One of the things I’ve decided to do whenever I visit another city is take a walking food tour. The tour groups are small and intimate; you won’t feel lost or overwhelmed. And you’ll also get a better “feel” of the place; the way things are for the ordinary residents. Maybe a little local history, too, of the sort that doesn’t appear in the usual travel guides.

Most of the tours that came up in the searches were for the northern end of Boston, which, from the descriptions, I gather is the city’s Italian neighborhood. Those didn’t seem that appealing to me. As great as Italian food can be, it’s not that hard to get the good stuff. Even cities that don’t claim a “Little Italy” can have a couple of really good Italian restaurants.

A company called “Bites of Boston” offered a tour on the South End that fight nicely into my planned schedule, as well as looking really interesting.

I must beg forgiveness from our guide; I have completely forgotten her name, as well as neglecting to write it down in my notes from the tour. I think it was something like Katherine, but I wouldn’t bet any money on it.

Anyway, we gathered at Orinoco, a little Argentinian place. Tin ceiling, family photos and little handicrafts on the walls…. It was as if we’d been invited into a friend’s home, and their mom decided to whip up a little something for us to eat while I was there. We sampled bacon-wrapped, nut-stuffed dates (YUM! (but then that pretty much applies to anything using bacon)) and a plantain and cheese thing. I don’t think I’d ever had plantains before, so I really have no reference to the quality. But I “Would Eat Again” if given the opportunity.

Next on our tour was Flour Bakery & Coffee Shop. This is one of those places where the proprietor turned a hobby into a business, Judging by the line, she’s doing rather well. Our sample item was a “Chunky Lola” cookie. The proprietor asked each of her bakers what ingredient they’d like to see in a cookie – and then she made one using all four. We in the tour group had to guess what they were. Chocolate was obvious, but I’m not going to tell you the others.

On to Anoush’ella, a Lebanese-Armenian “meze”, for something a bit healthier. Homemade hummus, falafel, a bit of lamb, and some thinner-than-you’d-expect pita bread slices. The highlight for me was the large table in the center: ‘trays’ of spices – both whole and powdered – and covered with glass. I spent a lot of time trying to identify them. Star anise, allspice, and sesame seeds were obvious. The yellow stuff was probably turmeric, and I think that was fenugreek….

That was savory; now for something sweet. You’ve probably had vegan ice cream at some point – FōMū (pronounced like “faux moo”) does it really, really well. I had “Grasshopper Pie”, their version of Mint Cookies & Cream. The texture was no different from any of the “super-premium” ice creams out there. And as far as the taste, well, if I could have figured out how to take a gallon or so home with me….

And now for something completely different. Yes, we did get a sample of freshly made grilled cheese on whatever fresh locally made artisinal bread they had that day. But the main attraction at Formaggio is the variety of gourmet food items available – cheese, wine, spices, charcuterie…. You could put together one amazing picnic lunch, let me tell you!

Finally, time for our last nosh of the tour. The Elephant Walk is a Cambodian-French restaurant. Not really a “fusion” place; although the proprietor has a background in both cultures, she keeps them mostly distinct on the menu. There’s a separate “Entrees” section for both French and Cambodian items, for example. We had the Cambodian spring rolls, and because I was an adult, a sample-size glass of the Cambodian Mule

One thing one of my co-tourists commented on was that it seemed like a lot of these businesses opened because the owners got tired of the Big Business Life (law, finance, et al.) and, having made enough money, decided to pursue their real interest. I’d also add that another reason might be that since they can’t seem to find the food they remember enjoying in their childhood anywhere, they might as well go in to business making it. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Oh, we also decided that it would be the Flour Bakery for your morning coffee and something to go with it, Aboush’ella for lunch, Orinoco for an afternoon snack or appetizers, The Elephant Walk for dinner, FoMu for dessert, and Formaggio to buy stuff for cooking at home.

Props to our guide; we were never rushed, and saw plenty of little local sites between noshing. The tour ran a bit longer than I expected, but it was a nice day, so no big deal. The only question she couldn’t immediately answer herself was where the nearest “T” station was at the end of the tour. I must also commend Bites of Boston for giving me a call the day before the tour to ask if I had any allergies or dietary restrictions that might pose a problem. In all the food tours I’ve taken, this is the first time any tour operator has done that.