Taste Frederick Food Tour

Church spires. Barbara Fritchie. The Civil War. These are the most commonly known aspects of Frederick, Maryland. But the small town 50 miles north of Washington, DC also has a flourishing food scene. With over 30 restaurants in the downtown area, knowing what to try can be overwhelming. With a Taste Frederick Food Tour, you don’t have to decide.

The Market Street Food Tour consists of three hours of what tour guide Jacqui calls “Progressive Eating.” The tour stops at six places along a 1.4 mile route through the heart of downtown Frederick. Tours meet at the corner of Market and 2^nd Street; right outside the first stop:

Pretzel & Pizza Creations

A secret family recipe for pretzel dough is incorporated into nearly every offering on the menu: pretzels, pretzel wrapped hot dogs, pretzel pizza, pretzel bagels, and more. Each person on the tour receives a turkey reuben pretzel calzone. Portions are a quarter of the size of the calzone offered on the regular menu; but this is only Stop #1.

North Market Pop Shop

Across the street, 400 varieties of soda pop comprise the “Crazy Wall of Soda.” Our group sampled Blueberry Birch Beer and Leninade – a carbonated lemonade soda. The Pop Shop also features 18 flavors of locally made ice cream and each tour participant samples one.

Brewers Alley

A slice of wood-fired margherita pizza accompanies a glass of 1634 Ale. Historic Saint Mary’s City commissioned this brew back in 2009 to celebrate the 375^th anniversary of the state of Maryland back in 1634. It is brewed from ingredients Maryland brewers had available at that time.

The Wine Kitchen on the Creek

Known for its accessibility, The Wine Kitchen takes an irreverent approach to wine. Each glass comes with a card outlining “Who, What, Where, When, and What we thought…” We had the 2015 Cape Original Chenin Blanc from Koelenhof, South Africa. Among other thoughts, the crib sheet noted: “Like a chameleon, the color of a green-skinned grape quickly morphs to a crisp-yellow lemon hue. Then, leaping from one tree to another, lemon yellow and tropical fruit turn to peach notes. Sensing a predator, a stealthy and well-balanced glide to a nearby limestone turns acidity to minerality.” The chameleon like wine escorts a Mexican BLT and a fried green tomato.

Firestone’s Market on Market

Next door to sit-down restaurants Firestone’s Culinary Tavern and Firestone’s Raw Bar, Firestone’s Market is a specialty shop featuring both local and international products. It is truly a one stop shop where you can pick up staples like bread and milk or a gift like embroidered towels or a bottle of wine. They also feature a small, carry-out only menu including the famous hand-cut, housemade pastrami sandwich.

Zoe’s Chocolate Co.

What would any meal be without dessert? The tour ends in the sibling run chocolate shop where participants taste multiple flavors of handmade chocolates. My favorite was the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth perfection of the Fleur de Sel Liquid Caramel.

In addition to the six restaurant stops on the tour, Jacqui highlighted murals, bridges, and statues around town. She explained the role of Frederick in the Civil War and the poem “Barbara Frietchie.” The group learned about “spite” construction such as a spite wall and a spite house in town.

Taste Frederick Food Tours owner, Sarah Kurtanich, says, “I want locals to feel pride in their hometown & hopefully learn something they didn’t know about Frederick. In addition to having a delicious experience. For visitors, my ultimate goal is to give them lots of reasons to come back to Frederick again and again.”

In a city older than our nation and now with a blossoming food scene, it is easy to see that Frederick, Maryland lives up to its tagline: Hip and Historic.

If you go:

The Taste Frederick Food Tours Market Street Tour is offered on weekends March through November.

Prices: $65/Adult $45/Child Prices include all food and beverage tastings.

Tour stops and menus are subject to change. Visit tastefrederickfoodtours.com to learn more.