Chicago Foodways Tours

Chicago Foodways Tours Savor the City of Neighborhoods on a 3-hour walking, tasting and historical tour of Argyle and Andersonville, two of Chicago's greatest neighborhoods.

Go beyond deep dish pizza, hot dogs and popcorn. Leave Navy Pier, the Bean, and the Magnificent Mile. Hang at the locals’ favorite bakery, that exotic little shop on the corner, and the Prohibition-era speakeasy turned neighborhood watering hole. Join Chicago Foodways Tours for a 3.5 hour trip across the globe, while never leaving the magical city three million people call home.

After 4 years of curating, packaging and shipping cookies for The Great Chicago Cookie Box, I slowed things down this ye...
12/25/2024

After 4 years of curating, packaging and shipping cookies for The Great Chicago Cookie Box, I slowed things down this year and experienced the joy and satisfaction of baking my own cookies once again.
I hope you have a peaceful, joyful holiday.

Finally made it in to try fine dining Cambodian cuisine at Khmai, in their beautiful new space on Sheridan Road in Roger...
12/19/2024

Finally made it in to try fine dining Cambodian cuisine at Khmai, in their beautiful new space on Sheridan Road in Rogers Park, just across from the Loyola campus.
➡️ Grilled skirt steak skewers marinated in spices with a caramelized sugar and peanut crust, served with sticky rice and spicy pickled vegetables. Succulent steak, this may have been my favorite dish.
➡️ 🔥 Papaya salad. We were given a choice of mild, "regular" spicy or Cambodian spicy. Wanting to experience the true cuisine I ordered the Cambodian spicy. WARNING unless you are made of flame retardant, do not get the Cambodian spicy! 🥵
➡️ Special brisket dish made to be a holiday dinner with Khmer flavors. Expertly charred brisket served over lemongrass garlic butter mashed potatoes with asparagus and mushrooms. Another stunner and my other favorite of the evening.
➡️ Grilled whole branzino with palm sugar, Fresno chilis, glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms and crispy shallots. A beautiful presentation.
➡️ Silky lychee mousse with fresh berries was a perfect ending recommendation from our server.
➡️The gorgeous mural covering the south interior wall.
A flavorful experience! I'm looking to try their more casual sister restaurant Kaun Khmai (next door) but thecfine dining was an appreciated holiday treat.

💚🤍❤️These very sunny photos channel the warmth and sunshine of Mexico radiating through the flavors of Manchamentales i...
12/07/2024

💚🤍❤️These very sunny photos channel the warmth and sunshine of Mexico radiating through the flavors of Manchamentales in Bucktown.
😋The restaurant had been on my radar since its opening in 2023 when I leard that Mole Master, Geno Bahena, had opened a new restaurant with a large menu of authentic regional Mexican dishes served at very reasonable prices. We are spoiled in Chicago with the best Mexican food in the country and Manchamentales could be Exhibit A.
➡️ Sopes Surtido "Xilonen" - Corn masa boats generously filled with chicken in red mole, plantain with sour cream and queso fresco, black beans with homemade chorizo, and guacamole.
➡️ Pulpo all Mojo de Ajo - grilled octopus infused with red chile, sweet and tangy roasted garlic, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, and served with a side of guacamole.
➡️ Cochinita Pibil - famous Yucatàn dish of pork shoulder marinated in achiote, baked slowly in banana leaves with pickled onions, black beans. & spicy habanero sauce.
➡️ Pollo in Mole Negro - perfectly cooked chicken breast served in a classic Oaxacan mole featuring rare chilhuacle chiles and 28 other ingredients (!)
➡️ Volteado de Piña - warm, upside down pineapple cake with vanilla ice cream, berries, and brown caramel sauce. 🍍♥️ I'll almost always pick savory food over dessert, and the savory dishes are incredible here but pineapple upside cake is my favorite and this is THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD! 🍍🍰🏆
🇲🇽 If you are craving Mexican food but also looking for something out of the ordinary, this is the place for you!

It's Small Business Saturday and I'm giving love to the small businesses that make Chicago Foodways Tours happen. 🇸🇪 Tod...
11/30/2024

It's Small Business Saturday and I'm giving love to the small businesses that make Chicago Foodways Tours happen. 🇸🇪 Today, meet Karin Moen Abercrombie, the Executive Director and unstoppable powerhouse of the Swedish American Museum in Andersonville.
I have so much admiration for Karin. Not only does she oversee the day to day workings of the museum, a full calendar of fun, interesting events, and a schedule of volunteers, but her vision, passion and leadership has brought even more energy to the museum with an updated main exhibit and...drumroll 🥁...a cafe serving cinnamon rolls, cardamom buns, Swedish cookies and my favorite, Mazarin tarts, among other specialties. This place is hopping!
🇸🇪

