Chicago Walking Food Tour
(July 4 - July 7, 2008)

Chicago Walking Food Tour

While in Chicago I went along with a friend for a Best of Chicago Food Tour. I will have to admit I thought we would walk between some of the finest Chicago Restaurants and get a little appetizer from each stop. We starved ourselves in anticipation for this walking food tour figuring we will eat a lot. However to our surprise very little food was offered: only small bites. We did however have a full cup of exceptional tea from Tea Gschwendner. The walking tour took us to about 12 locations including Ashkenaz Deli, Old Town Oil, The Spice House, The Fudge Pot, and ended at Bacino's Pizzeria for an awesome Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza. The tour cost about $45 dollars and lasted a couple of hours. In my opinion, I don’t consider spices, and oils in the FOOD category, but most on the tour seemed to enjoy themselves. Once I checked into the website more, the company listed the locations they were planning on touring, so this surprise was partially our fault. The tour walked us through some very nice neighborhoods including Lincoln Park, Old Town, and Gold Coast. The tour leader was very knowledgeable and very personable. The tour ended at Bacino’s Pizzeria for an awesome, never forgetting slice of Chicago Stuffed Pizza. All things considered I would rate the tour a 3.5 out of 5; with the small amounts of food accounting for the lower score. Everything else was great. One last note, in Chicago a lot of parking lots don’t post prices and between parking the car and pickup of the car from an area lot the parking price raised TEN DOLLARS. The lot did not even take credit cards. So I had to go to 3 ATMs before one was working to get more money to get the rental car out of hawk. This pay lot obviously takes advantage of tourist. Walking the streets of Chicago leaves a tourist with a very friendly, small town feel. No panhandlers, car-jackers, rude police officers. A great City!