Rum & Blackbird Tasting Tours

Specialties

Rum and Blackbird Tasting Tours bring adventurous tasters to the hidden mom-​and-​pop shops that never make it to the Food Network — the real gems of Hell’s Kitchen.

In three hours, residents and tourists alike embark on an unforgettable whirlwind guided walking tour full of handmade food. Tasters sample Druse cuisine from Israel at Gazala Place, traditional Italian biscotti from Biscotti di Vecchio, and Latin specialties from Empanada Mama, before taking a sweet descent into Greek pastries prepared with handmade phyllo dough from the 85-​year-​old Poseidon Bakery.

Rum & Blackbird Tasting Tours reveal the flavor of Hell’s Kitchen through culinary exploration as well as through intriguing neighborhood tidbits: the streets teem with little-​known stories of a violent past full of speakeasies, gang leaders, and dangerous mobsters.

It’s the tastiest seven-​course meal you’ll ever walk into.

History

Established in 2009.

A recent trip to Italy inspired Rum & Blackbird founder Moira Campbell to start a business reflecting her favorite pastimes of eating and traveling. She decided to lead her first guided tasting tour in Hell’s Kitchen, her own bustling New York neighborhood full of artisanal bakeries, delis, barbecue joints, and taquerias. Over a span of five years, Moira has fallen head-​over-​heels in love with New York City and adores Hell’s Kitchen. Its gritty western avenues and crowded restaurant blocks keep her on the streets, seeking out delicious food in unlikely places.

Meet the Business Owner

Moira C.

Business Owner

Moira’s sense of culinary exploration began in Worcester, Massachusetts where she grew up perfecting her braising technique, reading old cookbooks and watching The Godfather too many times. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2001, and from Clark University in 2005 with a degree in English focused on African-​American Literature. She has worked closely with New York chefs and restaurateurs at Gail Schoenberg Public Relations and at StarChefs​.com, an online magazine for culinary insiders.

Moira is a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Greens committee and an event coordinator for the NYC Wine & Food Festival. In the fall of 2009, she enrolled in the Food Studies graduate program at New York University. Most days she can be found dining out in New York’s newest restaurants, catering small fetes, or scouring the city’s flea markets for vintage cookware.

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reviews

Asian Fusion

Moira C. says,

«Seriously delicious pork buns, lobster rolls, and steak sandwiches.»