Some of New York City’s most extraordinary dishes can be found lurking inside billiards halls, beside laundromats, and behind unassuming exteriors. In the South Bronx, through a black door that declares, “Refugees Welcome,” an eatery-cum-activism-center serves Oaxaca’s rarest mole. On a residential block in Rego Park, two brothers from Uzbekistan stretch, stamp, and stuff breads and pastries for Queens’ community of Bukharan Jews. And in a sliver of a space in Staten Island, a restaurant’s dinner menu is designed and cooked by a rotating cast of grandmothers from around the world.

To celebrate New York’s diverse menu, Gastro Obscura is calling on readers to participate in Tour de Gastro, an eat-around-the-world scavenger hunt, from July 11 through July 25. With 12 stops scattered across the five boroughs, the itinerary is an invitation to seek out the city’s hidden culinary gems, all from Gastro Obscura’s growing database of the world’s most extraordinary foods and restaurants.

Please check out the complete itinerary for a list of all 12 stops, and share your experiences by posting photos of the dishes and drinks on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with the hashtag #TourdeGastro. You should feel free to complete as much or as little of the itinerary as you’d like, but if you visit and post about at least four stops by July 25, we’ll send you a Gastro Obscura goodie bag (while supplies last). Once you’ve completed four stops, fill out this Google form to let us know.

Happy hunting!

Gastro Obscura covers the world’s most wondrous food and drink.
Sign up for our regular newsletter.