| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
 |
Fun Time off the Magnificent Mile |
| |
Thu, Apr 12, 07 11:00 AM |
KAM_HUGHES |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
I have visited Chicago many times before and pretty much stayed on the Magnificent Mile or took the bus tours around the city. What I loved about the Chicago Food Tasting and Cultural Tour was that the tour was personalized and expanded my knowledge of Chicago. The tour guide, Shane, took the group on a two mile tour throughout four nearby neighborhoods. We stopped at seven different food venues, ranging from spices to chocolate to pizza, and had small tastings; he also provided information about the neighborhoods and architecture. I thought the tour wasfun, educational not only in foods, but in Chicago history, and of course, it was quite tasty! |
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really fun; knowldegable and fun guide |
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Wed, Apr 11, 07 11:00 AM |
BettyRepa |
Female |
60-69 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
Despite horrendous weather (snow and rain and downed power lines!)), our small group of a brave five of us in total had a good time, with a nice variety of tasting stops (warn people that there truly is NO need to eat lunch afterwards!), and interesting comments about the different areas of Chicago.
If possible, more on the architectural variety would have been an added plus. |
|
Great tour |
| |
Tue, Apr 10, 07 11:00 AM |
kmackintosh |
Female |
30-39 |
International Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| |
Shane gives a great food tour, with interesting history and cultural tid-bits scattered throughout.. Every tummy leaves full and satisfied. |
|
fun, educational, and enjoyable |
| |
Sat, Apr 7, 07 11:00 AM |
wiebfam5 |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
My husband and I took just took part in Chicago Food Planet's first walking tour of the year, and even though it was very cold, our guide Shane made it very fun and interesting. We have raved about it to our friends and family and encourage all who are thinking about doing the tour to try it - you won't be disappointed! |
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Excellent tour! Completely Satisfied! |
| |
Sat, Apr 7, 07 11:00 AM |
radickte |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| |
Exceptional food and leadership! Shane, our guide, was entertaining, personable, and full of knowledge! We earned interesting facts about the city and its neighborhoods. The brochure was an accurate description of the tour. It took 3 hours and there was plenty of food for everyone. Our group was made up of couples and families from young adult and up - a nice diverse group to talk with. With all of the walking, though, it did leave us still wanting a little more food and a drink afterward. (If there were anything to add to the tour, it would be a wine tasting stop.)
Each food stop was unique and left you wanting to return. These were places that we probably have walked past before, but never stopped in. We left with a page of coupons to use through December, which is wonderful because we honestly were too tired to return to any of the stops that same day (except the one we ended at). You may want to bring a bottle of water, otherwise, you have to be quick to purchase one at one of the stops.
We would highly recommend the tour to others! We would go on the tour ourselves again in the future if the food stops and neighborhoods were different. My only suggestion is If there were any way you could expand to some sort of trolley or small bus tour for people who are unable to do the walking, that would be excellent! I have family members who would thoroughly enjoy this tour and it is in their price range of things to do in Chicago. However, they would not be able to participate due to the amount of walking.
Great experience! It won't be forgotten. |
|
Great Food & Fun Facts |
| |
Sat, Apr 7, 07 11:00 AM |
schugirlie |
Female |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| |
The tour was even better than expected, we learned a lot about the food that we were tasting and about Chicago. I have already told many friends about it and will continue to spread the word. It's a great event to do while in Chicago. |
 |
Food tour is interesting, but not Chicago-specific |
| |
Sat, Apr 7, 07 11:00 AM |
hagia00 |
Female |
20-29 |
Local |
Family Without Children |
| |
Having lived in Chicago for several years, I decided to try out this tour with my dad on his recent visit. I'm always looking for new ways to show guests the city. I have good and not good things to say about the experience.
Pros:
The guide is very friendly and excited about the places he's taking you to. He has a great rapport with the owners of the stores/restaurants and also with the tour group.
The owners of the establishments are incredibly kind and patient with the tour and create a very welcoming and behind-the-scenes feel to the experience.
Cons:
The places on this tour don't have much to do with Chicago. They are all locally owned and operated, which is great, but they don't really have anything that specifically feels like Chicago-style food.
The food pieces really are samples (whereas on the NYC food tours, very generously portions are always distributed).
There is a lot of walking on this tour, which is great when the weather is nice but chilly when it's not. Be sure to plan accordingly.
Seven places are visited within a 3.5 hour time period (for about 10 minutes each), and no visits are made to places other than the sampling locales. The rest of the tour time is spent walking through neighborhoods. Bathroom breaks are scarce and bottled water is additional.
The tour ends in a very different spot than where it originates, which means making your own cab, bus, or el transportation arrangements back to the beginning.
All in all, this tour has a lot of potential. I know we were one of the first groups for this season and I'm sure a few kinks will be worked out along the way. But if anyone is looking for an experience similar to the NYC food tours, this will be a disappointment. |
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Sat, Apr 7, 07 11:00 AM |
nnussenb |
Female |
20-29 |
Combination |
Couple on a Date |
| |
|
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Wonderful way to spend a Saturday in Chicago! |
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Sat, Oct 28, 06 11:00 AM |
cmclaughlin |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| |
Shane was a wonderful tour guide. The tour was very well balanced. The business and restaurant stops were outstanding! There was not one that I would eliminate. If you are from Chicago, you will find some real treasures to put on your "visit again" list. |
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What fun! |
| |
Sat, Oct 28, 06 11:00 AM |
kathyham5 |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| |
Our guide was great! We found shops and restaurants we hadn't known about, but will definitely return to; and it's just so interesting to check out the architecture in nieighborhoods we seldom visit. |
