ahoy new york food tours reviews

Ahoy New York Food Tours

Review Highlights

“ We are quite familiar with Chinese dim sum and Chinese culture so we more interested in the Little Italy area. ” in 24 reviews

“ We had Liz as a guide, and she was friendly and enthusiastic, telling great stories along with the great food. ” in 16 reviews

“ A friend recommended a food tour, and Ahoy was well recommended from previous reviews A shout out to Zoe , our tour guide. ” in 4 reviews

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New York, NY 10013

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About the Business

A New York City Food and Culture walking tour of Little Italy and Chinatown. …

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What can I say!? 4/20 was my second food tour with Ahoy New York Food Tours. The first being 6 years ago. They are amazing. My tour guide was Patrick. Not only was he informative he was open and considerate. I highly recommend them both

We did the Chinatown and Little Italy Food tour today with Lily and she was fantastic! The food was great and it was so cool to try things we wouldn't normally know to try. Lily was an amazing tour guide and was really funny and knowledgeable. 10/10 recommend this tour to everyone!

Saw this one day while scrolling through my Facebook posts, and thought it would be fun to try. If you enjoy sampling great food, and hearing intriguing historical narrative, then this is the tour for you! The food selections from Chinatown and Little Italy were diverse, and extremely tasty. Patrick was a superb guide, and his historical insights were very much appreciated. Learning new things, and being fed with some of the best food around, what a great combination! Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed!

See all photos from Gregg N. for Ahoy New York Food Tours

I'm skeptical of organized tours but this is the way to go. I wasn't sure how much food you'd get but it was more than enough and it was very high quality. I was full before the last couple stops. Everything was delicious, high quality, straight from local businesses that have been in the area for decades. Our tour guide was fabulous and accommodating and if you want to take food home from the stops you can. Our group was good about masks inside but our guide really gauged our comfort level and was very attentive to the fact that we may have different comfort levels with masking. I'd highly recommend the little Italy and Chinatown tour. It was a great way to taste so many different places you might not be able to on our own depending on the length of your trip. We got got tastes of wine at one stop, though they were less tastes and more just a full glass.

See all photos from Diana D. for Ahoy New York Food Tours

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Business Owner

Aug 12, 2021

Hi Diana, Thank you for your kind review. We are so glad that you enjoyed our tour. We appreciate you mentioning our attentiveness to your safety during the tour. We hope to see you again soon!

We went on the China Town / Little Italy Food Tour - it was fantastic. Both my 11 and 14 year old enjoyed the tastings and the history provided. Our guide Patrick engaged everyone on the tour and told entertaining and informative stories of the areas. Highly recommend!

My first trip to New York City! Traveled with my daughter. A friend recommended a food tour, and Ahoy was well recommended from previous reviews A shout out to Zoe, our tour guide. She was great! (An aerialist when she's not conducting food tours). The tour was a fun walking tour through Chinatown and Little Italy. She provided interesting historical facts as we went from place to place. Little tidbets of food at several restaurants in each area along the way. It ended with a sit-down dining experience of eggplant rollatini and a glass of wine, and finished with a cannoli dessert. By the time it was all said and done, we had plenty to eat, and we enjoyed getting to know our fellow tour participants (12 total, so a manageable group) This was my first experience with a food tour. I will definitely search them out again!

So glad to have found a virtual experience for kids during the Lunar New Year! Not only was the session interactive with a book reading and game, the cookie recipe was easy to follow and difficult to mess up! The end result was DELICIOUS! The best part is that it allowed our entire family from across the country to participate together; something very much needed during this time of isolation for our kiddos. Such a pleasure And can't wait to get out on a tour with Ahoy again soon!

2.5 year old's successful baking attempt!

We had a wonderful tour with Patrick this morning. We ate our way through Chinatown and Little Italy with Patrick's guidance. He gave us a lot of history about these neighborhoods along the way and made it very enjoyable for us. I highly recommend this tour.

