Monday, June 20, 2011

Food tasting tours coming soon...

As many of you know by now, I'm busy working on my newest food-centric endeavor, Ventura Food Tours. I love writing about food, talking about food, thinking about food, and of course, eating food. And since I haven't been able to make a full-time career out of food writing (wouldn't that be a dream?) for a while now I've been trying to find yet another way to share this passion for food with others. Alas, the idea for Ventura Food Tours was born, and here I am, on the cusp of launching a new business.

Though I'm starting with a walking tour in downtown Ventura, I'm hoping to create other walking tours in areas around Ventura County (Camarillo, Ojai, Oxnard, etc.), and also plan on creating custom food tours for groups looking to do something a little different or those who want to cover more territory than we can do on foot.

As part of the process of starting up such a business, I've spoken to others in the food tour industry: Six Taste, Tourific Escapes, Melting Pot Food Tours, and Denver Gourmet. Everyone has been very helpful and supportive, offering me priceless advice and loads of encouragement. Who knew strangers could be so kind! Last weekend I went down to Pasadena for the Old Pasadena Walking Food Tour. And, wow, what a tour it was!

In the period of 3 1/2 hours we stopped in at ten different places, learned a lot, ate, ate and ate some more. A cantaloupe agua fresca, a thick syrupy balsamic vinegar, and the dark chocolate truffle I experienced are still imprinted on my tastebuds. Here are a few of the other highlights in pictures:

The falafel at Father Nature...definitely the best falafel I've ever had - light, crispy, and crunchy.


The olive oils and vinegars we sampled at Beyond the Olive.

The South American fare at Choza Mama. My favorite was the lamb in cilantro sauce (top left).

The blossoming tea at Bird Pick Tea and Herb.

And last but not least, the chocolate gelato and orange sorbet at Tutti Gelati.

It won't be long, and we'll have some of our very own tasting tours, right here in Ventura County. If you want to stay in the loop and be notified when the tours launch, follow Ventura Food Tours on Facebook or visit the website to sign up for our newsletter. Happy eating!