Jamie Larkin
Operations Manager
Jamie is truly a “Philly Boy” at heart since he was both born and raised in the city. His passion for the city itself is heightened by the fact that his father is actually a Benjamin Franklin impersonator!Jamie has been a bartender and server for the past 5 years all around Philadelphia, so his knowledge of food and drinks is definitely well rounded. However, he admits his “talent” for eating the greasiest and least healthy of cuisines in massive portions is un-matched by anyone.
Although Jamie is currently our Operations Manager in the office, he actually started with us as a tour guide on our popular Flavors of Philly Tour, and still directs tours on the weekends. Growing up in an Irish household, his family’s motto was “It’s not what you put on the table that matters…It’s what you put in the seats.” So, Jamie always makes his guests feel like part of the City Food Tours family.
Guilty Pleasure: “Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Pizza or anything Chinese!”
Selena Brown
Event Planning Assistant
Many describe Selena as a woman that’s “high off life”, because of her upbeat personality and aura. Selena is a bright spirited individual with an infectious laugh – her office nickname is Giggles.Selena graduated in 2005 from Villanova University with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. She’s worked as a financial services specialist for industry leaders such as Merrill Lynch, PNC Bank, and Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. Partnering with a direct sales leader in telecommunications inspired her career change to meeting and conference planning.
Selena joined City Food Tours to get an insider’s view of event planning so that she can eventually own her own business. Her primary motivation for thinking big is her adorable 2-year-old daughter, Nevaeh.
Guilty pleasure: “Any nut mix from Nuts to You”
Michelle Freeman
Marketing & PR Assistant
A life-long resident of Philadelphia, Michelle hails from the Northeast section of the city. Growing up the eldest daughter of a Japanese mother and an Irish father, her culinary tastes are as varied as her interests and experiences. At only 25 years old, she is one of the most well-connected people in the city. She has worked on such well-known events as the annual Campus Philly Festival on the Parkway, Canvas Clash in Love Park, the Philadelphia Marathon, and most recently, was chosen by the City Representative’s office to help with the Welcome America celebration.
Michelle is our barometer for what’s hot and fresh in Philly’s food scene. She has a great deal of experience in music promotion and public relations and fits in perfectly at City Food Tours as a multi-talented, ambitious member of the team. Michelle was the driving force in developing the content and vendor relationships for our Flavors of Philly Tour.
Guilty pleasure: “Any Macaroni and Cheese from a box”
Brannen Basham
Project Assistant
Brannen is a recent graduate of Arcadia University and is our go-to guy for tech issues. His calm, laidback attitude and perseverance has come in handy for marathon “on-hold” sessions with tech support for phones, computers, internet, and anything else that decides to stop working at a very inconvenient time.A long time lover of everything food related, Brannen's true passion for flavors exploded during the fall of 2008 when he studied in Perugia, Italy for a semester. Brannen loves music and enjoys playing the drums whenever he's not trying out new recipes or eating the leftovers.
Guilty pleasure: “Kraft Easy cheese” (aka Spray Cheese)
Judy is proud to say that she is a fourth generation Philadelphian and therefore a history and anything Philly enthusiast, including its rich history of food. Having a degree in broadcasting, her career has included being a producer/director for Educational TV, public radio, advertising, event planning, and most recently public relations. Her favorite job was being a DJ for 20 years. Judy loves being with people and creating memories for them.
With City Food Tours, Judy has been able to share her love of the city along with her passion for its food, including her own experiences of her youth and ancestry.
Guilty pleasure: “The Philadelphia Hoagie – before her son was born he was called “Hoagie Beck” because of the amount of hoagies she ate. He was born 10 lbs, 4 oz!”
Tour Director
Michael has traveled the world, but has come back to Philly to roost. He doesn't know anyone else who read Philly news first thing in the morning while in Italy or California. After moving back to his birthplace five years ago, he has explored many sections of town in depth. His particular passion is for Philly's rail heritage. Michael owns a company that imports products from Italy, and his frequent trips there have given him an appreciation for delicious things. The Flavors of Philly Tour allows him to share the simple pleasures of taste with his guests. Michael is a lover of history, and he works hard to bring that history to life on the tour. He is amazed that all the information he has accumulated and thought was only good for Trivial Pursuit or Quizzo is useful for his guests. Pretzels, pies and the past go together well.
Guilty Pleasure: "Kraft Macaroni & Cheese"
Tour Director
A native Californian, Jennifer left the fro-yo (frozen yogurt) culture of Orange County to head East for school and eagerly embraced clam bakes while studying in Boston, black & white cookies during grad school in NYC & anything with whiz on it (especially boardwalk fries!) here in Philly where she’s been for the past 5 years. A food enthusiast and group dynamics specialist, Jennifer is excited to share and explore her passions with others as a Food Tour Director. She feels like she’s living the life dreams are made of. Where else can she have the opportunity to wax rhapsodic about the benefits of tea, the cleaning power of cheese and the joy that can be found through experiential learning? When she’s not leading a group through the exciting streets of Philadelphia, Jennifer can be found at home in her kitchen flambéing banana’s for Bananas Foster (her husband's favorite) and making Kool-Aid Playdough for her toddler, Isabella.
Guilty pleasure: "Snickers Bars, Nacho Cheese Doritos, and ANYTHING with heavy cream!"
Diane Nobles
Intern
Diane is currently with City Food Tours to complete her senior internship for Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. She has been a resident of Philadelphia her entire life and absolutely loves the city. Working in the food industry since high school, City Food Tours was the perfect match! Diane’s passion for cooking and her vegetarian lifestyle has inspired her to create new dishes for dinner every night. When she’s not in the office or cooking up a storm, Diane loves to volunteer with the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Guilty Please: “Burger King Veggie Burgers with onion rings and zesty sauce!”