We did the China Town and Little Italy Tour. Valerie was fantastic. She shared interesting and relevant information throughout the tour. The history and landmarks that we saw during the tour were memorable. The variety of foods we tried was delicious and when we were done we were full! I highly recommend!

See all photos from Alaina P. for Ahoy New York Food Tours

Can't say enough about this tour. Liz was so knowledgeable and the food was to die for! Go hungry, the tastings are very generous!

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The Chinatown and Little Italy food tour was a great way to start the day. Lots of food, interesting information about the food and description of the neighborhoods. Haley was very knowledgeable and a delight to talk to. Good value!

Hi-- glad you enjoyed the tour, the food and information regarding the neighborhoods. Also, we are happy you found it of good value :)

Lovely tour of Chinatown & Little Italy. Loved the food and the history! The chinese/italian food range from salty to sweet. You will be full by the end of the tour. Awesome time and would do it again. Thank you for everything Valerie!!

Hi! Glad you loved the tour and enjoyed your guide Valerie-- we would love to see you again!

This was a wonderful tour! Patrick was a great tour guide, lots of history, interesting stories, fun and engaging. We enjoyed the overall immersive experience in Chinatown, the food was fun and tasty! We then moved onto Little Italy and the food there was amazing! We did this tour near the end of our trip in New York City, so we didn’t have a chance to go back and eat full meals at some of the restaurants, but, I have them on the list for the next time we go! Thanks, Patrick, for making this a very enjoyable day!!

Hi, glad you found the tour wonderful, enjoyed Patrick and the food. Hope to see you again.

Patrick was warm and friendly and we had a very informative tour. The food was great and it was a really nice way to find out more about these ports of New York.

Hi, glad you had a wonderful tour and enjoyed Patrick.

When I first booked this tour, I assumed the portions would be small. Boy was I wrong as both my partner and I left with full tummies. We started the trip at a cafe and had a journey through both towns, learning about the history as we ate a variety of dishes and snacks. Our group of 9 was fun and our tour guide made it even better. My advice, this tour is for history and food. I would leave time in your itinerary after to do your shopping. If by chance you are still hungry after the tour, prices for food are cheap but taste amazing. Ask the tour guide for their recommendations. Thanks Patrick for making our trip!

Hi! Glad you found the tour worth the price and the tasting portions of good size. Hope to see you again soon!

We spent an amazing few hours on this tour. Our guide Patrick was phenomenal - his knowledge and enthusiasm was fabulous. Loved learning the history behind these suburbs. And of course the food - delicious! Patrick asked us at the end what our favourite was and it was really difficult to decide.

Hi! So glad you had a lot of fun with Patrick, we agree its hard to pick a favorite tasting!

Ahoy New York Food Tours

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Guided Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

Market 57 Chelsea Food Tour with Ahoy New York Food Tours

Nolita's Tasty Global Bites with Ahoy NY Food Tours est 2009

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

AHOY NEW YORK FOOD TOURS (New York City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Ahoy New York Food Tours

• See all photos

Guided Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

Market 57 Chelsea Food Tour with Ahoy New York Food Tours

Nolita's Tasty Global Bites with Ahoy NY Food Tours est 2009

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

AHOY NEW YORK FOOD TOURS (New York City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

The Best New York Food Tour with Ahoy Food Tours

Take the guesswork out of eating out in nyc by booking a food tour activity with ahoy food tours, the best new york food tour..

When it comes to eating out in New York City, the challenge is not what to eat, but where to eat. There is no shortage of great places to dine in New York City which can make food selection extremely daunting. I’ve been to New York City a number of times and decided that during my first trip postpartum, I wanted someone else to take the driver’s seat while planning our meals. It must’ve been perfect timing because Ahoy Food Tours reached out and invited me on one the best New York Food Tour. Ahoy Food Tours is one of the leading food tour companies in New York City. For the last 15 years, Ahoy Food Tours has been spotlighting the food history of NYC’s most celebrated neighborhoods. They run daily tours in Chinatown, Little Italy, and most recently, have opened a tour in Chelsea’s Market 57. Founder Alana Hoye Barnaba gives vistitors a taste of NYC’s very layered histories one bite at a time.

