Near North Food Tasting & Cultural Walking Tour

Jessie, our tour guide, was enthusiastic and fun. She filled the tour with facts we never could have found on our own. We ended up in establishments we never would have visited, but are so glad we experienced! Our favorite stop was the oil store, where we got to taste different high-quality oils and vinegars. The tea shop was awesome, and the pizza at the last tasting was to die for! We ended up doing the tour on our own in reverse after the official tour ended, just to visit the stores again and make purchases. Fabulous, fabulous tour-- we really felt it was worth the money, and it exceeded our expectations.

My fiance and I were looking for a neat, cultural activity that involved good food, and this fit the bill perfectly. Although the price intially seemed a little bit high at $42 per person, it was definitely worth it. The tour ended up taking nearly four hours, and the food tastings were generally very good. I loved the information and background that was provided about the neighborhoods we visited, especially since we are contemplating a move to Chicago at some point in the future. It was a great springboard for us to start planning and further exploring the neighborhoods of Chicago. The guide was very informative and enthusiastic, as well as available for more mundane questions about living in Chicago. The only negative complaints I have are the size of the tastings at a few of the stops. The Spice House, while certainly a great stop, did not offer much in the way of tasting. It would have been nice to have something more substantial than a few powders to taste. Similarly, at Catering Chocolate, I found the tasting to be rather minimal and boring--just gouda cheese and some hummus. That definitely could have been better. However, despite those relativel minor disappointments, the other stops were absolutely wonderful. I would definitely recommend this activity to anyone going to Chicago and looking for a foodie adventure.

First of all, she (suddenly I don't recall her name... sorry...) was very nice and kind. One of the top guide I ever met. (Worldwide) 1. I hope to see a few more restaurants b/w the pizza place and the chocolate catering shop. To develop this tour into the top level you need to associate with more top restaurants. Please don't afraid of increasing the ticket price, the customer should be willing to pay more money if it is worth it. 2. If you prepare any food samples for the oil shop and the spicy shop, that would be very nice. Since people really loved the oil shop, it would be perfect if there is any food with the balsamic/oil. Generally it was very good. I think it will be the best Chicago tour if you add above two factors into your original system. Thanks.

Fun..Gave me energy...I was high the rest of the day...The tour guide made it especially up-beat...

We took this tour for my mom's 50th Birthday. She loved it - she said it was the best birthday present that she has ever received. We had Nikki as our tour guide and she was fantastic - very knowledgeable and fun!

My husband and I enjoyed the walk as well as the unique food stops along the way. Our tour guide was very knowledgable in the history of Chicago and shared her own architectural expertise as we explored the Gold Coast, Old Town, and Lincoln Park. Wonderful tour to do if you want to explore Chicago!

Did the Bucktown tour a few weeks earlier....... Both tours were good, and felt the Bucktown was the best of the two. Both guides excellent, but there was more food on the Bucktown.

Excellent tour, we would definitely recommend to anyone either from the area or not. We are looking forward to doing the other tour in the near future.

This was a great way to see the city and hear bits about food, architecture, and the character of the neighborhoods we were walking through. I'd say my least favorite stop was Catering/Chocolate - nothing special there at all. The other stops were a lot of fun, especially Old Town Oil and the Spice Shop, and the pizza place was a perfect way to end the tour. Our tour guide was so enthusiastic and you could tell that she really loved her city. Good way to get to know the city. A bit more local color would be nice - Italian beef, Chicago hot dogs, etc, but my husband and I really enjoyed ourselves.

We were somewhat disappointed with the tour. It's a great concept, however, there is room for improvement. The last 2 stops are a waste of time! The catering place was boring (and the owner couldn't so much as to lift his head to say "hello" and welcome us to the store). Who needs to go there??? Just some overpriced prepared foods. The last stop, which was WAY too far from the rest of the tour, was some of the WORST pizza we've ever had! Come on now, a low-moisture mozzarella, spinach pizza with a crappy crust was CERTAINLY NOT what you'd expect to get when you think of a Chicago pizza! Plus, it's way TOO FAR of a walk. They should pick another pizza place in Old Town or take you back towards the Near North area where the tour begins. They need to drop these last 2 stops and let you have 15 minutes to shop at each stop. They get you geeked up about the store and their products and then you are rushed off to the next stop. As I said, good concept, however there is definite room for improvement.