Charm City Food Tours is the newest way to experience Baltimore’s culinary scene. The guided, narrated walking tours combine history, architecture, culture, and local cuisine from family-owned restaurants and shops in the area’s historic neighborhoods. The food and restaurants have been meticulously studied and chosen to accurately reflect the people and history of each neighborhood. The end result is a one-of-a-kind, culinary VIP experience. We met up with Celeste Corsaro, Director of Marketing and Promotions, to learn more about this new and fun culinary delight!
CHARMED | D.C Metro Food Tours brought Charm City Food Tours to Baltimore? Why Baltimore, and is expansion into other cities
in the works?
CELESTE | D.C. Metro Food Tours was founded in 2006. Owner, Jeff Swedarsky wanted to put together a way for people to experience D.C. beyond the monuments and sites. Jeff has traveled the world and felt the best way to learn and understand a culture is through their food. It was important to create something that locals and tourists alike could enjoy while practicing sustainable tourism and bringing products that are intimate and unobtrusive. It was a natural progression to bring the DC tours to Baltimore. We will cross pollinate between DC and Baltimore and offer the tours to both cities, as an activity to do while visiting, respectively. There is always room for expansion to other cities. Jeff is working on them one, by one.
CHARMED | Currently, Fells Point is the only tour offered. What tours are also scheduled for Charm City and when will they be available?
CELESTE | Fells Point and Federal Hill. Lots of really cool history in both neighborhoods and plenty of food. We will also run tours in Mt. Vernon, Lexington Market, Jonestown and Little Italy. Those are coming soon.
CHARMED | What does the Fells Point tour entail?
CELESTE | Lots of history, interesting facts and plenty of foods indigenous to Baltimore. Think Bergers cookies, Ostrowski’s sausage and Baltimore brewed beers.
CHARMED | Will they leave hungry, or overly stuffed?
CELESTE | Luckliy, it is a walking tour, so no one should feel overly stuffed. There is planty of food on each tour and no one should go home hungry. The restaurants have been very good to us. They don’t want to see anyone leave hungry, either.
CHARMED | Are tours designed for tourists or local residents?
CELESTE | The tours are designed for both. We encourage the local to come and take one of our tours. I guarantee they will learn something about their city or favorite neighborhood that they didn’t know. Tourists will be thrilled at such a fun thing to do while here.
CHARMED | What impression of Baltimore do you want people to develop from your tours?
CELESTE | The impression that people will walk away with is that Baltimore is a whole lot more than just bars and restaurants. There is a lot of rich culture that we will uncover and lots of good foods that have shaped the way some of our neighborhoods are still holding traditions.
CHARMED | Do you need to pre-order tickets to the tours? How many guests for each tour?
CELESTE| Yes, tickets must be pre-ordered on our website, www.charmcityfoodtours.com. At time of purchase, guests will be told where we are meeting and what time. We usually take no more than 14 people per tour guide.
CHARMED | Do you accommodate large groups and/or offer private tours/parties?
CELESTE | Yes, both. We can accommodate private tours and large groups of well over 200 people. Private tours and evening dine arounds can be customized and vary in price.
CHARMED | What is the ticket cost? Are there additional costs/gratuity involved?
CELESTE | Most tours are $50. Depending on the time and foods. Taxes and tips are included for the restaurants, however, gratuities to the tour guide are not mandatory, but accepted.
CHARMED | When are tours offered and how long do they last?
CELESTE | Tours run Wed-Sunday and are generally 3.5-4 hours long. Rain or shine. We will be adding additional days, times, and tours soon.
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