Last month, my sister, sister-in-law, a friend and I took a food tour of Hell’s Kitchen in New York City through Manhattan Walking Tour.

Despite the drizzly, dismal December day, our tour guide, Jake, met us with a bright smile, ushering us into our first stop, Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese barbecue restaurant. We bustled through the door, eager to get in out of the rain.

As we sipped hot sake, servers set out food for us to cook on a grill in the center of our table. Meanwhile, Jake animatedly related engaging stories about this area of midtown Manhattan.

While we grilled meats and vegetables and sampled various dipping sauces, he related the history of the area, the early struggles of the people who lived there and current stories. We lapped up his words as eagerly as we ate the food we cooked.

Leaving for our next stop, we wove in and out of umbrella-wielding crowds, catching the aromas from other restaurants and food carts.

We stopped at a cookie bakery known as Schmackery’s, which offered an array of sumptuous creative cookies, with a different selection every day. When we were there, the menu included Mexican Hot Chocolate, Cranberry Dream, Funfetti and several others. I chose The Monster Mash, a peanut-buttery gluten-free oatmeal cookie with semisweet chocolate and M & Ms. The cookies were huge, but we managed to polish off the delectable treats in record time.

The following stop was Taco Mahal, serving up savory Indian dishes influenced by Latin cuisine. We enjoyed a spicy, colorful Chicken Tikka Masala Roti Taco in whole wheat bread that resembled a tortilla.

Next, Jake led us to Cheeseboat, which served Georgian cuisine. Jake explained that the cheeseboat (adjaruli khachapuri) is a crusty bread-based reservoir of hot cheese into which is blended an egg and butter (for a temporary sharp departure from our usual heart-healthy goals!).

At our last stop, The Meatball Shop, we enjoyed classic meatballs, Buffalo balls and fried cauliflower. The chicken meatballs with the savory Buffalo sauce were my favorite at this eatery.

Jake was generous with his time and followed up by sending us an email with many additional food, restaurant and entertainment recommendations.

The tour left me eager to experiment in the kitchen again — and sign up for another foodie adventure!