Happy Wednesday! I’m so excited to share the details of my downtown McKinney food tour.
I am a foodie, a lover of food and I think food tours are the perfect way to check out a city. I’ve been to McKinney before but wanted to go back because it’s a quaint little town. They have a square full of eateries and shops. A lot of the buildings are old so there’s a ton of architecture and history to see.
1st Stop: Patina Green Home & Market
- We started off at this cutest little cafe with a market. Aside from the amazing home decor and grocery market, this spot serves amazing food. Food Network awarded this spot as the best sandwich in Texas. What is in the best sandwich in Texas you ask…you start with jalapeno cheddar bread (toasted), with ham & smoked cheddar finished off with jalapeno peach jam. They try to source all their ingredients from local farms, butcher shops, bakeries, etc.
- P.S. You can buy the bread and the jam so you can take a stab at recreating it at home.
2nd Stop: Harvest
- Rustic-chic restaurant in the heart of downtown McKinney. Serving crafted cocktails & farm-to-table food.
- We just got to taste the deviled eggs here but let me just say as a girl that’s not really a fan of deviled eggs these were pretty tasty. Maybe it was the candied pecan on top.
- The decor in this restaurant is the definition of rustic-chic. It offers a warm and cozy feeling. It’s the kind of place that you just want to sit back and enjoy the food and cocktails and good company.
- Something else really neat about this restaurant is on your way to the bathroom you get to see inside the kitchen. It’s important to them that their customer see what they are preparing and how all the food comes together.
3rd Stop: Landon Winery
- Maybe you’re getting a little thirsty at this point in the tour. Well, you’re in luck because the next stop is a local winery.
- We got to taste 3 different wines. And now I’m gonna be honest and say that I’m not a wine connoisseur so I can’t share a ton about the wine.
- But who can complain about a wine tasting?
4th Stop: Ettiene Market
- We approach the 4th stop and I’m thinking to myself this is a cute shop selling all sorts of kitchen gadgets and goodies, but what are we going to taste. I was definitely intrigued and curious.
- We are handed a small paper cup of maple syrup. Probably the best maple syrup I’ve ever had. Maybe it was the fact that it was Bourbon barrel matured syrup.
- All I can say is that I want to drizzle this all over my pancakes, my waffles, my bread pudding…what else needs a little syrup. Check out their online shop here.
5th Stop: Cadillac Pizza Pub
- Were you afraid that we weren’t getting enough food? Well, fear not…the next stop is pizza. Pizza, what’s special about this pizza? How about a little sweet BBQ sauce and brisket. Yes, that’s right we got to try a pizza with a sweet BBQ sauce, brisket, bacon, white onion, cheddar, and mozzarella. They call it the Smokey Pie.
- This wasn’t your average slice of pizza. It was tangy with a little hint of spice and the cheese just melted in your mouth. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other pizzas.
6th Stop: Rye
- This is a small little restaurant tucked away on a side street. You might miss it if you didn’t know about it, but this is a spot you do not want to miss. Rye is housed in an old building with exposed brick and the original windows to the building. A spot with tons of character.
- Rye is all about hand-crafted cocktails and small plates. They believe you should get to enjoy multiple small bites with friends. They are all about local sourcing and rotating their menu.
- Aside from delicious small plates and hand-crafted cocktails they make their own ice cream. We got to try the ice cream on the tour and just like their menu the ice cream menu changes as well. I was lucky enough to get to try a caramel one. (my favorite!)
- I can’t wait to go back to this restaurant and settle into one of their cozy booths and order a little bit of everything off the menu.
You might be thinking that this is the end of the tour. I mean finishing off with a little dessert sounds like the perfect ending to this tour. But we aren’t finished just yet…
7th Stop: Fair & Square Trade Market
- Fair & Square Trade market empowers families across the globe. Their store is full of hand-crafted pieces. They want to give artisans the chance to make money and provide for their family. Empower those that might not be recognized for their craft or trade.
- Maybe you leave with a felt ball trivet made in Nepal or a sari scarf made in Bangladesh.
- We were lucky enough to try three kinds of chocolates.
8th Stop: Filtered
- And now our tour comes to an end and we finish off the day with an iced coffee. But it wasn’t just an iced coffee, it was a Sopaipilla iced coffee. Have to be honest and say I am not a coffee drinker, but I can image coffee drinkers would really enjoy this crafted coffee beverage.
- They have also created a space for you to work at a table, or sit back in a cozy chair and read a book. Filtered also has a stage for live music as well as a recording studio in the back. They also support local artists so you can walk in and see beautiful art created by the locals. (it’s for sale)
Ok, I’m full..
and ready for a nap. This was definitely an amazing food tour. Our guide did a great job of walking us through downtown McKinney and sharing the history of the town and surrounding buildings. The variety of tastings was incredible and very well curated.
As I’ve said before, food tours are a great way to explore a city. Look for one the next time you go on vacation or take a food tour in your own town. Just don’t forget to skip breakfast before you go so you are good and hungry.
We did our tour with We Ate Well Food Tour. We did the Taste & See Tour but I heard people talking about the Craft & Comfort Cocktail Tour and it sounds like a good one.
Where are you headed next? Don’t forget to find a food tour.