Why is Ahoy Food Tours the best New York food tour?

When selecting the right food tour, the biggest consideration for me was finding a company that supports Asian-owned businesses while also exploring a neighborhood I’ve never been to before. I also wanted a tour that showcased New York City’s vibrant ethnic communities instead of just focusing on already popular places. Ahoy Food Tours’ signature tour fit the bill, covering Chinatown and Little Italy, which is admittedly, a neighborhood I have never explored. Ahoy Food Tours was awarded The Traveler’s Choice Award in 2023, ranking as the third most popular food excursion in NYC so I felt confident it was the best food tour in New York City.

Ahoy Food Tours has three tours it operates:

🍽️ Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest Walking Tour – Outdoors, 3 Hours 🍽️ Market 57 Chelsea Food Tour – Indoor, 2 Hours 🍽️ Tasty Global Bites – Outdoors, 3 Hours

Our Sunday food tour group, six people was the perfect size for this culinary adventure

▶️ Watch the video of my food tour with Ahoy Food Tours

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Millette ✨ The Next Somewhere (@thenextsomewhere)

Looking for more videos? Visit my video library for more highlight reels.

The Chinatown and Little Italy Tour: First Impressions

The three-hour signature Chinatown and Little Italy food tour has been running since 2009. During this walking tour, you get to enjoy eight small tastings. 2-3 tastings are sit-down meals and the rest are more grab-and-go but it keeps the tour moving.

The tour begins at Silk Road Place, a famous gourmet coffee house and tea parlor on Mott Street. This is where you’ll meet your guide and your tour group. The tours are kept at a manageable size of under 8 people. On our date, we lucked out with two other couples who were incredibly kind and a delight to be around.

We also met our tour guide, Hannah, a graduate of Food Studies from Boston University which is the only American university to have this kind of food history program. She had such a great foundational understanding of food systems so we felt really lucky to have a knowledgeable guide providing the history lessons of Chinatown and Little Italy.

She primed us on the history of Chinese migration to the USA over oolong tea and baked Char Siu Bao (叉燒麵包) from Fay Da Bakery. I loved that the tour begins on the original NYC Chinatown block. Now the tour was mostly outside and we ended up choosing a tour date on the coldest day of the season in November but the sun was shining and you’re eating a lot so there was never a moment where I felt too cold.

The tour involves moderate walking with few opportunities to sit down. But there are standing breaks. Hannah had reference materials she’d show us, like photos of the street we’d be walking down a hundred years prior, to bring her stories to life. The tour is wheelchair-accessible and stroller-friendly but you need to notify the team in advance as it requires some logistical coordination.

On The Menu: What We Ate

I don’t want to go into too much detail on the meals but I wanted to give you a sense of what the tour offers. Most locations were family-owned businesses, with storied pasts in their respective communities. We got a deep dive of the restaurant in relation to the dish. Some fun tidbits I picked up were how dim sum means “touch the heart.”. Hannah’s expertise was on full display because she could answer any question we’d throw at her. I also loved how much she knew the neighborhood and frequented so many of the spots. Here is what was on the menu on the tour:

Paper Wrapped Cake 紙包蛋糕 from Kam Hing Coffee Shop

83 Bayard Street (Chinatown)

The pandan paper-wrapped sponge cake from this Hong Kong-style bakery was the star of the show for me on the tour. Pandan is a flavor from my childhood that I’m really fond of and is a very unexpected flavor profile for sponge cakes. But it makes so much sense since it tastes like nuttier vanilla. The pandan essence dyes food an electric, bright green color so that elevated the humble paper wrapped sponge cake. Hannah let us know Kam Hing also has different flavors, like coconut and ube, but you can also get them original too. I loved it so much I went back and got some for the trip home.

Rating: 10/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

Doyers Street, a one block stretch with a sharp bend in the middle, is one of the most historically rich streets in New York City’s Chinatown.

