NEWARK - New Jersey’s largest city sometimes gets a bad rap.

However, as with many things, there’s much more to this diverse destination than meets the eye. That's why city residents Emily Manz and Antonio Valla decided to share their take on the city with the tour company, Have You Met Newark?

The 7-year-old company, which the duo founded after deciding to team up following their own personal efforts to conduct city tours, offers two fun, informative walking tours focusing on either a downtown overview or the city’s food scene with their Nom Nom Newark tour, which is next scheduled for 2-5 p.m. on March 2.

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“I think that there’s so much people hear about Newark in the news and we always felt like the best way to experience it was in-person and on foot,” said Valla, who has a background in urban planning, as does Manz. “There’s so many small businesses in this city that we wanted to show people up-close.”

In the Nom Nom Newark tour, about 10-15 visitors are taken to four local restaurants, all within walking distance, covering up to two miles in total, to enjoy food samples and meet with chefs. For a $30 ticket, guests can expect to “leave very full – don’t eat beforehand!” said Valla.

While the company works with about 20 restaurants, those chosen on each tour change each time, depending on the season, and range from eateries such as T.M. Ward Coffee, which has been a Newark staple since the 1860s, to modern establishments such as Burger Walla, which is known for their Indian-inspired burgers.

“Newark is a very diverse city and it’s full of tons of interesting entrepreneurs, so the food scene really captures a lot of the diversity in a format that also shows the city’s history,” said Valla.

Since Have You Met Newark? began in 2012, the client base has grown exponentially from locals who found the tours online to large groups of people looking for a fun alumni or family reunion activity.

“We have had Newark residents who want to explore what’s happening in their city as well as people who have heard, for example, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson from Red Rooster has opened Marcus B&P on Halsey Street and want to check it out,” Valla said.

Regardless of the reason for their visit, Valla said the tours receive a wide age range, with some families bringing their children. However, the feedback is still streamlined – Valla said many remark, “I am much more stuffed than I thought I would be!”

“Newark is such a big city that even if you have lived here your whole life, there’s so much that’s opening and happening here,” Valla said. “Many of our tourgoers will say, ‘I didn’t even know this was here!’”

If you go

Nom Nom Newark food tours

Where: Varied

When: Monthly, next tour is 2-5 p.m. March 2

Cost: $30

Contact: haveyoumetnewark.com

Jenna Intersimone's "Destination Jersey" column appears Tuesdays. Tweet her at @JIntersimone or email her at JIntersimone@GannettNJ.com.