A sunny Sunday in Chicago = Vitamin D.
A walking tour of about 1.5 miles over three and a half hours = exercise.
History of Chicago’s Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods = culture.
Seven stops to taste a variety of local Chicago foods and drinks = lunch.
What’s not to like?
On Sunday we signed up at the last minute for the Near North Food Tour given by Chicago Food Planet.
The tour / progressive lunch began at Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizzeria on State Street. After meeting our guide and fellow tour members, we headed inside for the first tasting.
Salad first. Then a slice of deep dish pizza with the thin butter crust. Served up with the history of deep dish pizza in Chicago, and what makes this one so special.
We were ready for a nap. But onward we walked to the next stop, a German tea merchant.
Julie, our tour guide explained the difference in teas, as our Teagschwendner hosts prepared for their part of the presentation. As you can tell, this was a fun and informative tour.
Next we walked about six blocks, through the Gold Coast to the Old Town neighborhood, stopping for sights such as the original Playboy mansion.
Once in Old Town, our first stop was Kamehachi, Chicago’s first Japanese restaurant to serve sushi.
The sushi tasting was excellent.
The ladies room was as impressive as the food.
Next up, a chocolate lesson and a sweet treat at The Fudge Pot.
Just down the street, Old Town Oil offered a unique tasting experience …. a variety of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
We loved the world map on the wall; it would look good on our wall at home.
The Spice House provided a fragrant stop.
We walked north towards Lincoln Park, pausing by the infamous Second City comedy club.
Our last stop at the multicultural Delightful Pastries was sweet and savory. We tasted two different kinds of Polish pierogies and two different French macaroons, which sounds like a bad combination but both were excellent, even at the end of more than three hours of eating.
The tour and online booking fee cost $50 per person, including all of the food and tea at the seven tastings.
Have you taken a food walking tour in Chicago or some other city? We’d like to hear about it. Share your experience in comments below.
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