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10 Foodie Tours for Fall 2011

For foodies, the new season means new delights to eat and drink all across the country.

Author:: Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
Publish date:: Oct 15, 2011 7:00 AM EDT

It wouldn’t be fall without those harvest moons and the harvest that comes with them. Fall means an abundance of food that is much scarcer at other times of year, which chefs across the country love to showcase. MainStreet put together a list of 10 tours for foodies for anyone with a car and an appetite. Here are the best of the best. Photo Credit: Getty Images

It wouldn’t be fall without those harvest moons and the harvest that comes with them. Fall means an abundance of food that is much scarcer at other times of year, which chefs across the country love to showcase. MainStreet put together a list of 10 tours for foodies for anyone with a car and an appetite. Here are the best of the best. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Berkeley, Calif. Learn about alternative farming and the bounty that comes with it on this tour. You’ll visit a farmer’s market, meet young people working at urban farms, and speak with chefs and nutritionists about the benefits of good eating. City officials will also discuss fostering a sustainable local economy that ensures that Berkeley residents have access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food. It’s a great tour particularly for anyone interested in establishing a sustainable farming program in the community. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and Arizona This roaming culinary tour brings local fresh food to you, sometimes sourced just feet away from your table. The dinners are held in fields, barns, museums, wherever diners may learn more about the origin of their food. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Tomkins County, N.Y. The area surrounding Tompkins County and the Cayuga Wine Trail in New York offers events all season long, including fall harvest dinners, farm-to-fork dinners, winemaker’s dinners and Ithaca Taste of the Nation Chef’s Night Out, which benefits charity. Experience all the Ithaca region has to offer, food and wine, at these events. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: San Diego The tour includes a trip to the farmer’s market, a three-course dinner inspired by the farmer’s market that is prepared while you watch and wine pairings. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location:North Carolina and South Carolina Anyone close to the Carolinas or who will be visiting either state this fall have a great choice of culinary tours. In North Carolina, Saturday culinary tours are offered every weekend in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Hillsborough, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. Participants visit six to eight restaurants, food shops, markets and bars to eat and drink and talk with local chefs and artisans. The chef decides what to serve based on what's in season. The Chapel Hill/Carrboro tour includes a stop at the farmer’s market. In South Carolina, Greenville offers At the Chef’s Table Culinary Tour, where participants have a chance to meet the chefs and dine at their tables in five of the city’s favorite – and most historically significant – restaurants. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Cleveland Cleveland is actually a well-known foodie town, thanks to its rich history of diversity. The city hosts brewery tours and “taste of the city” tours that include history lessons of different parts of the city. The Market District Harvest Happy Hour Tours explores Ohio City, one of the oldest and most culturally rich neighborhoods in Cleveland. The tour includes an extensive look at the West Side Market and a stop at Light Bistro for a special dish and provided by chef Matt Mathlage. Photo Credit: Ohio Office of Redevelopment

Location: Boulder, Colo. You may be more inclined to think of the mountains and the great outdoors when you think of Boulder, but the city has actually been recognized by publications like Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal and Food & Wine for its culinary offerings. This two-hour walking tour takes diners through the heart of the city’s historic Pearl Street Mall. Some of the restaurants on the tour include SALT, Pizzeria Locale, The Pinyon, The Kitchen, Mateo, Tahona and Cured. Photo Credit: Numinosity

Location: Olympic, Wash. Visit the Olympic Culinary Loop website and you will find a wealth of information to create your own self-guided tour of organic farms, lavender farms, wineries (and cideries), creameries and bakeries. Washington's Olympic Peninsula has created a food culture called Olympic Coast Cuisine which is centered around using local and sustainable ingredients found and made in the area. If you’re not into self-guided tours, there is also a list of companies that can help you customize a tour. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Houston Houston has a unique approach to this type of activity in that all of its culinary tours are led by chefs, from concept to the actual tour. Houston's top chefs – who are just as interested in showcasing Houston's mom-and-pop restaurants as their own – continue their mission to introduce locals and visitors alike to Houston's culinary diversity by showing participants where they eat on their days off. The city has several themed culinary tours planned for this fall, including Middle Eastern, Street Food and South American cuisine. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Location: Napa, Calif. Back in California, in the heart of wine country (what would a culinary tour be without the mention of Napa?), comes this final tour. Scheduled for October 21, this social dining excursion takes a group of people on a tasty adventure to sample and savor local restaurants' best dishes. The guided culinary crawl takes participants on a fun tour of Downtown Napa's restaurants and tasting rooms. Chefs at each location decide what to serve to the crowd using their favorite ingredients and games keep guests on their toes. Photo Credit: Getty Images

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Will Travel For Food

It wouldn’t be fall without those harvest moons and the harvest that comes with them. Fall means an abundance of food that is much scarcer at other times of year, which chefs across the country love to showcase. MainStreet put together a list of 10 tours for foodies for anyone with a car and an appetite. Here are the best of the best. Photo Credit: Getty Images