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Chicago Food Planet Food Tours
Category: Hotels & Travel Tours Tours
830 N Michigan Ave(between Pearson St & Chestnut St)
Chicago, IL 60611
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(800) 979-3370
10% off Chicago Food Tours
Receive 10% off when you enter or say "YELP" when purchasing tickets online or calling (800) 979-3370
- Nearest Transit:
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Chicago-Red (Red Line)
Grand-Red (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 pm
106 reviews for Chicago Food Planet Food Tours
106 reviews in English
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Review from Sami A.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2012
It's so much more than just a "food tour"! By end of the 1.5 miles, 3 hours tour I was stuffed and with more knowledgeable than ever about the rich history of Wicker Park and Bucktown.
It started when at George's Hot Dogs. I asked for the person in charge and in comes the awesome Carrie. She informs me that it's Carrie like Carrie Bradshaw. Yes, she officially became my favorite tour guide, ever.
We 1st had a Chicago style hot dog at George's. AN ENTIRE HOTDOG! I'm going to go ahead and advise you not to have breakfast the day of (at least not for the Wicker Park/ Bucktown one). At some point I couldn't finish my pizza. Carrie told us a bit of the history of each food stop before eating which gave each location a sense of personality. Hot Chocolate was the 2nd stop. The Goddess Grocer was next. Then comes Piece Chicago where we went for pizza and after that to Sultan's Market for falafels! My favorite stop was the last one, iCream. Because I think dessert is the most important part of anyone's meal!
Along with the great food you eat, you get to learn about the history, architecture and gossip of the two neighborhoods. I highly the Chicago Planet Food tour to any foodie, history and/or architecture fan. -
Review from Michelle C.
Chicago, IL
12/12/2011
I went on the Near North Food Tour and it was very well worth it! Even being from Chicago, I learned a great deal about our city and its history and culture. Did you know we have a Buddhist Temple right in Old Town? We visited and tasted foods/treats from seven places, many of which I've passed by and either didn't notice before or hadn't planned to stop in. Alia was our tour guide, and was very friendly and knowledgeable about each location. From stopping in front of the original Playboy mansion to a stroll in front of St. Michael's Church (survived the Great Chicago Fire), you are constantly learning something fascinating that makes you feel like you could be a tour guide to visiting family and friends.
I had never been to six of the places that we tasted foods/products from, including a few great tea, spice and oil shops, so those were definite treats. The pizza place is one I think nearly every Chicagoan has been to - although it has some of the best deep dish in our city, I probably would have rather stopped at a non-chain restaurant. I can see why they include this restaurant on the tour though, since the majority of our group was from out of town (and some even from out of country). Would definitely recommend and plan to go on the Buck Town/Wicker Park Tour in the spring. -
Review from Brian W.
Chicago, IL
11/26/2011
I learned about the Chicago Food Planet tours from a Groupon special and took the Near North Food Tour on 11/20.
We had Alia and she was AWESOME. She was very friendly, engaging, and most importantly extremely knowledgeable about Chicago history and where to find the best hidden gems in the city (even beyond the restaurants included in the tour). She said she also works the China town tour, and if possible I'd definitely try and get in her tour again.
I won't go into a lot of details about the specific restaurants in the tour. Most of the other reviews cover that pretty comprehensively. My favorite was Ashkenaz Deli without question. We sampled a pastrami reuben and it was heavenly. We also went to Tea Gschwendner, and let me tell ya... I'm a die hard coffee drinker and have never really gotten into tea. Let me tell ya, I was thoroughly impressed by this place.
Anywho, this is great tour whether you're from Chicago or not. Seems very well organized and thought-out, and well worth checking out. -
Review from Kyle H.
I already knew my Bucktown/Wicker Park Tour was going to be great, I booked it over a month in advance of the trip because my foodie friend recommended it so highly (thank you beth i.!)
What better way to explore a neighborhood than with a local, i'm talking real local who actually lives in the 'hood and patronizes all of the businesses we stopped to taste? Kent was an amazing guide, gave us not only the lowdown on all the delicious and FILLING food we ate (these midwesterners really know how to eat...which makes me wonder if Kent has a tapeworm, how the hell is this guy so skinny?) but all the fun facts about all the places we passed along the way.
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From architecture and history to random fun facts about even the current owners of the now multi-million dollar homes on the streets surrounding Wicker Park... with the exception of the freezing cold temperature (gimme a break, i'm from Hawaii) this is the best walk and progressive meal i've ever had.
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I also assumed from taking a glance at the stops we'd be taking at least a few of the SIX stops would be just "filler" stops, something to take up time and stomach space ... not this tour! I can honestly say each and every stop we ate something i'd go back for (in fact, we spent the rest of the day in the area after the tour and tried to go back to Piece for dinner and Kent was right, place was packed to the max and we couldn't get in!)
1. Georges - Chicago dog
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2. Hot Chocolate - signature drink with a house-made marshmallow
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3. The Goddess & Grocer - a veggie mediteranean salad
4. Piece - TO DIE FOR New Haven-style pizza
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5. Sultan's Market - falafel
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6. iCream - custom-ice cream frozen by liquid nitrogen
I don't think i'd have made it very far out of the Loop if it wasn't for this tour so THANK YOU for such an awesome (and thankfully not cheesy) experience, an enthusiastic five stars!! -
Review from Devin N.
Astoria, Queens, NY
10/17/2011
Being a vegetarian, I am always sceptical about doing food tours, but I know my partner likes them, so I try to book with companies that accommodate us non-meat eaters. This happens to be one of those companies and the even-better thing is: they barely had to alter any of the food on the tour. We did the near north tour and got to walk through some nice neighborhoods (old town and lincoln park) and taste a big variety of foods. Our guide, Nicole, was very informative and pleasant. We had a great time and can't wait to come back to Chicago to try the bucktown tour.
