Unexpected Atlanta

What it is

Unexpected Atlanta is a locally owned tour company run by Atlanta natives. The team wrote an award-winning book on the city’s culinary history. Its downtown home base is a merchant stall inside the Municipal Market on Edgewood Avenue, and that’s where its signature market experience begins.

What to do

The Historic Market Food Tour and Biscuit Class is a two-hour, low-mileage outing. You taste your way through the century-old food hall, then make buttermilk biscuits in a hands-on class. The company also runs cooking classes, including a spice-blending lab and a biscuits and pimento cheese session, plus food and history walks in other neighborhoods like Grant Park and Midtown. For groups, it offers private and team-building versions, along with Martin Luther King Jr. tours for families and students.

Before you go

Market tours start at 11:00 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and most Saturdays add a 12:30 p.m. start. Book ahead through Unexpected Atlanta’s tour calendar, which lists current dates and ticket options. Wear comfortable shoes and come hungry, since the food tastings are part of the tour itself.