
While heading over to Nolita Pizza at 68 Kenmare St. for a classic margherita slice, guests will learn the legend of how pizza was invented out of demands from a queen who had grown tired of French cuisine. Once receiving their pizza slice, guests can ask for hot sauce and hot honey to add extra flavor.
Guests will then make their way to their last stop, Ferrara Bakery and Cafe at 195 Grand St., for a mini cannoli and one last story about famous gangster Carlo Gambino, who posted up on the third floor of the bakery and drank three pots of coffee a day while conducting his business.
Why the tour is more than just a food tasting
Mohapatra said the tours offer an opportunity not only for guests to discover new foods, but to support local businesses and family-run establishments.
“When guests enjoy a hand-crafted cannoli or dumpling, they honor an immigrant founder who built a neighborhood legacy decades ago,” he said.
However, he said learning of the deeper meaning of each communities’ history is an invaluable experience that can’t be found on a map. It turns the journey into an immersive adventure that gives guests a newfound sense of connection to the communities.
“Digital maps show you where a restaurant is located, but our licensed guides explain why it matters,” Mohapatra said. “On our Little Italy and Chinatown food tour, travelers transition from passive observers to active participants, discovering hidden local spots and family stories that online algorithms overlook.”
Marielle Buxbaum, one of the tour guides, said the reason why food tours of this caliber are important is that they provide a hands-on history lesson that sheds light on stories not always told.
“It’s important to me to talk about political issues because when I think about difficult history — like slavery, anti-Asian violence during the pandemic and Indigenous history — you can process those things in an environment where you don’t panic or shut down and can continue to have fun,” Buxbaum said. “To me, it’s important that people can live a happy life and also integrate all these hard things to understand that it’s not all or nothing.”
Guests who have taken the tour said their tour guides are what made the experience so fulfilling.
“Me and my wife had an amazing experience. Our guide Gabe gave us an in-depth insight into not only the food we had but also the history of Little Italy and Chinatown,” said Rory, who visited from the United Kingdom. “It was such a good experience … well worth it.”
“The tour was both fun and delicious, and we had a fantastic time,” said Meni, one of the guests who took the tour. “I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a great way to explore the area while enjoying incredible food.”
Anyone interested in joining a tour can visit TourOfNYC.com. Tours are available everyday at either 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m.