The tour stops at:
1- a jewish deli for pastrami (I had a potato pancake...the only thing on the tour that wasn't very good)
2- a tea place where we learned about tea and had iced tea
3- fudge store, where we sampled english toffee
4- spice store (my favorite), where we got to taste all kinds of spices and learn about them
5- oil store (my other favorite), where we tried all kinds of balsamic vinegars and oils
6- pastry shop, to try some polish pastries
7- chicago stuffed pizza...the grand finale! (my other favorite..haha...ok. I loved them all!)
After the tour, we re-walked the whole tour path back, so we could go back to some of the places and buy stuff to take home (they give you coupons). -
Review from Laura G.
10/18/2011
This is my third Food / walking / Cultural tour. The other two were in L.A.
I went to buy tickets for the Bucktown / Wicker Park Tour and got distracted and before I knew it the tour I wanted to go on was sold out! I called the ticketing agency and he was FANTASTIC! He recommended that I email them and ask to add another tour the same day at a later time. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT ON MY OWN. So, to be safe I purchased tickets to the Near North tour and emailed them and asked if they would add a tour and if they could switch me. AWKWARD...
WOW - they added another tour and switched my tickets! Fantastic service.
Now for the tour. The food looked a bit pedestrian to me but I thought it would be fun to take my sister and my nephew who live in Chicago on a tour of their own city!!
I won't get into every stop but for a California girl who is not a fan of Hot Dogs I want a Chicago Dog from George's Hot Dog NOW! My sister who has never had a Chicago Dog and has lived in Chicago for 17 years LOVED IT too.
I had the best Hot Dog I've ever had, the best Falafel EVER and the most amazing ice cream. I would go back to every single stop. -
Review from beth i.
9/6/2011 3 photos
This was one of my favorite activites in Chicago BY FAR! (And I did so many fun things there). This is a MUST DO when you're in Chicago if you enjoy food and learning about history and architecture while strolling around.
Carrie was our guide for the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour and was key to the success of our trip. She was friendly, knowledgable, and has an incredible memory for names, dates and factual tid bits. It really was amazing when she would call each of us in the group (~15 people) by name. Wow. Impressed.
I don't want to give it all away, but you will be full with good eats after the first few stops and beaming from ear to ear about the things you will hear and learn. You will pass by a speakeasy that was voted one of the nations best cocktails, nosh down the best WHOLE Chicago dog (so save your 1st dog tasting til you get here), have iced hot chocolate from a national top pastry chef (the best part of this was the killer homemade... yes... homemade marshmallow WHAT!?), take a stroll through Wicker Park (yes.. like Josh Hartnett in the movie), have pizza and beer from yet another nationally awarded restaurant, see where the American Leginnaires met/drank during prohibition, eat space age liquid nitrogen ice cream, a delish falafel sandwich, and take in house after house of fabulous architecture.
There had to be something in that last paragraph that appealed to you. This is why this food tour is so great. There IS something for everyone to enjoy. There are bounds of more details that I've left out and I wish I had gone on the other tours that were offered. You get a map and coupons at the start of the tour so leave yourself some time to go back and pick up the goodies you want to take home!
Don't miss this tour if you're in Chi-town. You won't regret it. Don't forget to mention YELP when paying online to get a 10% discount. I'm a fan!Listed in: Must See Chicago
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Review from David H.
Santa Clara, CA
9/8/2011
Just came back from the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour, and had a great time. Kent was my own private tour guide. Testament to the company too that they didn't cancel the tour because I was the only person who signed up. I don't know what the deal was, but it weather was awesome (70 and sunny), but I was the only person who signed up for the tour today. Alas, bonus for me, since I got to pester Kent with any lame questions I wanted.
So, for me, I felt this was a great tour on many levels: First, it's in a neighborhood I wouldn't normally frequent. I lived in Chicago (Hyde Park) for 4 years, but went to Wicker Park/Bucktown just a handful of times. So, I'm projecting that other people who might be visiting would've been to this neighborhood even less frequently. If you want to be a social lemming and do Navy Pier or the Hancock and all that jive, you can do that on your own. But, having a tour of a slightly out of the way environment puts a unique spin on a "tourist" trip.
Second: The food/value. The cost of the tour was $45 (plus gratuity). Considering that you get a decent amount of food spread amongst 6 establishments, that's an awesome value. You can look at the other reviews for the types of establishments you hit. And it looks like now they're offering a 10% yelp discount. Plus, while on the tour, you get coupons so that if you would like to go shopping or eat again at any of those eateries, post tour, you would've saved even more. It's like they're paying you to go on the tour!
Third: The pacing. This is the magic glue that held the whole thing together, and made everything so memorable. If they had slammed all 6 eateries at you in a short distance and a short amount of time, you'd probably be nauseated. Instead, you start of with the hot dog, walk down the street and get a chocolate beverage. At this point you're feeling almost comfortably full. But, then, you're pulled off to the side, get a talk about the neighborhood's features, demographics, history, and the cause celebres, and not only have you been gastronomically nourished, but now you're intellectually nourished. Plus, now that you've had some time to digest, you're ready for the next food stop where the cycle repeats itself a couple of times: food, education, walk to let both things "digest".
To call the experience a food tour would be a disservice. It really is a wonderful experience and package you should experience. -
Review from Alma P.
