Taste This: A Food Tour of East Boston

Did you know Boston had food tour just for its East Boston neighborhood? Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t either. But last week, I got a sneak peek of Taste This Eastie Eats Food Tour. . . I am hooked on food tours!

I was excited to be able to join the tour on a gloriously sunny Friday, right before a long weekend. It made it even better that I know the new tour guide, blogger and  Red White Tasting Crew friend Brian.

The tour meets near the water taxis outside the Marriott Long Wharf. Once our group arrived, we hopped aboard the water taxi for a quick ride across Boston Harbor. What a great way to start the tour!

Once we arrived in the East Boston boatyard, we learned a little bit about the area including the unique art installments there, and then headed to Eastie’s beautiful waterfront green space, Piers Park where we got started on the food.

First up, macaroons from St.  Emilion Macaroon Co., the oldest continually operating macaroon company in the US. Not only were the macaroons scrumptious, light fluffy, with that lovely macaroon chew, but the proceeds go to support the St. Thomas Choir School.

Sitting in the sun, learning about the macaroons and Piers Park was a perfect start to the tour, which then brought us to the adorably funky 303 Café.

Multiple times while sitting in the cozy, relaxed café, I wished it was closer to me. I would totally make it my office! With a killer weekend brunch menu, 303 will definitely be getting a repeat customer in me.

As part of the tour, we sampled one of 303’s signature dishes, ChicaChica Boom Boom Firecracker Chicken, hot, crispy chicken in a spicy sauce with a caramelized onion aioli. More like spicy BBQ chicken, these hit the spot and made my spice-loving taste buds very happy. The caramelized onion in the aioli offered sweetness and a bit of creamy respite from the heat.

After we said out goodbyes to the friendly staff at 303, we were on our way again through East Boston, passing by a bunch of neat sites including this former firehouse that now houses Zumix, an incredible organization that empowers city youth through music. 

Our next stop was up in the air due to the filming of a movie in East Boston. Looks like the Boston area is becoming Hollywood!

Luckily, Dough was open. I soon learned that this is another must-visit place in East Boston.

As a Phish fan, the décor made me smile (going to my first show in MANY years next week!). And as a sandwich fan, the food made me very happy.

The ingredients were so fresh, and the flavor combinations were creative and enticing. I especially loved the curry chicken salad, but as you can see, Dough offers a ton of different options, really something for everyone!

After cooling off over sandwiches, we headed to our final stop of the day, passing some interesting landmarks on the way including this mural which outlines the cultural history of East Boston. Lots of different immigrant groups have made their way through the neighborhood over the years!

Our last stop was a place I have been wanting to try for awhile, Ecco. With its dimly lit interior, extensive cocktail menu, and sleek furnishings, Ecco could be right out of the Back Bay, but it boasts East Boston prices.

For our tour, Ecco was dessert, cold cups of coconut ice cream, a welcome relief from the sun and heat outside.

In the future, the tour will include more stops; as I mentioned this was a sneak peek. Still, I thought it was brilliant. I loved the food portions; a full meal at each place is just too much for me.  And I really loved discovering East Boston, its eateries, green spaces, and friendly residents, especially the kind woman who walked me in the direction of the boatyard on my way back. If I can get lost, I will!

Is there a neighborhood of your city or area of your town you would like to explore more?