Arthur Avenue Walkabout

susan was interesting and fun to be with...we had a beautiful day, ate great food and learned alot about the area i highly recommend the tour...we also liked her "assistant" The Vick Family Buffalo New York

My husband and I grew up in New York but had never been to Arthur Avenue and had always wanted to do a food tour of the area. (We have done food tours around the world, including in NYC, though not with SusanSez, and always had a good time.) So we signed up with SusanSez as it was the only walking tour we could find of the area. Susan is lovely and clearly knowledgeable about the Bronx, but there were too many people (16) in the group and the tour quickly dragged. Also, we were expecting to go straight to Arthur Avenue, visit many of the shops and taste their specialties and learn about their history. Instead, the tour was more a casual history of that part of the Bronx with, after an hour (to go less than half a mile), a glimpse of Arthur Avenue. Maybe we misunderstood the point of the tour, but we were very disappointed, especially after spending $97, and left hungry. My recommendation: If you are looking for a slow-paced walking tour of the Belmont section of the Bronx with a little food thrown in, sign up with SusanSez. But if you are looking for a true food tour, do some research online and do a self-guided tour. (Many of the shops offer free samples.)

Not enough history of the Italian immigration experience Stops for tastings were all delicious. Commentary on "Red sauce is red sauce and bread is bread" I found absurd as an Italian American. Guide was accommadating and pleasant, however be careful of the restaurant recommendation.

Very good guide

Everyone I've spoken with since I relocated from Souther CA has said, "If you want to see an authentic Italian neighborhood with the most delicious food offerings, you must go to Arthur Avenue." I also had received a copy of the fantastic book, "The Arthur Avenue Cookbook" from the photographer, Vegar Abelsnes, who shot all the photos and truly captured what this Italian community looks and feels like. So, I gathered up 6 other friends and signed up for SusanSez's Arthur Avenue Walkabout. This turned out to be a wonderful treat starting with an historical overview of the area, punctuated with visits to many authentic grocery stores, markets, cafes, parks, bakeries, sausage stores, cheese stores, etc. Our guide arranged for us to sample many tasty foods along the way including a demonstration on how to make our own mozarella, which could then be purchased if you wished. If you love sun-dried tomatoes, you must try them at Teitel Bros, a family owned, aroma filled, old time grocery store since 1915 and one of the few Jewish owned stores in the neighborhood. But no matter how wonderful the area one visits, it is the guide who makes the difference. Susan was extremely knowledgeable about the neighborhood and has established long standing relationships with the store owners which makes you feel you are part of the family. In addition, her voice was strong and could be hear by everyone even those with some hearing impairment. She was the perfect guide for the perfect day so much so that we lingered around for several hours revisiting many of the stores to buy up a variety of delicious items we saw earlier.

This is a wonderful tour of an iconic Italian neighborhood known throughout the tri-state area and beyond. The walk along Arthur Avenue and adjoining side streets was a treat, literally. The tastings of Albanian pastries, olives, cheeses, pizza, canolis, etc. from the Italian shops that dot the avenue was a delicious part of the tour. I also appreciated commentary/ history about some of the bulidings. As a local I've always wanted to go to Arthur Avenue to shop and browse. This was definitely the way to go and the list of establishments that we visited, provided by Susan Sez, will come in handy on my return trip to AA. My friend from San Francisco, a total foodie, was truly impressed with the area and the tour. Many thanks again to Susan Sez for a delightful outing.

Susan shared a lot of local history in addition to information about the shops and restaurants - We enjoyed the tour a lot. The shopkeepers who participated were welcoming and the samples delicious!

We saw the tour in the N.Y.Times. Due to the publicity, the size of the group (24) was too large and there was too much down time. We had to wait for the whole group to fit into a store and probably a smaller group could have moved faster. The tour guide was warm and informative. My only complaint was the size of the group. Otherwise, Arthur Ave. is a great place to see.

Susan has a very contagious love of the Bronx and a large bank to great trivia and wonderful places - makes for a fun event!

What a great way to see a bit of new york, socialize with colleagues, and eat dinner!