8/22/2011
So I've done a few food tours in different cities and I've had good and bad experiences -- you just never know what you're gonna get w/tour guides. Well, I have to say that this was one of the best food tours (or tours) that I've ever been on... our guide, Hilary, was top notch! She clearly knew her stuff, knew the area and had a love of food like all of us on the tour. She was also super friendly and made a point of getting us all to interact with each other which made the tour even more enjoyable as we met some really nice people from all over.
We did the Near North Tour which was such a great mix of comfort food, light samples and history. It was also plenty of food.. we were so full by the end that we couldn't even finish our pizza but I guess it depends on your appetite. It was quite a bit of walking.. seemed like a lot more than the 1.5 miles listed but was spread out well enough to handle. My favborite stop was The Spice House -- amazing store with unbelievable selection and great pricing.
My only suggestion for improvement is that they allow for some time for us to shop at the stops. I totally understand why they do it but maybe they should add some time to the tour and give us a few minutes to make purchases. Otherwise, I would suggest doing the tour when you first get to town so you can make time in your trip to go back later. Unfortunately, it was our last day so we weren't able to go back to any of the locations but luckily a lot of them have websites so I'll be buying some stuff online.
This is a definite tour for any foodies visiting Chicago! :-) -
Review from Nick M.
6/17/2011
First off, I need to say that I'm not a big fan of food tours. There has been issues in the past with a few things like... paying big $$ for tickets, then small portions (no I mean small), and overall restaurants not putting their best foot forward (i.e. bad service towards tour people, not so fresh ingredients, and not highlighting their best items on the menu).
From the very start things couldn't have been more different. Half price deal on Groupon, super friendly tour guide Jess, and the first sample was a whole freakin Chicago style hot dog (they did offer huge salads for the non meat eaters).
Then on to Hot Chocolate, where we are given a huge cup of this insanely delicious cocoa with a homemade marshmallow on top (I KNOW!! Homemade marshmallow?!). Then off to Goddess and Grocer, where we get a cup of antipasto salad, and to Piece where we get a full slice of cheese along with a small glass of their self brewed beer. It was all killer food so far but then they blew me away with a trip to Sultan's Market, you get a half a pita filled with felafel and hummus (seriously best felafel in town). But wait there's more, the last stop is iCream. iCream uses liquid nitrogen to make the ice cream and they do it right in front of you to watch (Coooool). We got a sample of their flavor "That guy from Florida" which is something like cream soda, nutella and white chocolate. It will blow your mind!!
Our tour guide Jess was super cool. As we walk around, she talked about really cool history/ facts about the area. She really made the trip eventful.
The company moto is "Eat. Walk. Be Merry.", so I had this moment as I was walking around with a happy belly listening to Jess, I said HOLY CRAP... I've been eating, I'm walking, and OMG I'M MERRY!! It all made sense after that...
Check it out, I would totally go again. They need one up in A-ville yo!!Listed in: I bored take me to......, Chicago Steals & Deals!!
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Review from Gerrie M.
Redondo Beach, CA
8/18/2011
We took the Near North tour today, and it was quite interesting. Our tour guide Kent is engaging and knowledgeable. We started with a half sandwich at a Jewish deli and finished with stuffed pizza, with tastings in between. My favorite was the oil shop, all sorts of fruity balsamic vinegar and olive oil. But all the places we stopped by were good.
I will take the Bucktown tour next time we are in Chicago. Totally enjoyed this one. -
Review from Jace K.
CA
8/24/2011
This is a two part review-
Bucktown/Wicker Park - 4.5 stars
Near North - 1.5 stars (and one star is from receiving a free sturdy emergency poncho because of the rain)
Bucktown/Wicker Park- amazing tour. A must for anyone visiting Chicago!
Chicago Style hot dog (you know the first time- you want a good representation), iced hot chocolate (omg. delicious), homemade marshmallow (I don't like marshmallows, but this was divine), a squash salad, New Haven style pizza and even a small glass of beer, falafels (eh, but great for people who don't have access to such food), and a very unique ice cream treat. (Don't worry the portions are generally small and light with lots of walking to whet the appetite. except for the starter of the Chicago style hot dog).
The food was amazing- enough to feel full without feeling stuffed- great walking tour with tidbits of information of the history of Chicago, history of the individual stores, history of the unique neighborhoods, and a great representation of a cross section of different foods.
Near North - food? what food? I felt like they barely fed us and the food wasn't even very good. We had a hot pastrami to begin the day (that was okay), then an iced tea (not very substantial and much too bitter for me. also, why served the tea iced on a day with a downpour?), licked some spices and tasted some vinegar/oil, a small piece of chocolate toffee and a single slice of stuffed pizza. The pizza was lukewarm- which only added insult to injury.
If you want to buy items for the gourmet kitchen, you should add one star to the Near North tour- they take you to some high end spice shops and vinegar and olive oil shop. I did feel that it was HIGHLY suggested to go back and buy things as I was given catalogs to the tea, spice, and oil/vinegar shops. I feel that I should eat on a food tour, not lick spices from my finger. Or "shoot back" vinegar and oils. On a food tour, I want to eat FOOD. Real food.
Anyway, for $45- go with the Bucktown/Wicker Park Tour. I really wish I did that tour twice than doing the Near North tour. My friend and I went and got real food after the tour, since we were hungry.
PS As for the walking amount. You sit down ONCE the entire Near North tour- at the pizza parlor at the very end. You stand the rest of the time, but that does make sense since you aren't actually eating. On the other hand, even sipping iced hot chocolate, the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour has you lounging while you appreciate the delights of the area. -
Review from Andrew W.
Chicago, IL
7/19/2011
I have lived in Chicago for 6 years now and this tour was exciting, interesting and unique to me! I wanted to take my mom on this tour to show her some sides of Chicago she had not seen before. I was excited because I had not visited the restaurants and stores that were on the Near North list that we were visiting (7 of them in total). The fun piece of facts in between the establishments were just as intriguing. We passed the original Playboy Mansion even and I won't give away the fun facts that are behind it, but its so intriguing.
