“It felt more like
hanging out
than being on a tour”.
“A gorgeous, scenic route without too much noise or traffic — it gave a safe and comforting feel.”
Austin Payton · Guest
Hi, I’m Khy, your food tour creator and guide.
I’m inviting you to bliss your tasting senses with me in Austin’s cozier side as we wander through century-old trees, nomming deliciousness along the way.
I spent 14 years in the restaurant world — from a dive bar to serving at Canje, named one of the top 10 restaurants in America. Along the way, I interviewed Austin chefs, rose in love with food spaces, and realized why they matter: the connections they spark. Life expands when we create it together.
This background taught me how to create the feeling you get when a bite awakens your senses with something new — a moment so beautiful that you become more aware of existing.
This tour is about sharing that feeling with you.
5
Thoughtfully Chosen Spaces
Guests Say “It Feels Like Exploring Austin With a Friend“
“Even as an Austinite, I discovered and learned so many new foods and places — KI is an awesome tour guide.”
Esme Eisen – Guest
Tour Details
- Duration: ~2.5 to 3 hours
- Group size: Max 8 people
- Pace: Gentle and flexible
- Five thoughtfully chosen stops — a pastry from a bakery with roots in 1870, a smoothie to hydrate, a tasting at an artisanal cheese shop, a raspberry tuffle, and a slice of pizza made from local grains. Each bite chosen for how it flows into the next, and each space chosen for how it feels to be in it.
Timing may vary slightly depending on the group and conversations along the way.
An Experience Made Over Many Years
I created something I wish existed, built from years of working in restaurants. I used to feel that I could never mold myself to a “real job,” but the truth is, life felt most real to me when hosting — where people still connect, no matter what is happening in the world.
When I became a food tour guide, the shift was a natural progression of sharing stories, now enhanced by food. After my time as a guide, I learned what I wanted to create in Austin— a tour that did not exist, a tour for people like me who are extra sensitive to life. I notice what shapes a room: the motion of noise, the sharpness or shine of light, the way a space asks you to tense or soften within every detail, and how people interact based on this. This sensitivity helps me shape a tour where the senses are not shocked by a sudden honk, but opened and given room to breathe.
Many tours in Austin bloat the senses, from traffic noise to crowded sidewalks. These tours can be epic, but I wanted something different. So I created an intimate tour, with a maximum of eight people, where the pace is slower, shade is abundant, and each bite is intentionally curated to flow into the next. This way the food is enhanced by nature, and nature is enhanced by the food. The exploration and bonding of a food tour is still present with the mindfulness of comfort at the front.
Now let’s get into what’s on the tour…
What We Try
Begin with Flakes and Butter at a Glowing Neighborhood Patio
Hyde Park:
We meet where the neighborhood goes, a sunlit patio for a calming start, and have a pastry from Austin’s 50-year-old bakery.
Vibe: Sunlit and grounded with neighborhood locals conversing.
Rehydrate with Swirled Fruit
Hydrate with a spot that started on Barton Springs, nearly lost it all, and grew into the locals’ favorite juice and vibes spot.
Vibe: Naturally lit with white and blue colors on brick, active energy tingling in the air.
History Under the Trees
From learning about the old-time date night spot, the insane asylum, to seeing the Elisabet Ney Museum, we will walk through Hyde Park’s history.
Vibe: Woodsy with old trees and unique homes that easily ignite playfulness.
Taste a 10 Year Aged Cheddar
Experience a cheese tasting at Austin’s local cheese shop, crafted from love, that feels like going into an old European village.
Vibe: Wild smells and artisanal passion.
Melt into Nostalgia
Step back in time to carnival rides, soda fountains, and memories at a themed candy shop.
Vibe: Old school candy shop with hand pulled taffy and popcorn smells wafting through the air.
Taste a Local Craze
New Yorkers are saying this is the closest to their crust.
Vibe: Natural woods meets natural grains with intimate booths.
A Comfortable Experience
This tour is designed to feel easeful and low-pressure:
- No rushing
- No expectation to socialize
- Lower-noise environments than typical tours
- Space to step away if needed
You’re welcome exactly as you are.
Why Walk with Me?
A taste about me: I was born on a ranch an hour and a half from Austin, and my family visited nearly every weekend, bringing laughter and uniqueness into our lives, experiencing what is now my home.
There is a freedom to Austin that is ignited when people share life with each other here. The swirl of liquid into a glass becomes moving art, along with the words floated into the air, building the moment. After living here many years, I have seen people wanting to share their family recipe or their wild kitchen experiment and I have seen love be the greatest teller of their success. I watched Siete grow from a small family business to a national brand. Their family danced, and the city danced back. The stories of success are everywhere, and I have a passion for sharing them.
Feel free to check out my food blog, A Lick of Bliss, where I interview chefs around Austin.
Thank you for considering me as part of your Austin experience.
Why Austin’s Hyde Park?
Hyde Park was chosen because it’s personal to me. When I first arrived in Austin, my mother helped me live there, just like she did in the 70s. Some of my favorite days were spent walking through the neighborhood, picking up cheese, and wandering under the trees, nomming and foraging local herbs along the way.
This tour is built from that enjoyment—and created in collaboration with the people behind each stop, so their knowledge and care can shine through, building a community you can share in.
Price: $84 for adults, $60 for children and free for infants. All ages are highly welcome
FAQ
Are Dietary Differences Accommodated?
I can accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian. Instead of pizza, there will be ice cream for gluten-free, and a different pastry from a gluten-free bakery Austin loves. There is no meat on the tour. Contact me for more information.
Level of Fullness
I went for quality over quantity on this tour. There is a croissant, smoothie, cheese, a truffle, and a slice of pizza. This design is meant to start the system, give hydration and fruit, satiate with cheese, delight with a truffle and walk it off between. We end with a slice of pizza to reach comfort and relax.
How Many Hours is the Tour?
Walking food tours range in time due to the rate people eat food as well as the number of people on the tour. By design, the tour is around 2.5 to 3 hours.
How Much Walking is There and What Terrain?
There is a half mile of walking on flat terrain. Three spots are sitting and two are standing.
How Loud is It?
Juiceland will be on 45th street, and is the busiest road we go down to see the Elisabet Ney museum. The intersection is what we use to cross to Juiceland and then back into the neighborhood. I recommend headphones for those sensitive to noise. We are on the street around two minutes then another two minutes afterwards. I enjoy earplugs or headphones during this phase.
What to Expect in Senses
We will meet at a large outdoor patio with sun, shade, and a relaxed locals vibe. We walk through the neighborhood, careful to stay inside and away from the busier streets until we reach a few minutes of a busier road, see ‘how loud is it’. Juiceland is also sunlit with no jarring lights or noises, same with every space. We walk down a gently busy street which can be avoided to get to the cheese shop which is a smaller relaxed space. Next is a candy shop with a larger space to wander around and freedom to choose candy for later. We then walk back into the neighborhood and go to All Day Pizza which is sunlit and can be crowded. Each space has options to step away and accommodate, which I happily will.
Are Differences Accommodated?
From people of all ages, children are very welcome, to those with sensory sensitivities, feel free to contact me about any need. People on the autism spectrum are easily accommodated due to my own neurodivergence, and if there is anything else needed to make this tour welcome to all then we will find a way.
Leave with a full stomach, a softer nervous system, and a side of Austin many visitors don’t yet know.
This is a sensory friendly food tour in Austin, Texas, made for all types of people. Please contact me for any details or accommodations.