Dumplings at Noodle Village

13 Mott Street (Chinatown)

I’m shocked that I liked the dumplings the least on this tour but you only get to sample one pork and one vegetarian dumpling. The portion size I think was a little too small and didn’t have that flavor punch that everything else did on the tour. We also sat down on a Sunday so the restaurant was slammed but it was nice to have a round table moment with everyone on the tour. I couldn’t imagine going to Chinatown and not trying dim sum, so I’ll give them points on authenticity.

Rating: 5/10 ✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪✪

Honey Roasted Duck over White Rice at Hay Hay Roasted

81 Mott Street (Chinatown)

New to the Chinatown scene, Hay Hay Roasted serves traditional Guongzhou-style barbecue. The duck was moist and marinated to perfection. The space was counter-only and a little cramped but I liked that they supported a newer business. And duck is a little more outside people’s comfort zones so I appreciated that they wanted to introduce the dish to western palettes.

Rating: 8/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪

Fresh Pasta and Marinara at Piemonte Ravioli Co.

190 Grand Street (Little Italy)

I’ve never blinked twice eating pasta but holy smokes, the Piemonte gnocchi made infused with ricotta were sublime. With just a dollop of marinara, my jaw dropped at how decadent the pasta was even in its simplicity. This is a specialty pasta shop so they recommend to pick up goods here that you can’t find in other Little Italys.

Rating: 10/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪

Little Italy and Chinatown are adjacent to one another

Imported Italian Cheeses and Olives at Di Palos Fine Foods

200 Grand Street (Little Italy)

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest cheese fan. BUT the cheese from Di Palos, which have DOP status (i.e., protected designation of origin from Italy), had me convinced I might need to re-evaluate my anti-cheese stance. The Piave, a cheese from young cows in the Dolomites, was mild and sweet, and their Moliterno, a goat cheese from Sardinia, was creamy and pungent. I loved the Castelvetrano olives too. They were buttery and paired nicely with the cheese.

Rating: 7/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪

Eggplant Parmigiana at Da Nicos Ristorante

164 Mulbery Street (Little Italy)

This was the time in the tour that felt the most relaxed with our tour group being the only guests in trattoria evoking Old World vibes. We were served a well-sized portion of eggplant parmigiana, with all the layers balanced with the right portions of cheese and sauce. It was well-seasoned and everyone was given a choice to order white, red, or rose wine, which was a nice surprise. There is a outdoor garden seating open during warmer months.

Rating: 9/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪ ✪

Sicilian Cannoli at Ferrara

195 Grand Street (Little Italy)

The tour concluded at Ferrara’s, one of Italy’s most famous Italian bakeries. I hate that I compared their cannolis to Mike’s Pastry in Boston but its my baseline for all cannolis. The one at Ferraras was the traditional plain ricotta roll and they’re very dainty so it felt more like a palette cleanser than a proper dessert.

Rating: 6/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪ ✪✪✪✪

If you have dietary restrictions , let them know during your booking. There was someone who was gluten-free and they always had a meal replacement at the ready to swap out.

Overall Review of Ahoy Tours

I love immersive experiences, especially ones that are food-related. I am also someone who is hungry for more context about what I’m eating and I feel a lot of experiences these days are manufactured strictly for content and lack substance. Ahoy’s food tour had so much substance and left me really satisfied with what I ate and what I learned. The cultural insights from Hannah never failed to impress and deepened my appreciation of New York City as a melting pot, heavily influenced by migrants.

As someone with a little more knowledge of Chinese and Italian dishes, I felt at times the food was introductory. But I recognize that this tour company’s mission is about knowledge building and their clientele often are those wishing for more guidance on where/what to eat. So I do appreciate that even with standard courses like dumplings and fresh pasta, they balanced those with atypical paper wrapped sponge cakes and honey roasted duck. And while I wish we could have had a behind-the-scenes look at some of the food preparation, the time of the day and size of our group prevented that. So that was fully understandable. If you’re looking for the best food tour in New York City, look no further than Ahoy Food Tours. Just make sure you bring an appetite and an open mind.

