Melting Pot Food Tours

Every minute of the tour was great! Our guide, Mike, was great! He was conversant and fun, he had a good time so we had a good time. I loved the idea of having a bite to eat, then taking a walk, another bite to eat, another walk, and so on. We snaked our way through the alleys and hidden shops and learned about the old buildings and architecture styles. Hearing the back stories of the shop owners and meeting them in person was special. Entertaining from beginning to end!

We were greatly pleased with both the tour-guide and the selections of eateries that we visited. Our tour-guide was knowledgeable and interesting. You could tell that he had actually eaten in these restaruants, and many of the others that were listed in the guide, but not visited on our trip. Accompanied by our adult son from Las Vegas, we were all suprised at the scope and amount of food that was presented for sampling. Our son has friends in the Pasadena area, and had seen many of the venues, but had not eaten at any of them, now he definitely has them on his list to return to. My wife and I also look forward to making a more in depth visit to these restaraunts, and we will let them know how we found out about them. While all of the all of the tastings were enjoyed, all three of us found we have different favorite places (mine is Equator), but there are not any that do not rate a return visit by all of us. While there was no tasting (other than smell) involved, we found Soap Kitchen an interesting and enjoyable experience also. We were all interested in the tastings of oil and vinegars offered at the Beyond The Olive stop. I compared well to a wine tasting experience, and we will probably return for a more extensive visit. We enthusiasticaly recommend this tour, and while it had a definite "pace" to keep up with, the walk was not tiring, especially since you had so many frequent stops.

This tour was great! The food was delicious and diverse. The tour gave historical and architectual highlights that were fascinating. I loved it and so did my friend. It is the best tour I have ever had.

I have lived in LA for many year but had not been to Farmers Market for over 40 years. The smells were wonderful. Each eating stop was delightful but hearing the history of the restaurant and/or area was important too. I took the tour solo but plan on taking the Pasadena tour with my wife. It was a very lovely day. Thanks........

I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something to do in LA that is outside the traditional historical sites/museums tour. We went during the week, so ended up with a really small group (3 people), but the tour was still a lot of fun. Got a mix of history, culture, and (of course) food! Would highly recommend this for anyone looking for "something different" to do. Even locals. Yes, it is worth the price (in case you were wondering).

I've been on 3 Food Tours (Chicago, Farmer's Market and Old Towne) and this was my favorite yet. I learned so much about Pasadena, it's history and architecture. The hidden away restaurants were delightful and the food tastings left me very satisfied. Mike was a good tour guide, so knowledgeable and fun. There were 6 friends in our group, all from different cities , and we want to start our own dinner club. I would highly recommend this tour.

Although I thought I knew Old Town Pasadena pretty well, I was introduced to new places I had driven by many times but never tried, and learned Old Town's history and architechure. The guide was pleasant, easy going and knowledgeable. The businesses were generous with their samples. I had a very enjoyable morning and would highly recommend it, even to locals!

Spectacular sunshine and breezes as we set out on a three hour tour... Although I was not with anyone else the entire group was engaging while Mike our guide entertained and informed us. This was a fun morning with a diverse offering of food from local establishments and the inside story of old town. You will go home thinking there is no reason our city could not be like this!

We had a great time...the food was great and the tour guide very knowledgeable and mixed Pasadena history into the food tour. A great way to learn about restaurants you probably never would have found otherwise.

My friends and I had SO much fun. What could be better; good food, good friends, a bit of history, getting to know local businesses and meeting interesting people including Lisa who was a wealth of knowledge. The price? It was a steal for what we received in return. I chose to get away from giving "stuff" and instead I was giving experiences for and with my friends. This was the best money I spent this holiday season. We made lots of memories and looking forward to more.....and we decided to "celebrate" our friendships on a regular basis juggling work schedules and family time. We are all talking about this day with family and coworkers.

While there were 14 people on our tour, there was only 2 other people from outside LA. Everyone enjoyed the tour, especially given that this was a unique way to experience LA in a culinary setting. Well worth the price, but be sure to go hungry, as you will definitely be stuffed by the end!

Our tour guide, Mike, was wonderful - full of information and very enthusiastic and attentive. The shops and restaurants we visited welcomed us warmly and the food was great. What a fun and different way to get to know a city. I would highly recommend this tour of Old Pasadena.

My wife and I enjoyed the tour of the farmers market and the stroll down 3rd street. Our guide Diane must know everyone in the immediate area. She is fantastic and very enthuisiastic about showing tourists the Los Angeles farmers market. I must confess that our favorite parts of the tour involved the tastings at each site. From fruit to meat, sweets to tea, this tour covered it all...I highly recommend this tour for a great adventure through the streets of Los Angeles and the farmers market.

I learned about Melting Pot Food Tasting Tours from an article I read in a magazine at a doctor's office. I wanted to give a really unique Christmas gift to 3 family members, and this was exactly what I needed. I picked a date after consulting my family's availability (without divulging what the gift was...), booked the tour, printed 3 receipts, put each in a box, and wrapped them for Christmas giving. I recommend this activity highly. Mike, the Tour Guide, was very knowledgeable and attentive, and a fine gentleman. The food/beverage was great and it was super neat to go through the "secret" passages and spots of Old Pasadena. My brother-in-law was in a wheelchair, but the tour and businesses were all manageable. It was a great experience that I would recommend without reservation.

I have two children aged 19 and 21 and they were not certain about this tour, when I mention it was a food tour at the markets. My husband was dragged along as well. The first stop was the doughnuts and coffee, my husband love a good coffee and my son love doughnuts, well say no more, they were sold. They enjoyed the tour and learnt so much from Diane, giving information and tips along the way. There was something for everyone, from ice cream to culinary tips, savoury to sweet foods and fresh meats, vegetables and fruits. I suggest you make this one of your first holiday tours, in LA as it gives a great overview and a starting point of the fresh produce and good food. We were able to return later to have our meals as it is close to many shopping centres such as The Grove, Beverley Center, Rodeo Drive, Melrose Ave and Sunset Blvd, with easy bus and car access. If you really like cooking,ingredients and good food, then you could spend hours just browsing in Monsieur Marcel and Joan on Third. You will not believe the varieties of tea until you see it at Chado Tea Room. The authentic Japanese food at Mishima will leave you wanting to go back for more. I had several favourites and so did everyone in my family, and they were different favourites. So take the leap as there is something for everyone, young and old. Enjoy.