Join food historian Francine Segan as she recreates the splendor of medieval feasts—including gold-gilded pies and roast swan—and the era’s food, manners, and dining customs.

Monday, July 15, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

Food historian Francine Segan leads a virtual tour that examines the unique enchantment Venice holds for visitors, focusing on its vibrant heritage of art, architecture, and cuisine.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

Join cookbook author, culinary tour leader, and Mediterranean lifestyle expert Amy Riolo in an exploration of the foodways of this diverse range of countries, which are highly distinctive, delicious, and healthy, too!

Thursday, July 25, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

Grab your horned helmet, battleax, and tankard: It’s time to rediscover the world’s oldest fermented beverage. It’s mead, everyone’s favorite ancient honey-based intoxicant—and it’s making a comeback!

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

In countless restaurants and bars, rum drinks topped with paper umbrellas, “exotic” foods, and fantasy Polynesian décor offered mid-century America’s favorite tropical escape. Martin and Rebecca Cate, founders of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, lead a colorful journey into the lore and legend of tiki culture and its modern revival, and offer samples of their bar’s original cocktail recipes.

Thursday, August 15, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

The beloved, sumptuously produced “Downton Abbey” was always a feast for the eyes. In anticipation of the forthcoming movie based on the series, food historian Francine Segan invites you to vicariously take your seat at the Crawley family’s table (and also peek into the kitchen) to learn what went into planning, serving, and attending an Edwardian-era feast that only great houses like Downton could produce.

Sunday, September 8, 2019 - 2:00 p.m.

We know him as one of the world’s most prolific creators, but there’s an overlooked role that’s worth considering when we celebrate the genius of Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance foodie. Food historian Francine Segan sets da Vinci in the context of the culinary culture and manners of the Italian Renaissance and explores his appetites for a life he richly savored.

Monday, September 9, 2019 - 6:45 p.m.

Savor the beautiful lower Hudson Valley—a treasure trove of historic houses and home to the school that produces top chefs—in a 3-day excursion led by Bill Keene, a lecturer in history, urban studies, and architecture. The tour includes visits to the Kykuit Rockefeller estate, the Culinary Institute of Ameirca (for a French lunch), the Springwood family estate where Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born, magnificent Vanderbilt Mansion, and more.

Depart: Sunday, September 22, 2019 - 7:00 a.m.
Return: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - 10:00 p.m.