Our guide Hannah had reference materials she showed throughout the tour

Chinatown and Little Italy Walking Food Fest

All ages welcomed but highly recommended ages 8 and older

ACCESSIBILITY & ACCOMMODATIONS

Notify the team of any mobility issues or food-related restrictions.

OVERALL RATING

9/10 ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪ ✪ ✪, disclaimer: i was a guest of ahoy food tours, but all opinions and  photos, as always, are my own..

Give me a shout-out on Pinterest pretty please?

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Millette Stambaugh

Filipina-American Millette Stambaugh is a thirty-something former expat who has traded her nomadic ways for Philadelphia living. Corporate worker by day, content creator by night, Millette specializes in visual storytelling and joyful journeys and wants to help others find their "next somewheres." Follow her escapades on Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok @thenextsomewhere.

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I was just in New York and wish I found this before I went. The gnocchi sound amazing!

This sounds brilliant! I honestly think the best kinds of food tours showcase the history and culture of an area, rather than just showcasing already popular spots…so exactly like this! Everything looks really delicious and walking around the neighborhoods makes it even more fun.

p.s. the dumplings look so good- it’s mad to hear they didn’t have the flavour punch of the other items!

This guide came in so handy since I‘m really thinking of going to NYC this fall! Exploring the food there is one of the things I look forward to the most

gosh i love EVERYTHING about ur blog Millete – it’s SUCH A VIBE!!???

Maria Veloso

What a culinary delight! Your detailed insights make me feel like I’m right there. I love that the number of people per group is kept to a minimum. I feel like it’s more intimate and one can really ask questions. I’m craving for the roasted duck and dumplings.

such a good read, can you do a similar post about dubai as well, soon I will be visiting UAE.

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Ahoy New York Food Tours

• See all photos

Guided Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy

Market 57 Chelsea Food Tour with Ahoy New York Food Tours

Nolita's Tasty Global Bites with Ahoy NY Food Tours est 2009

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Ahoy New York Food Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

How five entrepreneurs launched their own walking tour companies

I f you’ve a penchant for history, culture or food, or have any sort of local offbeat intel, you may very well have fantasized about opening up a little walking tour operation, whether as a full-time business or as a side gig.

Ahead, these city-trotters share how they made pounding the pavement work.

Gabriel Schoenberg, Graff Tours

Schoenberg’s uncle was a tour guide for many years, and the entrepreneur worked for him in college to make extra money. “I saw a graffiti art tour in Buenos Aires and thought it was amazing so I adapted it to NYC,” he said of the origins of his Bushwick business in 2013.

Now, the Greenpoint resident nets “a few thousand” a month through Graff Tours, his sole gig. In addition to tours, his company offers graffiti art classes and does live painting events. “Being a good tour guide is about your passion for the topic, so only guide in a field you love,” said Schoenberg, who recommends reading up on your area of interest to become even more of a subject-matter expert.

Seth Kamil, Big Onion Walking Tours

Founded in 1991, Kamil, based in South Slope, has been at the helm of this NYC business for 33 years. The company was born out of “accident and economic necessity,” when two Columbia University American history Ph.D. students — Kamil and his co-founder Ed O’Donnell — needed to make money.

The pair committed to only hire graduate students and recent, underemployed Ph.D.s, which “is still the core of our business model,” said Kamil.

O’Donnell left the company, but Kamil runs Big Onion full time to this day.

To succeed in this industry, Kamil stressed being original.

“Read books, articles — but don’t take the tours that other guides are leading to try and build your knowledge base,” he said.

Alana Hoye Barnaba, Ahoy New York Food Tours

Originally from Gloversville, NY, Hoye Barnaba moved to NYC, where she was often visited by loved ones on the weekend, so she’d spend time showing them around.

“I realized that I had a knack for sharing my city and started to volunteer for Big Apple Greeter ,” she said of the free organization that connects visitors with residents willing to share their knowledge of the city.

Ultimately, she decided to pursue her sightseeing license to become an official tour guide and spent time developing what is today the operator’s signature tour — a food walking tour of Chinatown and Little Italy.

