Brooklyn Food Tours for Parents & Children

A lot has happened since you heard from me last. I stopped working at Food Network, became a full-time Mom, and in two months, baby boy #2 will be born.

For me, becoming a parent marked the end of leisurely restaurant meals (temporarily, at least). And of course, food blogging fell by the wayside. But my devotion to eating the best food I could find never wavered. If anything, I became more obsessed. Case in point? I joined the Park Slope Food Coop. I also became the honorary planner of food-related outings for a group of new Moms I met.

On one outing -- a six-mile walk to satisfy a croissant craving -- my friend Bernadette suggested I start my own food tour business. A light bulb went off. I’d been exposed to the food world during my 7 years at Food Network, but never felt like I could get close enough to what really interested me: the food.

I considered culinary school, but knew I didn't want to be a chef. I started this blog thinking I wanted to become a food writer, only to discover that writing about food is very, very hard. Finally, thanks to Bernadette’s brilliant suggestion, I realized I could do what I do best. Walk, talk about Brooklyn, and show friends, and eventually food-loving strangers, the best places to eat.

It’s been a year since that inspiring walk to Fort Greene. At last, I’m ready to get this going. I'm starting food tours for parents and children in Brooklyn.

I know what it’s like to be a new parent, to feel immobilized, as if you can’t venture too far from home, fearful you’ll be stuck with a screaming infant and scornful looks from strangers. I want to help parents see that they can still be adventurous with kids. Outings with children, especially those that revolve around food, are different, of course. Even when you live in a very kid-friendly neighborhood like mine, the idea of eating out with a little one is daunting. But anything that gets you out of the house, talking to other parents, and walking, and treating yourself to something delicious, is good for both you, and your child.

When I first had Nico, I met many women who were afraid, or unsure, about doing anything adventurous with their babies. I on the other hand wanted to take Nico everywhere. It wasn’t always easy, but I was always glad I’d tried.

I'd love to get some feedback from all of you, if any of you are even still out there, and would be forever grateful if you'd help spread the word. I have a long list of tours I want to plan, but need to start slowly to make this the best it can be. Hopefully, over time, I can help new parents discover some of the best food Brooklyn has to offer (and eventually in Manhattan and beyond). As I've learned since becoming a Mom, it's all about baby steps.

My first tour will be a trial one with a few friends and their children on Tuesday, April 13. We'll be leaving Park Slope around 4pm and heading to some sweet spots along Atlantic Avenue. If you’d like to join, contact me for details (you can now find my email under my profile). I hope to plan a few more in April and will post all the details here. Stay tuned!