Chicago Food Planet Food Tours

Some friends and I were looking for something a little different to try in the city and were all very pleased with the Near North Food Tasting tour. The tour guide was very enthusiastic and seemed genuinly excited to introduce us to the little gems we visited. We also enjoyed the non-food related neighborhood and Chicago history that she threw in along the way. The pace of the tour was great, not too fast or too slow. We are already talking about signing up for another tour!

My parents were in town from Ohio and we all enjoyed the history and food very much. Even though I have lived in Chicago for seven years, I was able to learn a lot!

Even after living in the area many years, Rebecca still taught us new things about the area. All the locations visited were top notch. Additionally, the tour gave us an opprtunity to see the neighborhoods from a different perspective than we'd normally have while driving or riding in a bus or taxi. Who doesn't like to see those gardens and look in people's windows.

I found the tour information online, and asked my boyfriend to go with me. We both love to try different foods and thought the information about Chicago on the tour would be something we would enjoy. The tour guide was energetic and a lot of fun. The website says that you will be satisfied with the amount of food you get, but I was surprised at how much food you actually get. There are a few really interesting places you go to. I would recommend this tour to everyone.

Loved the tour and general info provied. Our guide was wonderful! She definitely helped make it more interesting for sure! Also I understand the no time for shopping rule - but it makes it very difficult to go back to some of the spots, so maybe cut down the stops and allow 5-10 min for shopping if possible?

We were worried about the weather, but luck was with us. It stopped raining and the sun shone. Our guide, Gina, was great and assured us that it never rains on her tours! Gina kept things moving along with interesting anecdotes about the neighborhood and the featured restaurants. We liked all the food and it was more than enough. We also liked the fact that we were patronizing local independent businesses. Although we all have lived in the Chicago area for years, we never ventured out of the downtown area. I highly recommend this tour to "locals" and tourists alike.

Everyone in the group really enjoyed the tour and all the food tasting. What a great mix of experiencing the neighborhood and enjoying delicious food. A couple of suggestions are: that the group felt a little rushed at each location and also, it would have been nice to have a drink available at the hot dog place as it included hot peppers on the hot dogs, water provided would have been sufficient. Overall a great experience!!

The Near North Food Tasting Walking Tour was a really nice time. It is a great way to experience the city, learn about the area, and taste some local food. I've lived in the city for a while and have walked by the stores on numerous occassions and never went in... now I'll stop in for some delicious treats. It was the perfect activity for an afternoon to show out of town friends around the city. Recommend!

I have done both the Near North and the Wicker Park tour and loved them both. The food tours are great ways to entertain out-of-town guests and also just for a fun weekend activity for locals. You get quite a bit of food from establishments you may not have visited otherwise plus a history lesson of Chicago. I highly recommend this to all groups!

Our tour was led by Kent, a non native of Chicago, who has an excellent knowledge of the area (Wicker Park/Bucktown). An great mix of food, walking, history and culture that all will enjoy. A well designed follow up to the downtown tour that we took last year. Between the Chicago style hot dogs, thin crust pizza, chocolate, ice cream and other delectable bites everyone left with full stomachs and a desire to return.

My parents came in to Chicago for a visit. This was their first time here...I wasn't able to make the tour with them, but they raved about it so much I feel like I have to go on it now! They went back to the tea stop on the tour and easily spent $50 on tea and various other goods... They also noted that the tour guide was great! Their knowledge of Chicago and the history made the experience for my parents. Their direct comment was "you could tell she "tour guide" was passionate and love her job." Thank you! This will now be a staple on my agenda for when family and friends visit Chicago. Regards, Kirk Wilcox

The tour started at Rush & Oak streets - wandering through Old Town and ended just northwest of Lincoln Park hitting some great culinary spots along the way - not necessarily the well worn, but unusual spots that many locals don't know about. Our guide was very well versed in the community and history as well as the various spots we stopped to knosh. The three hour tour covered roughly 2 miles at a leisurely pace without rushing through the various establishments. Highly recommended as a great change of pace from the usual tour of the usual spots.

Ariana was a great tour leader, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. This was my second time on the tour and enjoyed it just as much. Would like to see more tours of different neighborhoods. Keep up the great work!

First . . I made reservations for a second Food Tour with my daughter next month. That's how great this walking tour was. It's not Taste of Chicago. It is all about learning local history, neighborhoods, where your food comes from, samples of ethnic food and the history of the businesses who create it. Don't be turned off by the distance you walk. You're so involved that time and sidewalks fly by.

I have been on both walking/food tours and they offer an excellent way to see the city and enjoy all the diverse food Chicago has to offer. On both tours, my husband and I took family from out of town and they reported it was their favorite part of their trip to Chicago!