Taking in the sights and tastes of Old Town

Did you know that George Washington and Robert E. Lee attended services at the same Old Town church? Or that the British Royal Family used to request Alexandria Jelly Cake whenever its representatives traveled to the region? How about the fact that you can stomach three full meals in as many hours and still have room for dessert?

Oh, the things you can learn on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

For the past two years, DC Metro Food Tours has offered walking tours of historic Old Town Alexandria with stops at some of the area’s most well-known restaurants. Each three-hour tour begins at scenic Market Square and sweeps through the neighborhood's picturesque cobbled streets, with stops at the Alexandria Waterfront, the Torpedo Factory Art Center and the Alexandria Lyceum. Though that might sound like a lot of exercise for a weekend afternoon, the trek is strategically spliced by sit-down tastings at Bilbo Baggins, Union Street Public House, The Pita House and The Carriage House Shop.

“There’s so much more to the city than the monuments,” said founder and regular tour guide of DC Metro Food Tours, Jeff Swedarsky. “And you can really get to know an area through its food.” Swedarsky’s goal was to design a tour that showcased the beauty, history and culinary prowess of his town.

“It’s not just history. It’s the people, the cultures that have moved into the area and influenced it – not just economically, but through cuisine as well,” Swedarsky said. “In a couple of hours, you can immerse yourself in a neighborhood you might not have known, and what better way to learn than through food?”

Starting May 16, DC Food Tours will expand to the District, offering dining tours of Capitol Hill. Though Swedarski is still finalizing the details of the Capitol Hill Food Tour, the tastings are likely to include a medley of soul food, El Salvadorean, Anglo-Indian, and Eastern European Jewish cuisine.

In addition to the daytime walking tours, DC Metro Food Tours offers more intimate evening dine-arounds, featuring starters and a several-dish tasting at two restaurants. The group also organizes custom tours for corporate events, birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations. Most tours cost $50-58 per ticket.

http://dc.metromix.com/restaurants/article/taking-in-the-sights/1146730/content