In 2010, Hoye Barnaba made it her full-time job.

Along with finding your niche, Hoye Barnaba said organization is key. “Secondly, if you intend to hire, have proper training materials and teach consistency to your staff so that your product is the same quality no matter who is giving the tour,” she said.

Hoye Barnaba hopes to become a $1 million tour company in 2024. “We were just shy of it last year,” she said.

Todd Lefkovic, Foods of NY Tours

Based in Greenwich Village, Lefkovic (on the right) originally hails from Cranford, NJ. As a young boy, he became fascinated with NYC, watching the local news and reading the newspaper. Then in the summer of 1977, aged 15, he began making forays into the city to explore.

Lefkovic still fondly recollects exploring 42nd Street for the first time. “There were a lot of peep show shops, XXX theaters, prostitutes, pimps, drug dealers and derelicts on the street. Coming from Cranford — a quiet and clean suburban town — this was the best thing ever to experience!”

Lefkovic continued to bring friends, family and girlfriends into the city to explore. All of it was done by hoofing it, never taking a taxi or riding the subway. “The only real way to explore is on foot,” Lefkovic avowed.

His official business started in 1998 and became his full-time gig a year later. They currently run food tours five days a week. While the pandemic dented his business — in 2019 gross revenue was $3 million; it’s now $1.1 million — that’s still no paltry sum.

To build up your business, venture to parts lesser known, the touring guru advised. “Create your own food tour in an area that is not overrun by other food tours,” said Lefkovic.

Stephen Oddo, Walks Tours

While Oddo is based in Boston, his company operates tours in NYC along with 24 other cities in North America and Europe.

The idea for his company began in 2008, when Oddo was living in Rome and working as a tour guide at the Vatican and Colosseum.

“I wanted to show people new ways to experience these familiar monuments, with an emphasis on quality guides, smaller groups and unique itineraries,” he said.

In 2014, Walks expanded to NYC with small group walking tours of the Statue of Liberty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and 9/11 memorial tours. In 2022, Walks became the official tour operator of Grand Central Terminal.

Last year, Oddo also served as a mentor for the Alliance for Downtown New York’s Walking Tour Incubator Grant Program, which gives money to entrepreneurs starting walking tours in lower Manhattan.

While most of the Walks guides work part time, Oddo also hires many of them to write for its travel blogs and create social media content. “Their local knowledge is incredibly valuable,” said Oddo, sharing that tour guides around the world tend to make between $40 to $80 per hour.

Oddo’s top tips for aspiring amblers? Make sure to collect and publish good customer reviews to build trust with future clients.

“Producing quality social media videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok can be highly valuable,” he said. And, “especially in New York, you’ll need to find creative ways to reach potential clients that already have a lot of choices when it comes to experiences.”

Posted 2024-06-03 14:10

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Tour Guides Needed for NYC FOOD TOUR COMPANY

Ahoy new york tours and tasting llc.

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** PLEASE CAREFULLY READ APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS** Do you love New York City and its history and cuisine? Can you command a crowd, make them laugh, and have everyone literally eating out of the...

Get 20% Off on Market 57 or Tasty Global Bites Tour by Purchasing Chinatown & Little Italy Food Fest

About Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting

Our company was founded in 2008 by Alana Hoye Barnaba. Originally from upstate New York, Alana moved to New York City and immediately began her love affair with its food, history, and culture. For years before creating her company, Alana tried every type of food the city had to offer and began specializing in the tastes of ethnic neighborhoods. Some of her first experiences with the city’s culinary adventures were fresh dumplings and homemade mozzarella — foods included on the signature tour today. Soon after, Alana started Ahoy New York Tours & Tasting and has been sharing her love for the passion, culture, and history of the city through food tours of New York neighborhoods.

Ahoy New York Tours and Tasting’s goal with each tour is for customers to leave not only with the knowledge of the area and full of delicious food but also an experience to tell friends and family about long after the tour is complete.

