Chicago Food Tour

A couple weeks ago the folks over at Chicago Food Planet Food Tours asked if I would like to participate in one of their food tours. I jumped at the chance! I've been wanting to go on one of these tours for along time and I was super excited!


The concept is really cool. Basically you get a 3-hour guided walking tour through one of Chicago's neighborhoods. During the tour you will learn about the history of the neighborhood and get to try the delicious foods (which I think is the best part).


I chose the Bucktown/Wicker Park Food Tour.





First stop, George's Hot dogs.





Traditional Chicago hot dog which includes the dog, poppy seed bun, mustard, onions, relish, dill pickle, tomato, sport peppers and celery salt.




I'm not a fan of tomato so I pulled that off my dog and dug in. I would rank this up there with the top Chicago dog I've ever had!




Second stop, Hot Chocolate.








I was so excited to try this place because of all the rave reviews it's been getting. And it did not disappoint.




House made marshmallows:




With Medium Hot Chocolate - chocolate with a touch of dark chocolate and a hint of caramel. I can't believe how good this hot chocolate was and I can't wait to go back and try all the other flavors.




Third stop, Goddess & Grocer.





The interior of the grocer/deli was decorated perfectly.





The display case was filled with lots of goodies:




Lots of unique items to purchase and bring home.







I wanted to shove this cake in my mouth. Thankfully it was behind a case so I was saved from embarrassment;)




I sampled one of the pasta salads.



Fourth stop, Piece Brewery & Pizza.




Patrick and I really liked the rustic interior:




You could tell the brewer had fun naming some of the beers:




I sampled the Golden Arm. I'm not a beer drinker but I thought this was pretty decent. With that said I must admit I fell in love with the little glass but resisted the urge to shove it in my bag;)




Slice of pizza with cheese, basil and tomato:




Fifth stop, Sultan's Market.





Great decorations:








I wanted to dive into this fruit bar! A lot of variety and everything looked so fresh.





We were able to sample the Falafel Sandwich: A warm pita lined with hummus, stuffed with falafel, Tomatoes, Topped with Jerusalem Salad:





I had never had falafel but judging from this sandwich I will be having it again.


Sixth stop, iCream.


By far the coolest ice cream place ever! If you are in Chicago and love frozen treats you have to check this place out.

The process:

1. Select your base

2. Choose your flavor

3. Add a burst of color

These pipes are how the liquid nitrogen is put into the mixers:





Yeah, you read that right. Liquid nitrogen is used to turn your selections into ice cream, yogurt or sorbet. Check out the smoke:





I devoured my sample:





As mentioned previously we walked around the neighborhood and looked at some beautiful homes.










Does anyone recognize this building from a John Cusack movie?




Who doesn't have a canon in their yard?;)



A couple reasons why I liked this tour:

• Knowlegeable and personable guides
• Reserved spaces in popular restaurants
• A ton of food
• Learning the history of the neighborhood

This tour would be perfect for people who are visiting Chicago as well as those who live in the city. I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon!