NYC is home to some of the best food in the world, and so it makes perfect sense that as someone with excellent taste, you’d want to explore it during your next company outing. From chocolate to pizza to cocktails, here are the best team-building activities for foodies in NYC.
1. Develop Your Chocolate Knowledge With Chocolate Noise
Everyone loves chocolate, which is why these guided tastings are perfect to build a sense of camaraderie while you eat many, many delicious things. In addition to the best artisan chocolate bars in the country, you’ll also be treated to fresh cacao fruit juice and single-origin roasted cacao beans. Your guide Megan Giller will bring everything to your office for an easy transition during a day of meetings, or she can help you find the right venue for your getaway. Plus, she knows what’s up: She’s been a food writer for more than a decade (find her work in Slate, Food & Wine, and Fortune), and she’s the author of Bean-to-Bar Chocolate: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution.
2. Hone in on Your Pizza Passion With Scott’s Pizza Tours
Scott Wiener is serious about pizza, and he wants you to be too. Whether you embark on a big bus tour or a more manageable walking tour, he will tell you everything you never knew about the history of pizza, its many styles, and how to judge your slice. Skipping to the front of the line at historic places like Lombardi’s ain’t bad either.
3. Cook With the Institute of Culinary Education
The country’s best chefs teach at the Institute of Culinary Education, and they will create a bespoke private class for your group at their school in Manhattan or even come to your office. Whether your colleagues want to learn how to make pasta or pastries, they’ll get first-class instruction and recipes they’ll use for many years afterward.
4. Mix Drinks With Apotheke Academy
Sure, you could take your group out to a bar and order some cocktails, but it’s a lot more fun to learn to make them yourself! Apotheke brings its hands-on mixology classes to your place of business to teach you the fanciest cocktails you’ve ever heard of. Choose from themes like Prohibition Era and Agave Master.
5. Pair Chocolate and Cheese With Chocolate Noise
Chocolate and cheese aren’t obvious bedfellows, which is why it’s so exciting when you taste the delicious pairings food writer and chocolate expert Megan Giller puts together for these over-the-top events. You’ll taste some of the best artisan chocolates and specialty cheeses in the world, learn about how they’re made, and play fun games like chocolate trivia. First question: Do you think milk chocolate and blue cheese match? (Spoiler alert: They do!)