Taste Carolina

05/29/2026

Meet Jeff. If you like your food tours with a side of history and a lot of local pride, you are in the very best of hands.

Jeff originally found his way to Taste Carolina as a guest! After joining us on a tour with his wife back in 2024, he reached out to ask if there might be some space on the team. The rest, as they say, is history...**

**...This segues nicely into our next Jeff fact. By day, Jeff is an AP World History teacher in the Wake County Public School System. He has a natural love for storytelling, and, on tours, blends Durham’s food scene with its rich - and sometimes unexpected - history. He connects all the dots in a way that keeps things engaging and entertaining.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Jeff has called North Carolina home for the past 20 years, with 14 of those spent in Durham. He definitely knows his way around the city, and he knows where to eat. With a background that includes six years in the restaurant industry, Jeff appreciates what goes onto a plate and what goes on behind the scenes at restaurants.

A few things you might learn about Jeff along the way:
-He can connect just about any topic back to history if you give him enough time.
-Buffalo will always have a place in his heart (and yes, he has opinions on wings.)

05/26/2026

It's a berry good time of year. Read about strawberries and spring tours & treats in Taste Carolina's newsletter.

Come see us soon! We'd love to host you.

05/26/2026

North Carolina has incredible seafood, and Sea Level in Charlotte is taking full advantage of it!

Sea Level supports NC's family owned fisheries that are dedicated to sustainable practices and non-threatened species. The restaurant also partners directly with local oyster farms located in Sea Level, NC to bring Sea Level Salt oysters in-house.

Wash it all down with their unexplainably delicious cocktail, Deep Eddy. This drink is so popular that you can buy it by the pitcher, and they have even started to keg it.

05/22/2026

Seventeen and a half years, eighteen tour guides, eight cities, countless bites, one food tour company 🐖 🎉 🎈

These are the folks that make our tours more than just walks across town with plates of food. They bring the stories of the cities, restaurants, and tastings to life!

We loved getting together in Carrboro a few weeks ago to celebrate Taste Carolina's halfway between 15 and 20 birthday. Cheers to many more years of eating local, supporting small businesses, and washing it all down with a tastefully made cocktail 🥂

05/15/2026

Meet Erica. If there was a perfect mix of energy, curiosity, and a genuine love for people, you just found it.

Although she was born in Pittsburgh and raised in Atlanta, Erica has been in Raleigh for over 25 years, and she loves all things North Carolina. She’s an avid art, music, and food lover who has an uncanny wealth of knowledge when it comes to recommending and supporting local businesses and restaurants. This is the kind of person you want on speed dial when you need a recommendation because, chances are, she already knows the spot, the owner, and exactly what you should order. Listen to her wisdom.

A few other things you might learn about Erica during her Raleigh and Durham tours:

-Erica is a speech language pathologist.
-She loves to travel and hike.
-She is fond of random facts and roadside attractions.
-Arepas reign supreme in her world.
-She is a big fan of natural wines and a well made negroni.

05/12/2026

Did you know: 🤔 Mano Bella has the largest pasta extruder in all of North Carolina?

Owners Raffaele and Madison personally imported this powerhouse of a machine from Raffaele's hometown in Rome 🇮🇹 just to keep up with demand!

But is bigger better?! In this case, ABSOLUTELY! The additional force generated by the large motor develops the gluten structure of the pasta, resulting in superior consistency 👌

In addition to using high-quality flour, we exclusively use bronze dies to achieve the perfect texture! They each weigh about 15 pounds a piece!! That's a lot of bronze!! Talk about a workout! 💪

➡️ Come by to see this bad boy in action every ✨️ Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning ✨️

05/12/2026

The Bean Flower is such a gem! This proud AAPI-owned dessert shop in Durham specializes in fresh soy milk (add house-made black sesame paste!), scratch-made jellies and puddings, and delicious teas and other drinks.

On the left is Dou Hua, a silky tofu pudding with sago pearls (think tapioca) in brown sugar syrup. On the right, sago pearls are topped with mango chunks and a sweet and creamy milk base. These are not too sweet and the most satisfying texture ever.

05/09/2026

In a head to head menu competition featuring all of their heavy hitting items, Boricua Soul's "Soul Bowl" came out on top! If you are already familiar with this bowl, you probably aren't very surprised.

This is essentially Puerto Rican Thanksgiving in bowl form. Add in some of their scratch made dipping sauces and you are really in business. If you are around the American To***co Campus in downtown Durham, you owe it to yourself to stop by and give this a try.

Ideally you should go after doing a lot of physical activity to get the appetite really going, and then after - head home for the best nap of your life.

05/05/2026

Ready your belly for a little of this and a little of that. We have been known to dabble in quite a few foods on our tours!

On Taste Carolina tours, you'll visit restaurants, markets, bars, and specialty food shops that are locally owned by proud members and supporters of their communities. Many, if not all, of the chefs and artisans that you will meet source their ingredients from local farms.

Our tours include numerous tastings at multiple restaurants. Most tours are quite filling! Because the food is consumed over a three-hour period, however, we do recommend eating a late breakfast or a light lunch prior to the tour.

We would be delighted to host you! Check out our refreshed website to see dates and locations.