Meet The Founder

Alana hoye barnaba.

Alana created Ahoy New York’s signature tour of Chinatown and Little Italy from years of experience visiting these neighborhoods. She has formed wonderful relationships with the local shops and restaurants and considers this part of NYC her second home. Alana loves to travel, especially to France where she practices speaking her second language.

Meet Our Team & Guides!

Elizabeth evertsz.

Liz is a native New Yorker with a passion and enthusiasm for food. Born and raised in Queens, New York’s most diverse borough Liz certainly knows where to find foods from all over the globe.

Maryana Dudkina

Raised in Brooklyn, Maryana lived in Chinatown for three years. The only thing she enjoys more than eating her way around NYC is guiding visitors and locals alike through her stomping ground.

Patrick Toon

After moving to New York in 2002, Patrick began exploring the five boroughs while training for the New York City Marathon. He discovered the city mile by mile and is excited to share the history, culture, and food that make New York unique.

Valerie Woo

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Val has lived in NYC for 6 years. She is especially excited to share her culture through the foods found in Chinatown. A frequent traveler, she loves learning about history and trying new things! Val is currently completing her MA in Cognitive Science at Columbia University.

Hannah Spiegelman

Hannah moved to her dream city of New York after graduating with her masters in food studies. Besides being always on the hunt for the best ice cream cone in the city, Hannah loves sharing with people how much fun history can be through the lens of food.

Lily deButts

Lily is a native New Yorker who has been coming to Chinatown and Little Italy for as long as she can remember. She loves learning about new foods almost as much as eating them.

Elizabeth Stork

Grew up on Long Island and has lived in Queens for the past 9 years. Working in the food industry and traveling Liz always tries to do a food tour when exploring a new city. She loves learning about food and history and how they are connected.

Ray is a writer, foodie and a life-long New Yorker. He loves board games and is on almost every social network out there.

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• Arts & Entertainment

Fear you’ll never hear your favorite band live? These Maine tribute shows might do the trick

See homages to David Bowie, Prince, The Cure and The Rolling Stones in Portland this week, and other shows coming this summer.

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If you’ve never seen a tribute act perform the songs of artists that are either too big to play in Maine or who have passed away, there’s a way to do a whole bunch of that this week in Portland.

There are also tribute shows happening in venues around the state all summer long.

A Strange Day is the Portland-based tribute to The Cure. Photo by Seth D. Warner

Let’s start with Portland-based A Strange Day, a tribute to British alternative act The Cure, fronted by singer and guitarist Seth Warner.

The band will perform The Cure’s second album, “Seventeen Seconds,” in its entirety, along with some hits and other cuts at Portland House of Music on Thursday.

The album was released on April 18, 1980. Lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith turned 21 three days later. The single  “A Forest” marked the band’s debut on the U.K. Singles Chart, where it reached the No. 31 spot. The song remains a setlist staple at The Cure’s live performances.

Warner said he put himself in the shoes of Cure fans when deciding what album to cover. “What I would like to hear from a Cure band is a dive into the specific eras that surrounded each record, and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ set the tone for the more introspective and gloomy textures and themes.” Advertisement

As for Warner’s favorite “Seventeen Seconds” tracks, he said, “I really like ‘At Night’ for its dynamic potential, and the edgy and angsty ‘M.'”

The band took its name from the track “A Strange Day” from The Cure’s 1982 album “Pornography.”

Along with Warner, the band is Pete Dugas (keys), Andrew Hodgkins (drums), Matt Kennedy (synth/sax), Kevin O’Reilly (bass), Casey Urich (trumpet) and Corey Urich.

Angel Butts, a copy editor living in Westbrook, has seen The Cure more than 100 times on three continents and at least 10 countries, including Latvia and Colombia. “They’re like breathing to me. They have this massive catalog and it spans every possible mood, I don’t know of another band with a palette like that. “Seventeen Seconds” is among her favorite of the band’s 13 studio albums.

