I was very thrilled to work with Alana from Ahoy New York Tours and Tasting this month! I took her tour back in 2012, and was just blown away. Chinatown and Little Italy are some of the BEST places for totally tasty treats. Many of these places have been in the same location for over 100 years. I find it sad that Little Italy has shrunk so much, but these places that you will find are just foodie magic!
The tour starts at Ferrara Bakery and Cafe. Pure Italian pastry heaven.
We were taken upstairs, which is nice if you are having a family gathering, to enjoy our cannoli.
There is nothing like a good cannoli to start your day! We heard about the history of Little Italy, which is truly amazing.
This area welcomed hundreds of thousands of Italian immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These newcomers imported many of their customs, traditions and fantastic cuisine.
Once an area that encompassed 50 square blocks of Lower Manhattan, the enclave is now almost entirely located on the three-block stretch of Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets. It is still a fabulous place to check out on your trip to NYC!
Alleva Dairy is right across from Ferrara Bakery and calls itself the oldest cheese shop in the USA! I am a HUGE lover of cheese, my Mom is probably at fault for that, and I thank her big time!
Tony Danza is part owner in this cheese heaven, which is pretty cool. Danza’s partner is Karen King, who was married to the unofficial mayor of Mulberry St., John (Cha Cha) Ciarcia. Ciarcia was Danza’s boxing manager when the actor used to duke it out in the ring and was best man when Danny DeVito married Rhea Perlman. He died of cancer in 2015.
Our tour guide passing out some tasty prosciutto and homemade mozzarella. Once you try fresh mozzarella, you will not eat anything else!
Heaven on a napkin!
Selection of Tony Danza items for sale
These are so good, if you have never tried a rice ball or Arancini, you need to ASAP.
Piemonte Ravioli Company is right next to Alleva Dairy. This is quite a happy street, foodies would love to just move here.
We had the pleasure of enjoying gnocchi for breakfast. It was so good, sauce was perfect too. I made gnocchi with my Mom, and am looking forward to trying it on my own. My favorite pasta.
You can find some wonderful fresh pasta here, and it takes only seconds to cook.
I picked up this one for myself, love prosciutto and cheese together. The small size is just too darn cute as well!
I also picked up the carrot pasta with peas as it was a unique flavor. I cooked some of each to try and then froze the remainder. There is nothing in the world like fresh pasta.
The next stop was DiPalo's Fine Foods which has been in Little Italy since 1910. When you do something right, it doesn't need to be changed. I would love to take one of those cheese wheels home!
Our tasting here was (2) different kinds of cheeses with olives. Happy dance!
I never met an olive I didn't like!
We are now moving to Chinatown, and the oh so famous Nom Wah Tea Parlor.
Lines to get in this place. This tour is worth walking past all the folks in line, and going in to enjoy your dim sum! The parlor has been in business since 1920, and isn't a very big place.
I found out, not that I was surprised, it is worth the wait!
This was a type of dumpling with shrimp inside.
We were lucky to try as well their egg roll and pork bun.
Their egg rolls are unreal. The filling is awesome and the dough around it is very thin. I really wish we had a whole one to enjoy!
My first taste of a pork bun, it went down very well. So darn tasty!
We then tried a different dumpling at Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry Street. These were the kind I see more often, and had lots of filling inside. My tummy was quite happy!
Our last treat for dessert was a chinese almond cookie from Nom Wah Tea Parlor. I really love chinese almond cookies, this one was okay. My local chinese place has them and they are quite yummy. I need to find a recipe to make these!
As you can see, this tour offers lots of food and history of two classic parts of New York City. Because of the demand for workers, many immigrants came to these areas in droves. For .17 cents a night, they received a bath, food and warm bed. They made what we have today possible. Visiting the areas of Chinatown and Little Italy give you an insight into our ancestors world. Ahoy New York Tours and Tasting does that in a most fantastic way. Be sure to check our this tour when you visit, you will not be disappointed at all. You will learn history, and enjoy some tasty treats along the way!
Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting does its best to accommodate any dietary restrictions and allergies (i.e. diabetic, vegetarian, gluten). Please let them know upon booking your tour. Tours run rain or shine, wear comfortable walking shoes. French and Spanish speaking guides are available. On our Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest tour, we walk no more than ½ a mile, and at a moderate pace. During the three hours, there are many standing breaks, so we aren’t always walking. There are a few opportunities to sit throughout the tour.
Disclosure: I was provided (2) complimentary tickets for this tour. There has been no monetary compensation for this post. I only recommend products that I feel will be of interest to my readers, and that I am truly impressed by. All opinions are my own. Thank you!!
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