Meet Carla and Linda of Carla and Linda's Walking Food Tours

1.  Tell us about yourselves:

 

Carla and I met 23 years ago in Victorville, CA. We have been a couple for 22 years. We have lived in North San Diego County for 16 years. We love food.

2.  What inspires you  about food in north county?

 

The young Chefs are not afraid to experiment with foods. Cheese does go with fish when done properly. I love that I met Chef Darryll (Masters) at Cyclops Farm. He was there because he wanted to feel the dirt from which his veggies were grown.  I love that a lot of the Chefs did other things before they found their calling; Chef Marc (Petite Madeline) was a nurse; Chef Willy (Mission Ave Bar & Grill) trained to be a mechanic.

3.  How did you get your start?

 

When we first moved here going out to the Olive Garden was something special. We now know what real good food tastes like and we will never go back. We want other people in our community to know what good food we have right here in our own back yards. We support local food, chefs and farms. Oceanside had a bad reputation for a long time so the food scene kinda surprised a lot of people. We are happy to be part of the explosion.

3. How does a walking food tour work and how much does it cost?

 

We charge $49 per person. The tours run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 to 4:30pm in Oceanside and Saturdays from 1:30 to 4:30pm in Vista as well. We spend about 30 minutes or so at each place so you can get a feel for the restaurant. We do private tours during the week with certain minimums. We walk you around to 4 restaurants and provide all of the food, beverages are available for purchase at the restaurants. We have great relationships with the Chefs/Owners so we get off-menu dishes from most of our establishments. We also give fun facts about the area as well as telling you about the restaurants and Chefs.

4.  What are your favorite parts about running a walking food tour business?

 

The people. We love to share our experiences with others and this is the perfect stage. We are excited about food and love when we can share it with others. We have made many friends. It gives us joy when we have people return to take another one of our other tours.

5.  If someone wants to take a food tour, how they go about that?

 

They get on their computer or phone and sign up. www.shoesandchews.com or Linda's private cell number is: (760) 401 5968. They can use code: fun10 to get $10 off. If you want a private tour you will need at least 4 people and pay full price. You will get to choose what day and which tour...the times stay the same at 1:30 to 4:30pm.