Each of the destinations are spread out quite evenly so you wouldn't be too full and to really mix everything up. The guide was phenomenal and she really knew everything there was to know and more. It seems like this company really did their due diligence and even talked to the owners of the cool homes you pass along the way to find out even more history.
One of the fun facts I learned along the way to give you a good idea was that the author of The Wizard of Oz grew up in Chicago's own Lincoln Park where he met a little friend named "Dorothy" who inspired the book!
I saw the top reviews for this and had high expectations. They were all exceeded. Please do this tour if you are local, tourist, or just at the right place at the right time! Get ready for this 3.5 hour tour and get your walking shoes on because some distant ground is covered! :) -
Review from yazzmatazz d.
Chicago, IL
11/14/2011
Lucked out with great weather for our Near North food tour this weekend. The pastrami reuben, deep dish pizza, tea, chocolate, pierogis and kolacky were delicious! Our tour guide, Alia, was so fun and knew all about the food AND the history of the Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. I love that they give you coupons for some of the participating businesses - many people in our group went shopping after the tour. The pacing and organization of the tour were flawless. Highly recommended for locals and tourists alike!
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Review from Carly L.
Chicago, IL
6/11/2011
Though we currently reside in Chicago, my boyfriend and I had decided to purchase the Groupon for the Bucktown/Wicker Park food tour as an excuse to try several great restaurants in one afternoon and to experience a little bit of a neighborhood to which neither one of us was very familiar. Our expectations were more than met as our tour guide, Kent, expertly led us around the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods, explaining the history and culture, the architecture and the people, stopping, of course, for delicious pauses along the way.
I would highly recommend this tour to both locals and travelers. As a local you learn some of the history behind many of the places you may pass everyday without a second thought, and as tourist you are able to experience several unique aspects of Chicago which make the city so great. -
Review from William H.
Saint Louis, MO
8/1/2011
I REALLY wish I had a slice of that hot pastrami from the Ashkenaz Deli right now..for BREAKFAST! That should tell you all you need to know right there!
Did the Near North End tour consisting of seven locales spread throughout a 3.5 hour tour filled with fun facts (original playboy mansion a "secret" lounge above a sushi bar), delicious food (see pastrami comment above!) and a fun and friendly (as well as super patient...there was this guy from Buffalo on our tour...wheww..).
I noted one person commented not enough "food: was offered on the foodie tour..I'd opine that spices, Olive oils, and vinegars are an essential part of crafting good food so were very appropriate for the tour (as well as keeping participants moving and NOT napping).
Chicago Food Planet has two other tours and I wish they would come down to StL and create one here...wait..I can just check my fellow Yelp member lists and find my own tour..
Perfect!
;P -
Review from Nicole A.
Lisle, IL
4/3/2011
This tour is perfect for the local, national or International Foodie or architectural buff. The Bucktown/Wicker Park food tour was nothing short of entertaining during the 3-hour tour that felt more like ages. Nicole, the guide, was enthusiastic and entertaining during the entire duration. I already asked if she did any of the other tours that Chicago Food Planet offers so we can request her again. I personally grew up in Chicago, but did not have a in depth knowledge of the north side and the happenings of the Bucktown/Wicker park area. After the tour, I was wow'd by what the neighborhoods have to offer. Every stop on the tour was nothing short of amazing (notes below). The unexpected treat was walking around the neighborhoods and getting incite on the architectural trends, home values and offerings in the neighborhood in general.
Our 6 Foodie stops on this tour:
George's Hot Dogs-Traditional "Chicago-Style" hot dogs were served here! Living here my entire life, I actually never braved it with everything and I'm sure glad I finally tried it. Vegetarians rec'd a delectable Greek Salad. The best part of this stop was that George cooked our dogs.
Hot Chocolate-Wow!! Nothing short of amazing here. Best hot chocolate and marshmallow (homemade) ever. Ill be taking my husband here on my next trip to the city.
Goddess and Grocer- great place to visit for local grown/served food. We tried a vegetable grilled salad with goat cheese. Very refreshing.
Piece-Delicious pizza that focused on the flavors of the pie and excluded traditional tomato sauce on top. Their local brew was also very delish.
Sultan's Palace-Half of a pita served here with Falafel. Amazing..I need more room in my stomach by this time so I bagged this one to go.
iCream-This could be one of my favorite stops although I really enjoyed the variety offered at all of them. This stop has 1 million combinations for a custom frozen treat. The Owner thought of preparing the ice cream with liquid nitrogen and drops of flavors to create a more creamy frozen treat with tons of possibility. We tried a nutella, cream soda, walnut sample. I will be back..I will be creating more here! -
Review from Pam D.
Ann Arbor, MI
5/1/2011
Near North
I
took this tour over Easter weekend and had a great time and learned a lot. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get to know Chicago in a different way. Our 11 year old son went with us and enjoyed it as well. The walking is fairly easy and there are plenty of breaks. We had Jess as the tour guide and she was very enjoyable. You learn many interesting facts and taste great food. My favorite places were the Spice House and the Oil and Vinegar Shop. You also get a neighborhood and architectural tour along the way. It is really great fun and I highly recommend it. -
Review from Dina V.
Chandler, AZ
4/28/2011
First trip to Chicago in 2010 took the Near North tour that I had purchased on Groupon. Fantastic tour, although not as much food as I anticipated (Spice House, no food...Olive Oil Co, no "food"), but still had enough to satisfy (started and ended with substantial amounts). Walked more on this tour that the Bucktown/Wicker Park.
