Taste the City’s unique approach allows you to explore the vibrant restaurant culture in your neighbourhood. With each spot carefully timed, pre-paid, and thoughtfully curated, Taste the City offers a convenient and delightful way to become the foodie of your group by experiencing the best of your local dining scene.
In this exciting experience, you don’t know exactly where you’ll be going or what you'll be eating. We let the Chef decide! Since it’s all paid beforehand, all you have to do is show up and enjoy! When you get a text with your next spot, you simply get up and leave!
A walkable connection to delicious food not only enhances physical well-being but also promotes mental and emotional health. At Taste the City, we seamlessly integrate physical activity and social bonding into each of our tastings, creating an enriching experience for your overall health and well-being.
About us
This is the story of two best friends who met in grade one, became inseparable, and then spent the rest of their lives proving that distance means nothing when the connection is real. After that first year together, Melissa moved away, but the friendship stayed strong through years of letters, visits, and late-night calls from different cities.
Years later, while studying urban planning in Italy, Joanna dove into the slow food movement and fell in love with the idea of connecting people through local cuisine. One day, while trying to book a food tour, she realized she didn't want to be stuck in a group with a guide for hours; she wanted freedom, discovery, and connection on her own terms. That lightbulb moment became the spark for Taste the City.
When Melissa came to visit Calgary, Joanna knew she needed a marketing powerhouse to bring the vision to life, and Melissa was the perfect fit. Together, they built a company that uses technology to bring people back to the table, to celebrate local restaurants, and to strengthen the communities that make cities feel like home.
Their dream is to bring Taste the City to food lovers around the world, so that no matter where you go, you'll always have a local bestie guiding you to the very best bites in town.
Joanna Pariseau — Founder · CEO
Melissa Ninaber — Founder · CMO
Founder | CEO
Founder | CMO