| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
Something for everyone
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| Sun, Nov 8 11:30 AM |
dora447 |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Other |
| Our enthusiastic tour guide was interesting and informative...she worked very hard to engage everyone in our diverse group...the food science and architectural info added a welcome dimension to the tour...Suggestion: the Jewish deli would have been better if we had sampled items such as knishes, blintzes, etc. rather than the Reuben sandwich (which wasn't anything special). |
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Loved the tour!
|
| Sun, Nov 8 11:00 AM |
PattiN |
Female |
40-49 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| Our tour guide Jesse was awesome! We had a great time! I highly recommend this event. |
|
|
An absolutely fantastic experience
|
| Sun, Nov 8 11:00 AM |
ValerieNE |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| I have raved nonstop about this tour since we took it. Jessie, our guide, was knowledgeable and personable. She did an excellent job. Obviously the food was a highlight, but we also enjoyed learning more about Chicago's history and architecture. We particularly appreciated the opportunity to meander through some of the neighborhoods and get a more intimate experience of the city. I found myself taking pictures like crazy and making plans to retrace my steps to grab some shots I missed.
The merchants at the various stops were extremely helpful and patient. Nearly everyone in our group thought the oil shop was a favorite, and the staff gave us great suggestions for oil/vinegar combinations to try. I also appreciated learning about the teas and spices. And who didn’t love the huge slabs of chocolate-covered toffee?
Because of scheduling issues, we had to leave as soon as the tour was done. This was a big disappointment because we wanted to purchase items from the stores and restaurants we visited. Fortunately, we are planning another trip to Chicago next month, and we will make a beeline for these merchants. Family and friends will be thrilled to find unique and tasty gifts from us this holiday season.
We are from Michigan and we went on this tour with friends from Nebraska. We plan on making a trip to meet in Chicago an annual tradition, and a Chicago Food Planet tour will definitely be on our itinerary. |
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Highly Recommended!!!
|
| Sat, Nov 7 1:00 PM |
gmandres |
Male |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| My wife and I spent last weekend celebrating our birthdays and anniversary in Chicago--the Near North tour was definitely the highlight of our trip. The variety of establishments along the tour was fitting for two self-proclaimed "foodies" who prefer cooking over dining; we found extraordinary ingredients to bring home and use in our everyday dishes. My wife was thrilled to find za'atar spice at The Spice House (and I was thrilled to enjoy it on naan with her rendition of hummus from Catering/Chocolate). Our tour guide Shane was excellent--very knowledgable and entertaining. The architectural history included in the tour was unsuspected but certainly embraced. We look forward to returning to Chicago in the near future--the Bucktown/Wicker Park tour will definitely be at the top of our itinerary. |
|
interesting afternoon
|
| Sat, Nov 7 1:00 PM |
jackieal |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| the food tour was a nice combination of walking, food tasting and interesting facts about the local architecture. i wouldn't say any of the food was authentic "chicago" food, but i learned something about the food at each stop. all in all it was a very pleasant way to spend a beautiful fall afternoon. |
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Loved it!
|
| Sat, Nov 7 12:30 PM |
tbunner |
Male |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| Great food, great guide, lots of information. All the restaurants/stores were awesome. I want to go on their other tour. |
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Old Town Local Definately Recommends
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| Sat, Nov 7 12:30 PM |
kevjohns |
Male |
30-39 |
Local |
Couple on a Date |
| The tour passes by my condo everyday. I signed us up to take advantage of the nice November weather just to get out and about.
I was amazed by the knowledge and new places I pass every day but had no idea. Not sure how I have missed the Deli for the 8 years I have lived 3 blocks away. I will be there weekly.
I would recommend this tour for both Locals and Tourists |
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|
Caroline was great
|
| Sat, Nov 7 12:00 PM |
Reandeau |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| My husband and I and another couple friend participated in the Near North Food and Cultural Tour on November 7 (to celebrate my birthday). We had a great time, and our docent, Caroline was awesome. She clearly loves doing this and for only living in Chicago a short time, she is very knowledgeable on Chicago history and architecture.
My only complaint is that in the advertisement for the tour it mentions bringing along extra money to buy items from the various stops (for example, the Spice House, Old Towne Oil). At the beginning of the tour, Caroline requested that we didn't do any shopping since our group was too large and if everyone shopped then the tour wouldn't stay on schedule. My friend and I did end up buying a few things at The Spice House and Old Town Oil because we don't live in the Chicago area and we were not going to have time to go back to those locations when the tour ended.
My recommendation is to limit the number of participants so that people can shop. I know there were several in our group who wanted to shop and didn't b/c of Carolines, request. We shopped quickly, but would have liked more time. |
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Save your money.
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| Sat, Nov 7 12:00 PM |
terich5 |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| I was disappointed in the tour. It was a lot of walking and not much eating. I thought we would be eating something at every place. One place was a spice place and you could taste the spices but to me that is not eating. There was an oil/vinegar place where we again got to taste but that is not eating. If we wanted anything to drink you had to purchase it along the way. We paid $42 for the tour and still had to go eat after because we were still hungry. There was also no time for a bathroom break until 2 hours into the trip.
You could improve the tour by doing the following: giving an echo friendly bag at the beginning of the tour with a bottle of water and coupons to the tour stops; allowing purchases at the stops (I don't see how the businesses are benefiting if we cannot make purchases); at the spice and oil stores give away a small sample for us to take home; and a little less stopping to talk about the architecture. |
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Great fun!
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| Sat, Nov 7 11:30 AM |
fourzogs |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| All the stops were good but the catering chocolate shop was our least favorite. |
