Feet in 2 Worlds Introduces Food Tours of New York Immigrant Neighborhoods

Eat your way through the street carts on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. (Photo: John Rudolph/Feet in 2 Worlds)

This spring Feet in 2 Worlds introduces culinary tours of two of New York City’s most diverse and exciting neighborhoods – Jackson Heights and Astoria – featuring exciting and delicious foods from Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, along with a street-level look at these vibrant immigrant communities.

Since 2005 Feet in 2 Worlds has been telling the stories of today’s immigrants on public radio and the web.  And there is no better way to tell these stories and gain a deeper appreciation for New York’s immigrant neighborhoods than through food.   From Tibetan momos (steamed dumplings served with hot chile sauce) to fresh, hand-made quesadillas to crunchy Palestinian falafel served with pickled turnips and tahina sauce, tour-goers will feast on great flavors while gaining an insider’s knowledge of where to find extraordinary ethnic food.   At the same time they’ll get a first hand look at immigrant communities that are an essential part of the city’s cultural and economic life.

Feet in 2 Worlds has teamed up with Streetwise New York to offer two tours:

Eat the Street, an exploration of the best street food along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and Mediterranean Flavors of Astoria, an odyssey through Greek, Spanish, and Palestinian restaurants, food markets, and food carts.

The tours are led by knowledgeable and energetic guides Andrew Silverstein and Dan Shaki whose company, Streetwise New York, specializes in tours of New York’s immigrant neighborhoods.  The tours were developed in partnership with cookbook author Kathy Gunst, resident chef on Public Radio International’s Here and Now, and John Rudolph, executive producer of Feet in 2 Worlds, an award-winning source of news about immigrants and immigration on public radio and online.  John is also the host of Food in 2 Worlds ™ podcasts that focus on food stories from New York’s immigrant communities.

Fi2W food tours have won rave reviews. 

“In our short (but very filling) tasting, we had Tibetan Momo dumplings filled with a tender, spicy meatball; Ecuadorian Bollos de Pescado (a plantain wrapped fish tamale); a classic Elote tamale bought from a little old lady holding an insulated box filled with them; an amazing Columbian cassava (tapioca) and cheese filled roll called Pandebono, chewy and cheesy–I could have eaten them all day and I definitely plan on learning how to make them!” – Peter Reinhart, author and “Food and Culture” instructor at Johnson & Wales University.

“The Feet in 2 Worlds tour of Roosevelt Avenue was one of the best food/culinary tours I’ve ever been on. As a culinary professional and foodie in general, I’m not sure what I expected but was blown away.  Andrew, the guide, not only knew the neighborhood, the food and the history, he knew the people, their stories and spoke of them with such passion and care. This, as much as the delicious food, made this tour exceptional.”  – Cayla Runka, RD – Manager, Kraft Kitchens, Kraft Canada

Fi2W food tours will be held on May 19 and June 2 and 16, as well as dates throughout the summer and fall.

Click here to make a reservation for the Jackson Heights and Astoria tours.

For more information contact john@feetin2worlds.org (603) 498-5480 or andrew@streetwisenewyork.com (347)327-6063.

Fi2W is supported by the New York Community Trust and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with additional support from the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation and the Sirus Fund.

AboutFeet in Two Worlds
Feet in 2 Worlds (Fi2W) is an independent media outlet, journalism training program, and launchpad for emerging immigrant journalists and media makers of color. Our work brings positive and meaningful change to America's newsrooms and has a broader impact on how immigration is reported and the ethnic and racial composition of news organizations.