OUR STORY
A CULINARY EXPERIENCE COMPANY
The story behind Sidewalk Food Tours of San Francisco goes back three years. Two friends with a deep love of food, history, and the city of San Francisco found themselves constantly taking friends and family on private walking tours. One day a friend of theirs said, “You guys always give us such informative and delicious food tours. You should start a food tour company, so other people will be able to enjoy your tours as much as we do.” And the rest, as they say, is history.
Our goal is to provide exceptional walking food tours of San Francisco, so people can revisit these neighborhoods with confidence and enjoy the array of cultural options they have to offer. We’re self-proclaimed foodies. We’ve made it our mission to eat our way through San Francisco, doing a lot of delicious research (and some not so appetizing) to bring you the best food options San Francisco has to offer.
There is no better way to learn about the history and culture of a neighborhood than to eat its food. The food, and the people who prepare it, tells a story about the neighborhood. Tease your taste buds and join us in either the old Italian enclave of North Beach or the oldest neighborhood in San Francisco, The Mission District; or the oldest Chinatown in North America.
We eat foods from decades-old establishments, which have stood the test of time, as well as newer places with award-winning chefs. Join us on a real foodie adventure as we eat our way through these delicious neighborhoods and uncover the off-the-beaten-path food spots of San Francisco.
Bon voyage,
SIDEWALK FOOD TOURS OF SAN FRANCISCO
OUR TOURS
EXPLORE NEIGHBORHOOD DELIGHTS
Sidewalk Food Tours of San Francisco boasts a food tour repertoire that includes tours of North Beach, the Mission, and Chinatown. Not only do our guides know where to take you for the tastiest flavors, but they also have a wealth of knowledge about each neighborhood to share as you stroll.
Our tours allow you to eat like a San Franciscan and gain local insights into the blocks you walk. While we want you to enjoy all of the tasty treats, we also want you to learn some things along the way. That’s why you experience the culture, learn the history, and see the landmarks that make North Beach, the Mission, and Chinatown such notable locales.
Our tastings are robust and unique; oftentimes, our guests say they’ve eaten enough to cover lunch by the time their tour has concluded. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, or if you need a great gift idea for your favorite Bay Area foodie, check out a Sidewalk Food Tour of San Francisco!
Make your most delicious decision yet!
MEET THE TEAM
JOSHUA HIRSCH
OWNER
On a six-hour historical tour of Lower Manhattan, Joshua’s stomach began to grumble as the guide pointed out some delicious food spots. It was then that he had an “aha moment.” He decided to include his favorite food places on a history and culture walking tour, so folks wouldn’t be hungry while discovering the city!
He wanted his tours to tell the story of the neighborhood through its food and the people who prepare it. The rest, as they say, is history. Sidewalk Food Tours, a culinary experience company, was born. He has since expanded into six delectable cities. His goal is to expand to every major U.S. city you travel to, so you can experience its food and culture on a Sidewalk Food Tour.
CHIEU HIRSCH
PARTNER
We are honored to have Chieu Hirsch on our team. She plays an integral part in the company’s overall success. Her family bravely refuged to the U.S. from Vietnam in the 1980s. She brings years of business experience, previously working for Sprint, Principal Financial, Morgan Stanley, and Hartford. In addition to her business acumen, she is extremely passionate about feng shui, astrology, food, and culture. She loves meditation, traveling, and hiking to beautiful mountaintops. Spending quality time with her eight nieces and nephews is what brings her the most joy.
JINNY PEARCE
GUIDE
Jinny is a life long flâneuse and loves to hit the pavement and see what’s over the next hit, the next light in foggy distance. She came out to San Francisco as a performer and visual artist and runs a private letterpress specializing in Bay Area poets and making prints about the landscape that called and still calls them as it does her.
MICHAEL MEADOWS
GUIDE
Recovering hospitality veteran and former wine bar owner, Michael has lived in San Francisco’s Excelsior district since 1994. Part food explorer and part historian, he finds the evolution of the San Francisco’s ever changing food scene not for the weak of heart (or stomach). He completed local magazine 7×7’s 100 things to eat in SF before you die in 30 days. You can normally find him eating at the bar. Favorite SF Food: Good Luck Dim Sum’s shrimp and chive dumplings
Favorite SF Guilty Pleasure: Going to the In-N-Out in Fisherman’s Wharf Favorite SF
Restaurant: Original Joe’s Favorite Drink: Rye on the Rocks at the 500 Club
SPUD HILTON
GUIDE
Spud is a travel writer who spent nearly 20 years in the Travel Section of the San Francisco Chronicle. He’s passionate that food is the most accessible way to discover the personality of a place and that San Francisco is a perfect place to test that theory. He’s lived in the heart of the Mission District for almost 30 years and, when he isn’t leading tours, he’s a freelance writer, a podcaster and a cornet player for early New Orleans-style jazz bands. Favorite cocktail: Vodka martini from Tadich Grill in the Financial District. Favorite local food: Mission-style burrito. Favorite local restaurant: The Sausage Factory in the Castro.
TED BAGAMAN
GUIDE
Ted has been a resident of the Bay Area for almost 40 years. After a career in retail, Ted shifted to leading tours: walking tours, food tours, coach tours for cruise passengers and students. He’s thrilled to be able to meet people, informing and entertaining them.