Yep. It was as good as it looks. Earlier this fall, I had an invitation to conduct a pizza taste off at a law firm downt...
11/30/2024

Yep. It was as good as it looks. Earlier this fall, I had an invitation to conduct a pizza taste off at a law firm downtown. To help narrow the choices, we went with the theme of Detroit-style vs. Chicago Deep Dish. Because of the event timing, I could not bring Paulie Gee's, but afterwards, we knew we had to try it.
🍕🏆 Yes, there is a US Pizza Cup and yes, this was the winner. No, I don't dispute it.
You'll find it on the Logan Square menu as US Pizza Cup winner: Sharp White Cheddar, Mozz, Ezzo Pepperoni Cups, Housemade Bacon Jam, Red Sauce, Ricotta, Basil, Mike’s Hot Honey.
You're welcome.

Continuing my tribute to the small businesses that have welcomed Chicago Foodways Tours over the years. If you are in th...
11/29/2024

Continuing my tribute to the small businesses that have welcomed Chicago Foodways Tours over the years. If you are in the know about where to dine on Argyle Street, you know this man, Tuong Nguyen, of Nha Hang Vietnam.
Tuong opened the restaurant with his wife B**h in 2012. Together the two have built it into the go-to spot for families gathering for a Sunday meal as well as locals looking for a steaming bowl of pho served with a warm welcome.
My groups have been enjoying Nha Hang Vietnam since 2017, when listening to guest feedback, I started diving deeper into the delicious food and culture of Argyle Street's Southeast Asian community. When I survey guests about their favorite foods, the Lotus Root Salad here often comes up as the winner.

From our home to yours... Happy Thanksgiving! ♥️🦃🥧🍂
11/28/2024

From our home to yours... Happy Thanksgiving! ♥️🦃🥧🍂

As we approach Small Business Saturday, I'm giving a shout out and huge THANK YOU to some of the many small businesses C...
11/26/2024

As we approach Small Business Saturday, I'm giving a shout out and huge THANK YOU to some of the many small businesses Chicago Foodways Tours is proud to feature on our food and culture walking tours.
🏆 First up is Hisham Khalifeh, the owner of Middle East Bakery & Grocery in Andersonville. I often tell my tour groups that MEB is one of the reasons I started a neighborhood food tour. I love this place so much, I needed to share it with others. Hisham and his team have been trusted partners since Day 1 in 2014.
🧆🥙 Even more so, in the twenty odd years I have lived on Chicago's Far North Side, the folks at MEB have become family. Hisham founded the business in 1981 because he couldn't find the natural, unprocessed foods and the flavors of his native Jerusalem. As families were settling in the area from Lebanon, Iran and Turkey, Hisham converted an empty, formerly Swedish bakery to start producing pita, or khubz, flatbreads, hand pies, meze items including the creamiest hummus in Chicago and falafel. OMG, you guys...you have to try this falafel!
Today Middle East Bakery is an Andersonville institution and the anchor of the bustling Clark and Foster intersection. Stop for a bite, but also consider them for a source of unique, tasty holiday gifts and host gifts.
♥️ I am grateful for all of the enthusiasm and support Hisham and his family have shown to me and my guests through the years.

🍳🥓MY PERSONAL BREAKFAST RULES:1) If there's a cultural item on the menu that you haven't tried before, order it (a gener...
11/24/2024

🍳🥓MY PERSONAL BREAKFAST RULES:
1) If there's a cultural item on the menu that you haven't tried before, order it (a general dining rule, really)
2) Despite a long list of sweet, delicious looking pancakes and French toast options, always go savory unless in violation of Rule #1.
🇪🇨These rules once again served me well at Savanna, a mini-chain of pancake houses with an Ecuadorian influence. We stopped in at the West Ridge location at Lincoln and Bryn Mawr.
🥔 Llapingachos, heavenly golden cakes of fried mashed potatoes topped with chipotle aioli and pico de Gallo. (You can get them as a base for Eggs Benedict !)
🌽 Mote Pillo: Ecuadorian style hominy scrambled with eggs, bacon, onions, cilantro achiote oil. Covered with queso fresco, pico de gallo and avocado.
🍳🥓With a very full menu of items like Eggs Benedict samplers, chilaquiles and other Mexican breakfast items plus a whole bunch of skillets, I know I will be back soon and likely often!

A tribute and hopefully temporary farewell to one of our Uptown neighbors . One of the coolest stops featured on the Gl...
11/23/2024

A tribute and hopefully temporary farewell to one of our Uptown neighbors . One of the coolest stops featured on the Global Street Foods of Uptown tour was not even advertised on the itinerary. Many guests were blown away by a surprise stop into Jim's mosaic studio and gallery. They either got to meet the guy they heard about in a national news segment, or they were surprised to learn that there actually is a guy who became famous by filling potholes with fine art mosaics.
We know we'll see your work around the city, Jim, but we'll miss those studio visits. Good luck with the next chapter. Check out th bachor web site for special closing deals and by all means follow his awesome Instagram account!

