Ahla Brookline Food Tour

TOTAL RIP OFF!!!
First off, you can’t even understand what they’re saying because their accents are so thick. Second, wtf… I pay almost $ 50 to walk on one street. ONE STREET, for bad food. The only good stuff was one measly falafel ball, and apparently it’s because that’s run by Middle Eastern people. Otherwise, this is what we had:
*A bite of tofu cheesecake from a kosher deli (ONE bite)
*A few bites of assorted food from a supermarket (Yes, a tiny supermarket mind you) It was so cramped in there, and customers looked so pissed off that we were there crowding around them blocking everything. Clearly they recognized the tour and were P-O’d
*ONE falafel ball in a quarter of a pita with hummus… I repeat, ONE f-​ing ball!
*Plain assorted bagels (mind you, just a quarter of a bagel for each person) And really guys, bagels? Real original
*Oh yeah, what’s a Jewish food tour without matza ball soup… BLAND! I threw half out…
*Ice cream (Is that really Jewish, you ask… I don’t think so either, but a deserved ending to a wasted $ 50)
Um yeah, 1 star… That’s being generous. I was MUCHO hungry when I left, and went back to that falafel joint for a real meal.

It would seem that the tour has evolved since the 2008 review posted by Robyn R. (No Butcherie on our tour.) In fact, it has changed since the description was last updated on the tour website:
«Where can you find the best Russian borsch, pirozhki, and caviar? What is the Russian way to drink tea and vodka?
Discover the answers at our 3-​hour culinary adventure while tasting delicious authentic Russian specialties: light fluffy blintzes, delicate Siberian dumplings, imported caviar, mouth-​watering desserts, and half-​dozen more.
Take a shopping tour at Whole Foods Market; learn how to make traditional Russian dishes and find out the unique Russian ingredients that can spark up your every-​day meals.
Visit treasured Russian food stores and restaurants: Russian Village, Babushka Deli, and Vernissage; discover «hidden» Russian food in The Fireplace and Athan’s; and enjoy interesting personal stories about their owners.
Find the best spots in Washington Square for entertainment, «
Why do I say this? Well, we never made it to the mentioned Babushka Deli or Athans. We weren’t granted the opportunity to sample blintzes or desserts. We never even had the chance to taste any of the soups mentioned as popular to Russian cuisine during the tour.
Other than that, it was a nice tour, manageable in its 1 mile length for the average person — our group ranged in age from a teen to a pair of grandparents. Our tour guide was pleasant, scheduled in some shopping time, and made sure that she didn’t lose any of us. Vegetarians will have to deal with a few less bites of food than the usual omnivore though.
Our tour began at the Whole Foods on Washington Street — sit at the outdoor tables in the shade and your guide will find you — and ended a few hours later at Washington Square.
Personally, I found the price of $ 44 a tad rich, but according to their website, when registering online, they offer a 50% discount for Children aged 6 – 12 with an accompanying adult, and for those whose birthday is +/​-​3 days of their tour with an accompanying person paying full price. And since we a bit rushed near the end, I wonder if our guide simply decided to cut off a stop or two from the itinery. (I was so sure that dessert was mentioned during the introduction…)
All in all, I enjoyed myself.
*** ⁷⁄₂₀₁₁ update ***
Looks like Ahla is changing its name to Food by Foot and expanding its tour services —

This was my second trip to Boston, and I found Ahla tours in my search for unusual, culture-​related activities. My group was small (7 people), so we got to ask questions and sometimes have second helpings. The website said the tastings were «enough for lunch,» so when the first two were just a few bites each, I started worrying – I’d skipped lunch for the tour. However, things picked up when we got to the Butcherie and had several things to sample, and by the end I was full and my brain, too, was filled with latkes due to the midafternoon (naptime) hour and all the carbs. With my basic knowledge of kashrut and Jewish food, I didn’t learn much new food-​related information, but I did learn a lot about the neighborhood – tour guide Anna told stories about the owners of the establishments, and families who live in the area. I found it interesting that this area is also where the Kennedys lived, and nothing I’ve read about JFK’s childhood so far has mentioned the Jewish culture of Brookline – something to research. As a non-​Jewish vegetarian from outside the area, I enjoyed getting to know a neighborhood of Boston and eating all but one of the six samples.