Fast forward to April 2011, 2nd trip to Chicago bought a Groupon for the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour and it too was fantastic! More food on this tour than the previous one, so you DO NOT want to eat prior to it. Best hot chocolate I have ever had, and the ending at iCream is great as well.
Was great to get away from the downtown/Mag Mile tourist area and see a "normal" neighborhood.
Can't say enough about it, really had a great experience! -
Review from M-Dot W.
Hackensack, NJ
4/25/2011
Wicker Park / Bucktown
I won't repeat my take on the places we went to ( see other Yelp reviews).
But this tour is great if you want eat your way through an up & coming Chicago neighborhood !
We would never know all this and went to these places if we wasn't in this group.
The tour guide was a nice young lady . She's funny and very good at what she does.
It seemed the spots we went to were " Yuppie" places in an up and coming neighborhood. Places I normally wouldn't visit .... I like holes in the wall , But each place had a story to it and what that person or owner is doing to re-vitalize the area..... which was kinda cool.
I'm sure sooner than later you will see soccer moms , with a blackberry and starbucks venti in one hand and pushing a $2,000 stroller in another walking around..... sad -
Review from L C.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2010
I took this tour company back in April and they were entertaining and educational. You get to walk around, taste food and drinks, and by the end you're stuffed like a muffin! I'd have to say that the order of eating things definitely made it difficult to eat everything though. By the time I hit the pizza I could barely finish the full thing. Good thing for the Sultan's Market we were able to bag up what we couldn't finish! It was definitely a unique tour experience and a great introduction to the Chicago neighborhoods.
The beginning starts with George's hot dog, then Hot Chocolate for marshmallow (the most amazing you will ever eat -- no more of that bagged kind!), and a cold hot chocolate drink. Thereafter you head over to Goddess & Grocer (which I could have done without the antipasto salad), Piece for pizza, Sultan's market for a falafel sandwich, and iCream (featured on the food network) for ice cream. All the while, you're walking through Bucktown and Wickerpark neighborhoods that give you a real glimpse at the magnificent home architecture. The tour guide was friendly and definitely makes or breaks the experience.
I say, whenever you're in a town and they've got one of these types of companies, jump on it if you're a foodie and like a dynamic, unique traveling experience!Comment from Shane K. of Chicago Food Planet Food Tours 1/8/2011
Thanks AC for the feedback! We greatly appreciate your… More » -
Review from Rho T.
9/28/2010 14 photos
This is for the Bucktown/Wickerpark Tour. We learned so much during the stroll thru Wickerpark and Bucktown. Beautiful homes and architecture. I'll mention a bit about the yummy part of the tour though:
George's Hot Dog's: #1 rated Chicago-style hot dog "stand"-Mmmm a Chicago dog. It was my first time trying one and it had me at first bite.
Hot Chocolate: OMG, 143. I would 100000% come back here. We had the medium hot chocolate, which was chocolate with a touch of dark chocolate and a hint of caramel and a homemade marshmallow. Sooooo good. I wanted to try every single thing on their dessert menu. In fact, when I got home I went on their website to see if their hot chocolate was available to be shipped. And it is! :)
Goddess & Grocer: Cute organic deli & grocer. We sampled an anitpasto pasta salad. It didn't blow me away. Maybe because I was too busy looking at their desserts. The desserts looked TDF.
Sultan's Market: Mmmmm the falafel here!! Fresh and not dry. That's my #1 requirement when I have a falafel sandwich. The falafel must be moist and crisp! By the time we got to the Sultan's Market we were full but sucked it up and finished the whole thing anyway. Had to unbotton pants afterwards. Oopsie.
Piece: Very cool pizza joint and brewery. Their pizza is thin, and yummay. Also sampled their refreshing cold beer. What's cool is that their To-Go orders are made at a separate section of the restaurant, called "Piece Out". Puahaha
iCream: Dope. Instant ice cream made to your liking w/the use of liquid nitrogen. Very very unique ice cream spot. Experience it once, if you want to see your own recipe come to life in minutes.Comment from Shane K. of Chicago Food Planet Food Tours 12/17/2010
Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your feedback!… More » -
Review from John J.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 6/20/2011
Chinatown
After the Chinatown food tour today, I've now been on all 3 offered by CFP. They have all been excellent, but I think this one was my favorite! Our guide Hilary (who was also our guide for the Gold Coast tour) was spot on: extremely knowledgeable, fun and completely accommodating.
I'm a native Chicagoan and have been to Chinatown a few times, but have always felt a little lost when I go. So for me, the best part of the tour was that the regional cuisines of china are explained in detail and you get to sample foods in authentic Canton, Szechuan and Mandarin styles (not to mention tea from a tea shop and a wonderful pastry at the end) so you can really understand the differences and why they're different. The social importance of meals in the chinese culture was also emphasized as well as the significance of tea. Because of this, the main difference between this tour and the others is that you sit down with your fellow tour-ees at each stop and basically have a small meal at each place. For me, the highlight was Lao Sze Chuan - the food is spicy and absolutely perfect. If you don't like spicy, try it anyways, you'll thank me later.
Definitely come hungry, this tour will fill your brain and your stomach - I'd recommend it to anyone interested in learning some history and culture... oh yeah, and eating some delicious things.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/6/2009
Just returned from the Bucktown / Wicker Park Food Tour and it was excellent. I figured we'd visit… Read more »
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Review from Ann Chi C.
Los Angeles, CA
5/27/2011 2 photos
It was a great experience. This was my first time visiting Chicago with my girlfriend. We love food, so we decided to join this tour. What a great choice. I gave credits to our tour guide, Heather. She is a lovable young lady. She is passionate about food & architecture. The tour we joined was Old town and Gold Coast area.
