This week we spoke to Jodi Philippson, the owner of Food Tours of America. She has given us a brilliant insight into Food Tours of America and her inspiration behind how it all began.We must say – reading this expert interview is tempting us to go on one of her food tours! Keep reading to find out more…

Q. What inspired you to start Food Tours of America?

A. I love to travel and food tours are a great way to learn a city. Dallas didn’t have a daily food tour and I was always taking guests to eat their way through Dallas when they visited. I wanted to bring that same experience to both Dallas tourists and locals alike. You’d be surprised how many locals haven’t been to neighbourhoods outside of their own! So at first, I brought it to my hometown, and then I decided to bring it to my favourite cities in the US to visit… and Las Vegas was the next on the list. Stay tuned for Los Angeles! Las Vegas has so many amazing restaurants and such

So at first, I brought it to my hometown, and then I decided to bring it to my favourite cities in the US to visit… and Las Vegas was the next on the list. Stay tuned for Los Angeles! Las Vegas has so many amazing restaurants and such colorful history… what better way to spend a few hours with a real Vegas local.

Q. What’s your favourite food?

A. Actually, I can never decide on my favourite food, so I always look to share and try as many dishes as possible! I love anything family style! But my favourite foods are always dessert, which is why I created our dessert tour in Las Vegas.

Q. If you could tell every customer one thing, what would it be?

A. Make sure to do a food tour at the beginning of your vacation! Whenever you go on a tour, you have a tour guide who is local to the area. What a great source of information! Not only can they give you other restaurant ideas, but you can ask your guide about suggestions for the rest of your trip. This way you find all the local secret spots.

Q. What do you enjoy most about running the food tours?

A. Our guests! I’ve been invited to visit other countries as I’ve stayed friends with people through these wonderful connections. I also love my relationships with our partner restaurants and promoting local businesses. Oh, and it’s wonderful celebrating special events on the tours… bachelorette parties, birthdays, anniversaries…we’ve even had a proposal! We feel like we’re a part of the family.

Q. Which area do you think has the best food?

A. For Las Vegas, the Strip has some of the best celebrity chef restaurants in the world and downtown has some real local hidden gems that you’d not find on your own or in a guidebook.
In Dallas, I love the food in Uptown, that’s where my heart is. But, I also love the food hall at the Farmers Market, the Bishop Arts District, and lower Greenville. Because of Dallas’ diversity, each neighbourhood is truly unique, so it’s really difficult to select just one!

Q. Is there anything you would like to add that has not yet been mentioned?

A. With Food Tours of America we have a big name, but in each city we are a truly small local business. We put pride and love into everything we do. One of the things we are most proud of is being a 5- star Trip Advisor activity since we opened in 2011 and the #1 food and drink activity in Dallas. Our guests mainly come through word of mouth from friends and that’s such a compliment! And I’m always blown away when lifelong locals learn new things on our tours. And I’m most proud when locals are really impressed with our tours. Our committed team has a lot of heart. We do our absolute best to give our guests incredible experiences.We offer walking restaurant sightseeing tours for

We offer walking restaurant sightseeing tours for group of up to 15 guests. You’ll visit four to six restaurants and enjoy tasting plates at each one. Our tours are enough for lunch or dinner and they are fully narrated by local tour guides with culture and history and trivia. We feed people, entertain them, and make them happy! We give visitors and locals the opportunity to connect over food and cocktails and explore neighbourhoods, sightsee, and have an over-all feel for the city. We specialize in local corporate team-building events for groups up to 100. Our corporate clients love that they can combine food and an activity in just a few hours. We also love hosting birthday parties, wedding parties, women’s groups and charity events!

Thank you, Jodi, for taking the time to answer our questions, we have enjoyed learning more about Food Tours of America.