Butts has seen The Cure play the “Seventeen Seconds” album all the way through three times. “One of those shows stands as the best show I’ve ever seen in my life. The Cure: Reflections, Nov. 27, 2011 at the  Beacon Theatre in New York City.”

Butts said she and her 13-year-old daughter will be attending the A Strange Day show. “I think she’s more excited than I am.” Advertisement

A Strange Day  8:30 p.m. Thursday. Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St., Portland, $12 in advance, $15 day of show, 21-plus. portlandhouseofmusic.com

Another British act that will likely never perform in Maine is The Rolling Stones. With more than 30 albums, the band achieved legendary status decades ago. Singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards are both 80, and the band is currently on tour and will be at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

There are still tickets left for that show, but you can save yourself hours of traffic jams and a lot of more by instead heading to Aura on Saturday to see Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones tribute show. Or maybe you’ll see the real deal and then keep the party going here in Maine.

Satisfaction has been slinging Stones hits for over two decades and has played more than 4,000 shows. Chris LeGrand’s take on Mick Jagger is pretty convincing, and he and the band will surely be pleased to meet you.

Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show 9 p.m. Saturday. Aura, 121 Center St., Portland, $15, $25.50, 18-plus. auramaine.com

The Prince/Bowie tribute act performing live. Photo by Tammie Birdwell

David Bowie and Prince died within five months of each other in 2016, at the ages of 69 and 57, respectively, and their losses were felt by millions of fans around the world. Advertisement

With contributions that are impossible to quantify, both artists left behind a legacy of music that lives on through radio play, home listening and tribute shows.

Boston-based musician Eric Gould loves both artists and is the bandleader of a Prince/Bowie tribute coming to Portland on Saturday. The band is a revolving lineup of players from all over the country.

Gould plays bass and designs the setlists. For this show, the musicians are Cal Kehoe (guitar, vocals), Adrian Tramontano (drums), Sammi Garrett (percussion, vocals), Josh Schwartz (baritone sax, vocals), Rob Somerville (tenor saxophone), Rob Volo (trombone) and Kiran Edwards (keys).

Gould said that, to him, Prince embodies soul, creative arrangement and precision. “His music has the best energy and makes you feel on top of the universe.”

He described Bowie as having a voice and character that is completely unique.

“It is powerful and epic and decadent,” said Gould, who has made a career out of finding unique connections through the songbooks of artists. “It is such a treat to present music people know and love in a way that is fresh to the ears. This combination brings so much joy to everyone on and off stage.” Advertisement

Prince/Bowie 8 p.m. Saturday. Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St., Portland, $25, 21-plus. portlandhouseofmusic.com

Other upcoming tribute shows

The Peacheaters: An Allman Brothers Band Experience, Friday. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $31 to $72.50. jonathansogunquit.com

Sweet Baby James: James Taylor Tribute, Saturday. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30 to $45. vinhillmusic.com

Studio Two: The Early Beatles Tribute, June 9. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30, $35. vinhillmusic.com

Magic Bus: A Tribute to The Who, June 14. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30. vinhillmusic.com Advertisement

The The Band Band, June 21. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $45, $55. vinhillmusic.com

Bruce In The USA, June 21. Aura, Portland, $20 to $39.50. auramaine.com

Elvis Tribute Show, June 22, July 20. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $70. jonathansogunquit.com

Higher Ground: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder, July 20. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $40. vinhillmusic.com

Studio Two: The Early Beatles Tribute, July 6. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $41.50 to $82.50. jonathansogunquit.com

Johnny Cash Tribute Show, July 7, Aug. 10.  Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $70. jonathansogunquit.com Advertisement

Rose Alley: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia, June 28. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $23. vinhillmusic.com

Runnin’ Down A Dream: The Tom Petty Tribute Band, July 13, Nov. 14. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $35 to $76. jonathansogunquit.com

The Elton John Experience, July 21. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $79. jonathansogunquit.com

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set, Aug. 1. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

The Stray Horses, Aug. 8. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

Wake Up Mama: The Allman Brothers Tribute Band, Aug. 24. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

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