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Day 1 You'll See: (Travel to Hyde Park, NY)
Day 2 You'll See:
- Apple Pie Bakery Cafe
- (Travel to Niagara) 10am - 5 pm
- Maid of Mist
Day 3 You'll See:
- VIP Early Access Tour of St. Lawrence Market
- PATH Underground Shopping
- Pizza Libretto
Day 4 You’ll See:
- When Pigs Fry: Walking Hogtown Tour (2-5 Wed, Fri, Sun)
- (Travel Home)
Hyde Park, New York, is one of the most legendary culinary education destinations in the world, so when you add in legendary Toronto beloved treats around Niagara you know you have a truly unforgettable foodie tour!
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(Travel to Hyde Park, NY)
American Bounty Restaurant - What better way to start your New York and Niagara culinary adventure than at the American Bounty Restaurant, the Culinary Institute of America’s premier onsite eatery that will give you the perfect quick look, intro, or even finale to an educational, and quite delicious, a tour of the famed culinary institute. This landmark restaurant mixes traditional cooking styles and classic ingredients with new and elevated plate ideas, and it does it well. Market fresh, seasonal, and sustainable New American fare is what you can expect here, the setting both bucolic and upscale with views of the Hudson far below. Located within Hyde Park in New York this foodie hotspot is considered to be a ‘breeding ground for future star restaurants' (Zagat) and is held high in sustainable foodie respect due to it’s constant regional and seasonal products and commitment to quality farm-to-table meal choices.
Culinary Institute of America Tour - Of course, now that you’ve seen one of the finest restaurants this world-famous institute has to offer you need to see the institute itself! The Culinary Institute of America is one of the world’s premier culinary colleges, a highly attended cooking and food business management school that has been open since 1946, providing just over 7 decades of quality culinary education. Once here your group will be able to enjoy ample parking, tons of excellent culinary information, and valuable insight into one of the most respected culinary schools in the world. See behind the scenes views of the classes and onsite eateries, with such popular and iconic spots as American Bounty, the Taber, The Egg, and even an on-site craft brewery and rotating pop-up eatery. If you have enough time during the day of your visit or want to possibly add on an extra day we can look into Cooking and Baking classes for your group as well!
(Your group may want to switch these around depending on offered tour times the day of your visit and travel time beforehand. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of all that, though!)
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Apple Pie Bakery Cafe - You’re going to want a hearty breakfast this morning before hitting the road to Niagara Falls, so get ready to head back to the Culinary Institute of America for an award-winning meal. The Apple Pie Bakery Cafe is a busy soup, sandwich, and pastry shop open from 7:30 am to 5 pm daily at the CIA. As USA Today says, ‘This cafe shines with future culinary stars’, some of the best future chefs and restaurateurs working here at one point or another. Grab a light breakfast of pastries or fresh artisan bread or perhaps a more hearty and heavy egg-filled plate. Hudson Valley Annual named Apple Pie Bakery the Best Dessert and Best Lunch Spot, lunch options ranging from fresh Apple Salad to Cafe Quiche, the deserts including out of this world chestnut eclair and blood orange pannacotta. If you have time after breakfast try to stop by the Vanderbilt Mansion and Grounds or the Walkway over Hudson, both close by attractions to CIA.
(Travel to Niagara)
Maid of Mist - Take a break from all the tantalizing Toronto treats with a once-in-a-lifetime experience aboard the Maid of Mist! Adventurous groups on Northeastern holiday will not want to miss seeing the breathtaking landmark Falls and an ever-popular Maid of the Mist Tour get you and your travel buddies as “up close and personal” as you could ever hope to be! Throw on your blue keepsake poncho, tuck your phone and not-so-waterproof camera inside something waterproof, slip on your “water shoes” or flip on your flip-flops and prepare for the most exhilarating, wet-and-wonderful ride of your life as you board the stately 74’ Maid of the Mist VI or the majestic 80’ Maid of the Mist VII, swing wide and away from the dock and Rainbow Bridge and shove out across the churning river toward the Falls! You won’t believe your eyes OR ears as you approach the thundering curtains of water!
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VIP Early Access Tour of St. Lawrence Market - Rise and shine, hungry travelers, it’s time for a Toronto breakfast tour you won’t soon forget! The VIP Early Access Tour of St. Lawrence Market is an ‘intimate experience of Toronto’s iconic market’, an insider's look at the ‘World’s Best Market’. Culinary Adventure Company will allow you to meet and eat with the merchants, sip locally roasted coffee, breakaway layers of fluffy croissants, and even sample Toronto’s iconic Peameal Sandwich. Offered Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 am, this tour allows your group to see the market before all the hustle and bustle of the late morning, showing you exclusive areas not offered to the public as you go along. Culinary Adventure Company is the #1 rated Food and Drink activity on Toronto TripAdvisor, so trust that you are in good hands!
PATH Underground Shopping - Toronto’s legendary PATH Underground Shopping and Pedestrian system is genius in many ways. Above all, Canadian winters can be brutal, as can the weather in general, so the PATH system takes out that weather unpredictability factor. Another great benefit of this network of underground pedestrian tunnels elevated walkways, and at-grade paths are that it is lined with various stores and services (1200, actually), making it one of the most influential economic city boosters. Over 30 km long, over 50 offices connected, 20 parking garages, 6 subway stations, 8 hotels, and countless attractions sit inside, this system so massive it even serves over 200,000 commuters and 5,000 onsite workers each day, not to mention tourists like yourself! So walk around, shop, and of course, fill your stomach, a few popular onsite eateries including Blowfish, China Wok, and Richtree.
Note that each PATH letter actually stands for a direction in the system. For example, the P, which is red, is south. The A, orange, is West, and so on.
Pizzeria Libretto Danforth - Though there are several more locations throughout Toronto, Pizzeria Libretto Danforth is one of what we consider to be the city’s all-time best eateries. This classic Italian dinnertime hotspot boasts ‘Heritage Grade Pizza Napoletana’, a crispy, thin, extremely delicious pizza made in a brick oven. Enjoy a relaxed and inviting atmosphere here, as well as plenty of things to keep the kiddos busy, like the coloring sheets and crayons on the tables!
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When Pigs Fry: Walking Hogtown Tour - This deliciously decadent bacon-based tour is one of Toronto’s most sought-after culinary tours, an equally entertaining and educational introduction to Canada’s history as a ‘Hogtown’. Ran by popular local tour company Toronto Urban Adventure, this tour will teach you all about Hogtown’s history and pretty much all things pig-related along the way. Not only will you get this unique local history and culture lesson, but you also get to sample all the pork, sausage, and bacon morsels talked about along the way. The tour lasts 3 hours and takes place on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays between March and November. Meet near the Hockey Hall of Fame wear some comfortable shoes, as this tour is part walking and part riding the Toronto Transit Commission Streetcar. You will see the best butcher shops and most talked-about local establishments, hear the history of pig farming and the development of the pork industry in Canada, and even visit a beloved butcher shop steeped in history and known for it’s organic and ethical ways of processing meat. After your tour grabs you a Toronto famous bacon sandwich or head to any of the suggested Toronto eatery favorites.
(Travel Home)