Taste of Carolina Gourmet Food Tours

What it is:  My husband and I had a weekend of childcare last weekend when my in-laws came to visit.  So, we decided to take advantage of it and check out some sites around town without the kiddos.  One of our adventures was to head to the Taste of Carolina tour of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.  We love to eat, and we know that this area has so much good food to explore.  The Taste of Carolina tour was a great way to taste some of those great foods.  They have tours for Chapel Hill, Durham Raleigh, Hillsborough, and more.  We decided to check out the one in Chapel Hill because it was close-by and we didn't know as much about the food in Chapel Hill as we did in Durham.

It was a great way to spend the day.  We had a tour group of 9 total and the guide.  She showed us around the area for 3 hours stopping in at some of the best restaurants and stands at the farmers market, sampling their food and drink, and talking with the chefs and farmers.  We tried some fabulous food and met some very passionate and interesting people.  Our stops that day were Neal's Deli, the Carrboro Farmer's Market where we sampled Chapel Hill Creamery, Big Spoon Roasters, and a pecan stand, Acme, Vimalya's Curryblossom Cafe, The Chocolate Door, Carrboro Beverage Co., and Carrboro Coffee Company.  What a great day!

What we liked: The food was absolutely delicious, and we loved getting to go behind the scenes and talk with the people that make and prepare the food.  My favorite food of the day was the pastrami and mustard biscuit from Neal's Deli (and I didn't even think I liked pastrami going in to the day).  We can wait until we have the chance to check out the other tours in the area!

What we would change: I would not take kids on this outing, but it would be great for a date afternoon or fun mom's outing.  You need to be able to walk 2.5-3 miles and be able to listen patiently for several hours.  While the adults really enjoyed it, young kids would definitely not last that long.  However, our guide did tell us that she had a 12 year old on a tour that was really interested and asked more questions than most of the adults, so for older kids that are interested in food it might be just the thing.  Also, it is an expensive outing at $45 per person.

Website and other important information: 

Website: http://tastecarolina.net/

Schedules: Tours typically take place on the weekend, but you can set up private tours on the weekdays with enough people.

Photos:

1. Neal's Deli Biscuits (sorry I ate most of the first one before I remembered to take the picture.

2. A cheese sample from Chapel Hill Creamery

3. Nut butter samples from Big Spoon Roasters

4. Yummy pecan treat

5. Delicious catfish and sweet potatoes from ACME.

6. Tandoori chicken from Vimyala's Curryblossom Cafe

7. Hot Chocolate from The Chocolate Door

8. More chocolate yumminess from The Chocolate Door

9. Refreshment from Carrboro Beverage Company

10. A roaster from Carrboro Coffee Company