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Review from Tricia L.
7/5/2010
LOVE! This walking food tour is the perfect outing for a leisurely stroll through the city, corporate group outing, or to entertain visitors to Chicago.
Each of the stops was perfectly timed: a tall cranberry orange iced green tea at Tea Gschwendner after having half a pastrami reuben at Ashkenaz Deli, samples of toffee at The Fudge Pot and kolackies at Delightful Pastries later on in the tour, and the grand finale of stuffed spinach pizza (drool!) at Bacino's to wrap up the rendezvous.
Our tour guide Hillary was engaging, knowledgable, and charismatic. The tour had tidbits of history too, and we saw Hugh Hefner's original Playboy house, Oz Park, named after the author of the Wizard of Oz who wrote it while living in Lincoln Park, and some nice contrasts in architecture.
We hit spots I never would have walked into otherwise, like Old Town Oil (sampled delicious combos of oil and vinegar) and The Spice House. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this, and can't wait to go on the Bucktown walking tour! -
Review from Nessie V.
8/19/2010
My parents were visiting, and my dad found this tour for the Near North Food Tour and wanted to do it. I thought it was going to be annoying, and especially because I am a savvy Yelper I thought I wouldn't get anything from it.
It actually turned out pretty well, a great way to entertain visitors but with enough to keep locals entertained. Well, maybe if you live in Old Town it may be redundant. Though you do get a bunch of coupons to the places you visit.
They accommodate vegans. I was worried when I got a big bowl of beets at the first stop. Beets are good, but how many can you eat, and how excited can you get about them? But the food in my case got better, with dark chocolates, garlic bread, iced tea... I didn't need to eat afterwards. I was happy with the food.Listed in: My Chicago Faves
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Review from SeLLe A.
Chicago, IL
6/16/2010
What an amazing food tasting and cultural tour it was. Our guide (Chris) was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We did the North Food tour which consisted of 7 different stores. We started off our tour at Ashkenaz Deli with some delicious Vienna Beef Pastrami sandwich with homemade Russian dressing and ended our tour at Bacino's Pizza!!! I love their Deep Dish Spinach Stuffed Pizza (the "healthiest" stuffed pizza you'll have in Chicago)
I can't wait to try the Bucktown/Wicker Park food tour this summer!!! I got a deal from groupon which made it really worth it! The tour will cost you $42 but it is worth it! My bf and I went back to 3 of the stores we went to to buy some things because it wasn't allowed.Listed in: Groupon, what will I do…
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Review from Johnny L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/6/2010
Very good tour, our guide was very informative but I forgot her name already...
Well if she is reading I want her to know she did a great job and gave us great insight into the architecture of the areas we were in (Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Old Town).
These are things only a local would know and I'm glad that I went on this tour because I learned things about the city that I would have never known or discovered on my own.
She took us to places like TeaGschwendner and Spice House which I would have never discovered on my own. I'm happy to have places that I want to go back to Chicago for now. For a first time visit to Chicago this was a good introduction.Comment from Shane K. of Chicago Food Planet Food Tours 12/17/2010
Sounds like you learned a lot and had some delicious food… More » -
Review from Julie K.
Chicago, IL
7/9/2011
I took the Wicker Park/Bucktown tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, the portions sizable, and the food tasty! There wasn't one dish I didn't like. I liked the variety of establishments included in the tour, as well as the structure of the tour. If you had a heavier plate at one restaurant it was balanced by a drink or lighter plate at the next. There was a "break" between the third/fourth plates and the sixth such that your stomach got a nice rest just when you were feeling pretty full! The break was filled with a lovely tour of the neighborhood and Chicago architecture/history facts. A good time, even for a native Chicagoan!
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Review from Mandy S.
Chicago, IL
6/7/2010
Our tour guide was prompt, enthuisiastic and knowledgable for the Wicker Park/Bucktown tour.
I'd reccommend this trip to anyone who has a friend coming into town for the second or third time who is interested in going off the Mag Mile for some more, in my opinion genuine sights of the real Chicago.
Even though I live here, I enjoyed getting to know historical events behind each neighborhood and the food selections were diverse and nice reflections of not just Chicago but more specifically the neighborhoods.
I look forward to trying out the Old Town tour when someone else comes to down. I'm sure it will be a different experience from Wicker Park but in a good way. While I have often been over to Wicker Park/Bucktown I admittedly did not know its specific history and the boundaries/differences of the neighborhood so I found it to be pretty awesome. -
Review from Ruth Y.
Philadelphia, PA
5/17/2010
I did the Near North food tour. This is seriously a must do thing for foodies. All of the places were thoughtfully picked out and are very special in their own way. The food was generally delicious. Even the stops that I initially was not enthusiastic about; I ended up having a fabulous time at. And the non food stops along the way were also interesting and really a great way to learn a bit more about the city of Chicago even for someone who just really wanted the food part of the tour like me.
Only warning is that there is a good deal of walking and basically no place to rest until the very last stop. I tried to do the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour the next day, which is supposed to have more food and less walking, but the last pair of tickets got sold right as I was trying to buy them. Grrr!
Our guide, Adrianna (sp? - so sorry) was very knowledgeable, honest, friendly and just generally a fun person to spend a morning with. I have been on quite a few tours (albeit not food ones), and she definitely ranked as one of my favorite tour guides ever. I had pulled out money to tip her at the end of the tour and got wrapped up talking with her that I totally forgot to hand the tip to her. So if you find this review helpful and happen to get her as your tour guide, please tip her a bit extra for me! Thanks! :)
The tour took you to 7 different places, and I know that the "menu" changes from time to time, but here is a quick run down of what we had and my opinions on it.