🇹🇭 Behold the Phat Dog, a Thailand meets Chicago creation of a Vienna Beef Dog topped with Tom Yum Mayo, marinated beef,...
11/10/2024

🇹🇭 Behold the Phat Dog, a Thailand meets Chicago creation of a Vienna Beef Dog topped with Tom Yum Mayo, marinated beef, shrimp and green onions. Kanlaya is a super cute new pocket Thai restaurant on Western Avenue, just south of the Lawrence intersection in Lincoln Square.
🥜🥥🌴🍜🌶️🍋‍🟩🍤
Say hello to owner Bella and try some of her creative cuisine!

🍁🍂🍎Another happy Saigon to Stockholm Food Tour spent with fun and interesting guests. I'm having too much fun to stop!🗓️...
11/03/2024

🍁🍂🍎Another happy Saigon to Stockholm Food Tour spent with fun and interesting guests. I'm having too much fun to stop!
🗓️ I added more dates for late November and early December. Plus, my 2025 schedule is now online .com

🇵🇷 If you're loving on Puerto Rico right now, go get some Puerto Rican food. Estaciòn in Evanston is a 1+ year old resta...
11/02/2024

🇵🇷 If you're loving on Puerto Rico right now, go get some Puerto Rican food. Estaciòn in Evanston is a 1+ year old restaurant that has been playing it cool, serving the local clientele, but it's too good not to talk about! The menu features higher end but affordable Puerto Rican inspired dishes with great cocktails served in a cozy atmosphere.
1️⃣ Crab salad on tostones - my favorite
2️⃣ Bacalà fritter
3️⃣ Sancocho, tender beef stew
4️⃣ Skirt steak with chimichurri
Estaciòn is located on the Evanston side of Howard Street and is a sister restaurant of the wonderful Libertad Skokie.

I had a very cool full-circle experience with two sisters who spent their childhood in Uptown before moving out of Chica...
10/30/2024

I had a very cool full-circle experience with two sisters who spent their childhood in Uptown before moving out of Chicago more than 40 years ago, and the son of one of the sisters who is a new-ish resident of Andersonville. 🎟️They remembered going to double features at the Uptown Theatre but had moved away before Argyle was ever known as New Chinatown or Little Saigon. 🏮Thanks for joining me on the Saigon to Stockholm Food Tour!

*NEW TOUR STOP ALERT* It was so sad to say goodbye to 016 Restaurant at the beginning of the month. 😥 I will miss the Ch...
10/21/2024

*NEW TOUR STOP ALERT* It was so sad to say goodbye to 016 Restaurant at the beginning of the month. 😥 I will miss the Chi-Vap and the Lincoln Square Muffaletta, but even more so, the warm hospitality my groups always received there.
🇧🇦As one door closes another opens. I had been curious about Coffee Slasticarna Drina, a Bosnian cafe and bakery, for a long time. I still wanted to keep some delicious Balkan food on the menu for the Lincoln Square: West Meets East Food Tour. Folks...this borek is perfection! Light, fluffy and crispy all at once with a creamy cheese filling with just the right amount of sour notes. The beef chevapi have a great smoky grilled flavor. Needless to say, both items were a hit with my guests this weekend.
☕🥮 Coffee Slasticarna Drina is in the little strip mall on Lawrence Ave across from the Lincoln Square post office. The owner is warm, welcoming and rightly proud of her food and her bright, clean restaurant.

Some of the lovely people I got to hang out with so far so far this fall. The best part? Three photos contain returning ...
10/16/2024

Some of the lovely people I got to hang out with so far so far this fall. The best part? Three photos contain returning guests and three more contain guests who were referred by previous guests. It means the world to me that you enjoy these food tour experiences. I know I enjoy giving them! ❤️😊

Comforting fall scenes from last week's Apple Fest in Lincoln Square. While Oktoberfest and Apple Fest may be over, fall...
10/12/2024

Comforting fall scenes from last week's Apple Fest in Lincoln Square. While Oktoberfest and Apple Fest may be over, fall is the perfect season to check out this cute and cozy neighborhood. Join me on any Saturday through Thanksgiving. It will be delicious!

Smiling faces, happy places. Thanks to the many guests who have taken a Chicago Foodways tour this summer! We're still r...
10/06/2024

Smiling faces, happy places. Thanks to the many guests who have taken a Chicago Foodways tour this summer! We're still rolling for Fall!

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Chicago, IL
60640

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Monday 12am - 11:59pm
Tuesday 12am - 11:59pm
Wednesday 12am - 11:59pm
Thursday 12am - 11:59pm
Friday 12am - 11:59pm
Saturday 12am - 11:59pm
Sunday 12am - 11:59pm

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