Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tour - Hillsborough NC; My First Food Tour

Guess what I received for my birthday?  A wonderful gift from my daughters.  They bought tickets to a  Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tour.

Here is a description from their website,

Welcome to Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours! Come experience North Carolina’s best restaurants and food shops in the most unique way. Go behind the scenes to chat with chefs and artisans, and enjoy their delicious food. What better way to get to know Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/ Carrboro, Hillsborough, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Charlotte, and Asheville than on a walking food tour? Join us for the tastiest tours in North Carolina!

 We decided to take the Hillsborough tour.  I was so excited to go on my first ever food tour.

We met our tour guide, Jessica, at the entrance of Saratoga Grill.

FYI: Jessica is the perfect host, she was great company plus well informed about the venues and the history of the area.  Although Saratoga Gill was not part of the tour the day we went, I have been before and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.  My favorite meal there is the Honey Almond Salmon...Yummy:-)

It was a rainy day but that did not stop us...We were hungry!

First Stop LaPlace

"A Louisiana cookery located in 
historic Hillsborough, North Carolina"

The shrimp and grits they served us were delicious.  I would definitely return for another bowl.

They have a seasonally crafted cocktail list the piqued my interest as well. 

  

After our visit to LaPlace we headed out umbrellas in hand to the local farmers market.

Our first stop at the market is Hominy Gringos.

We were given several samples.

My favorite was the Hominy Grits and the Watermelon Radish.

 Next stop was "Strong Arm Baking."  They had a display of bread, pies, and cookies.  We were given a sample of a savory bread pudding that was very good.  Of course, I had to buy some cookies for the grandkids.

Our last stop at the market was the Chapel Hill Creamery.

You can never go wrong with cheese that is my motto.

We were given a sample of cheese that was smooth and creamy.  Wonderful.

We were greeted by the chief, Aaron Vandemark, at Panciuto.  

Here is a quote from their website,

We are devoted to people - farmers and friends - who supply us with virtually all of our food, the plates on which we eat, and the table at which we sit. If our food has radiance, 

it's because of this collective.

I loved the warm brick walls.  They have a lovely bar.  I don't remember the name of the dish Aaron served us, but I could have eaten the entire thing.  Delicious!

 Now it was time for pizza.   We were headed to the Radius Pizzeria and Pub.  We were given three flavors of pizza to try.  They were all very good.  You can never go wrong with pizza.

We stopped off at Matthew's Chocolates.

They have chocolates, cookies, coffee and more.

We were given samples of Matthew's chocolate.  The chocolate in the foreground of my photo was my favorite.  The chocolate was smooth and delicious, and with the added, I am guessing, sea salt 

it just made me crave more.

 What would a food tour be without wine?  We set out for the Hillsborough Wine Company.
We were given an overview of the wines on tap.  We could select two of the wines to sample.
This venue would be a great place to visit often, to order a glass of wine, and then sit back and relax.  They have a lovely seating area.  I wish I lived closer.

I found that these food tours are not just about the food.  It is also a walking tour of the area.  You can soak in the sights and learn a bit of the history of the area.  This was an added plus for me.  

The Old Town Cemetery.

 There are some lovely old homes in Hillsborough.

There is so much history to discover in the town of Hillsborough.  I plan on returning to learn more.
Below are just a few things I took pictures of along the way.  There is a beautiful church, some lovely flowers, a bit of history, a pig, and even a dinosaur.

I have found that the food tours are not only about eating but about learning.  I had a great time.  I now want to go on a food tour in every city I visit that offers one.

Thanks to my daughters for a beautiful birthday gift!

Happy Travels and Adventures!

KathieyV:-)