1. Ashkenaz Deli - homemade Vienna Beef pastrami sandwich with homemade Russian dressing. Super fresh ingredients. The Russian dressing is worth a taste; it will surprise you. I dislike Russian dressing, but loved their version with beets and eggs - Delish!
2. Tea Gschwendner - Tried the mango pomegranate green tea (not 100% sure it was pomegranate, sure about everything else). It was delightful with an intense burst of flavor in your mouth that I have never experienced with tea before. The best thing about this stop was the tons of knowledge that we gained regarding tea.
3. The Spice House - Not nearly enough time spent here to try the myriad of spices. However 2 standouts were the dried corn that was super sweet and creamy, although it was just 100% corn and the Saigon Cassia Cinnamon, not your normal cinnamon, intense and spicy flavor. We caught the owner, Tom, who gave us a brief impromptu lecture. He is hilarious and knowledgeable. He used a cinnamon stick as his pointer! hahaha
4. Old Town Oil - Also not really enough time spent here to try the many, many varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The 18 year aged balsamic vinegar was sweet enough to drink like a dessert (probably a bit too thick though hahaha). The apple balsamic vinegar with the toasted walnut olive oil is an especially tasty combo.
5. The Fudge Pot - My personal favorite stop. They gave us crumbled nut topped chocolate toffee to try. Yes, it was even better than that sounded. I have to admit I housed down 3 giant pieces and really wanted more. It was the best toffee, by far, I have ever eaten. Did not stick to your teeth, and was melt in your mouth sweet buttery heavenly goodness. *drool*
6. Delightful Pastries - This is a Polish bakery that served us a potato and cheese pirogi and raspberry and apricot kolaczki (cookies). The pirogi was very fresh. The kolaczki shortbread dough was very flaky and buttery. The story about how the owner started the bakery was very inspiring too.
7. Bacino's Pizza - We tried a slice of their spinach deep dish pizza. We were told it was pretty healthy, and the great part is that it did not really taste like it. Lots of ooey gooey delicious cheese. -
Review from K C.
Chicago, IL
5/17/2011
This review is for the Near North Tour.
My mom and I took this tour in May 2011 when she was in town for a day before a conference. I chose the Near North tour because it's closer to where I live than the Bucktown one, and it went to places I had actually never been to in my past year of living in Chicago.
Quick breakdown:
- Tour Overall: Great!
- Tour Guides: Knowledgeable and fun!
- Tastings: Delicious!
Some quick (random) notes:
- We stopped at 7 different locations. Most were pretty close - the walk between the last two was the longest.
- Tasting at 5 locations was a great size. At the Spice House you only sample some cinnamon, and at Old Town Oil you take mini-shots of oil/vinegar mixes. One tasting is a drink, but it was 16oz and refreshing.
- Along the walk, the guides point out historic sites and give interesting info even locals might not know.
- The staff at each tasting location was very helpful and gave additional info and was glad to answer questions.
Overall, I thought this tour was great! The food was delicious, and I discovered some places I'll be going back to. Quite an enjoyable way to spend 3.5 hours! -
Review from cathy w.
Astoria, Queens, NY
9/26/2010
4.5!
My friend and I went on the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour in August, and it was a good time. Walking through the neighborhood, learning about the history, and eating along the way... what better way to get a history lesson? I wasn't a fan of all the food, but highlights were iCream and Piece. If the weather's nice, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon in Chicago!Comment from Shane K. of Chicago Food Planet Food Tours 2/10/2011
Thanks Cathy! Hope you left with a happy tummy and a new… More » -
Review from Tim H.
Chicago, IL
10/2/2010
I did the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour with several friends today and I want to say that it was not only fun and educational, but the food was great too! Our guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant and the places we visited were excellent choices, representing, I think, the neighborhood and Chicago in general.
I can highly recommend this to both locals and tourists. But be prepared to walk! And learn! And eat! -
Review from Janet E.
7/8/2009
I've had the pleasure of doing both of the neighborhood tours Chicago Food Planet has to offer. I am hoping they will expand to other neighborhoods soon so I can learn more about what Chicago has to offer. I have lived in Chicago for almost three years and would have definitely missed out on some great places if their tours had not shown me the gems of this great city!
The amount of food you get on the tour is insane. Go hungry, leave full. I thought I learned and experienced a whole lot more on the Near North tour. You get to visit 8 different shops/restaurants on the Near North tour (6 of those restaurants). The Bucktown tour visits only 6 shops/restaurants. The majority of the stores in the Near North tour are older and have been established longer so they provide more history. The stores in Bucktown/Wicker park are mostly recently established.
At each tour you'll get at least one full meal out of it. On the Near North tour, you'll get a full slice of Chicago's deep dish pizza. You'll also get a full size drink from Tea Gschwendner. On the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour, you'll get a full size hot dog with the works and a full size drink from Hot Chocolate. (THATS THE BEST DRINK I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Yes, it was THAT good)
A great bonus of the tour is that they give you a handout of all the places you've visited in addition to some other shops you've passed along the way. You also get a coupon for each shop/restaurant in case you decide to return to get the full experience of it all.
The tour guides I've had have both been great. I really enjoyed my experience as a local and would love to see tours of more neighborhoods!
Another groupon deal for this tour would be awesome as well! =) -
Review from Kathy D.
San Jose, CA
2/21/2010
'Hey Kathy, wanna try a food tour? It takes 3 hours and you go to 6 places.'
'uhhh...stuff my face for 3 hours?? OKAYYY!'
Taking the Wicker Park/Bucktown food tour was by far one of the best highlights of my Chicago trip. Not only did I experience the culinary delights of this charming neighborhood and felt like I invaded the neighborhood's privacy by eating at all of their best kept secrets, I felt like a local learning about its architectural and social history- never mind the 20 or so people clustered together at any given corner- we're locals, I tell ya!
I was a bit impressed that my tourguide was very knowledgeable in its local history, gentrification and urban planning missteps and racial issues included, since most tours paint a pretty picture of whatever history it usually paints. Wicker park was and is certainly a wonderful neighborhood with a very lively history and I am glad that this tour included both the history of its built environment and the restaurants that make its cultural environment.
My favorite stop in the neighborhood was a private home that was also the former meeting place of American Legionnaires during prohibition. If you are lucky, you might find Carol (the current owner) gardening in the front yard who could tell you random stories about the home! Also note the speakeasy that got a nod from GQ with the best cocktail and the location of the former record shop used to film High Fidelity.
But thanks to this tour, I now know what a real Chicago hot dog tastes like, what the perfect falafel gyro tastes like, what the best iced hot chocolate tastes like and how proud Chicago locals are of their hood no matter how far they've come and gone. oh and there's beer in it for you too!
I am definitely a fan and would definitely take this tour again if I had 3 hours to spend in Wicker Park. -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
6/17/2009
So I bought 2 passes for this tour off of Groupon and took Andy as part of his birthday present.
It rained for almost the whole tour which took a little of the fun out of it, but our tour guide (whose name I regretfully forget but he sounded an awful lot like Matthew Broderick giving a speech to 7th graders)
When I signed up I was under the impression that it would be more "tour" related and less "food" (because the website leads you to believe you are getting little taste samples at each location and even goes so far to write that most people consider it to be enough for a 'moderate lunch')
Well we started at George's Hot Dogs where we were given a full size dog with all the trimmings. Then on to Hot Chocolate, where we are given a huge cup of this insanely delicious cocoa with a homemade marshmallow on top. Then off to Goddess and Grocer, where we get a cup of antipasto salad, and to Piece where we get a full slice of cheese along with a small glass of their beer. As if that wasnt enough at Sultan's Market you get a half a pita filled with falafel and hummus and then iCream gives you a serving of their flavour "That guy from Florida".
*groan*
Luckily we did a fair amount of walking and learned a lot about the history and architecture of the area along the way. I dont think it is worth the full price they are charging, but the Groupon price was perfect and I would do it again if I could snag another deal.
Oh I might rethink that if they added a new location, maybe Pilsen? Andersonville? South Loop? yeah, I'd pay more for a great new location for sure. -
Review from Josh M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/10/2009
Chicago Food Planet's tour of Wicker Park/Bucktown was easily one of the highlights of an 8-day trip I took to Chicago. I had originally planned on participating in the Near North Food Tour. I had read many kudos about the original tour but the newer WP.B route seemed to offer visits to more restaurants (which is my primary area of interest). We visited 6 establishments, sampling a Chicago style hot dog, hot chocolate from a Beard award nominee, a *gasp* New Haven style pizza, falafel and some very uniquely prepared ice cream. We also visited a grocer stocking many locally produced foodstuff (granola from Milk & Honey, Intelligentsia coffee). Between bites we learned about the history of the two neighborhoods as well as the interesting effects of gentrification. Also, insomuch as it is Chicago, we saw some fine architectural details throughout the area.
Our group was made up of locals as well as visitors from neighboring cities and states. There was also one person from Texas and myself whom traveled from NYC. It was a moderately diverse crowd whom all seemed to have a wonderful time and were pleasantly engaged by our charming and informative host Kent. I tend to be the most annoying participant in any tour as I tend to ask a million questions but Kent was certainly gracious, answering all my inquires with expert knowledge and insight.
I have read in other reviews where as proprietors of the venues visited in the other tour do speak with the groups and do think that is something that could bring an added dimension to this tour. Regardless this is still a five star experience. If you are visiting Chicago for even just one day I can wholeheartedly recommend that make one Chicago Food Planet Food Tours part of your itinerary.Listed in: 8 Days In Chicago
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Review from Martin C.
Chicago, IL
6/8/2011
I went on the Wicker Park/Bucktown tour this past Saturday with a friend visiting from Atlanta. I thought this would be good, because it was off the typical tourist track and was more about local color and flavor. My expectations were greatly exceeded! The tour was very enmeshed in the neighborhood, very knowledgeable of the history of the neighborhood, architecture, and the businesses we visited. I really felt like I learned some things about the neighborhood and I've been in Chicago for a few years now. Finally the food was great. We got plenty to eat, and had a wide variety of different flavors (George's, Hot Chocolate - which we went to for brunch the next day we liked it so much, Goddess and Grocer, Sultan Market, Piece, and iCream). All in all a great way to spend an afternoon!
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Review from iddells E.
Chicago, IL
7/15/2009
I loved every bit of this tour!!!
First of all, I loved the price (50% off) thanks to Groupon.
Second, the food was great, well except for the beet salad from The Goddess and the Grocer....I'm not a fan of beets and it tasted like dirt. Anyways, I was so happy when I learned that at our first stop (George's Hot Dogs), we got a full Chicago-style hot dog! I thought that we were going to get a quarter of a hot dog or something. It just set the tone for the whole tour.
Third, our tour guide (sorry, forgot his name) was great! He was quite knowledgable and fun.
Plus, it was a beautiful day!
I learned more about Bucktown/Wicker Park and have a few places that I would like to try out over there. Also, the food tour provides you with coupons from the places that you visited.
I highly recommend this tour. I'd love to do the Near North tour, but only if Groupon offers the discount again.
