Join KitchenArt for a tasty day in the City of Chicago. This tour will leave from the KitchenArt parking lot at 7:45am (please park at the east end of our parking lot so as to allow ample parking for the other businesses in the center—a KitchenArt associate will direct you). Our climate-controlled motor coach (with restroom facilities) will whisk us on our way to the Windy City. Coffee and pastries will be provided.
Our day in Chicago is cram-packed with delicious activities. Our senses will be inundated with a plethora of sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the ethnic neighborhood market areas. We will begin our day at a historical Chicago fish market—the one that supplies most of Chicago’s fine restaurants. Here you will be able to choose from a myriad of different species of fish and shellfish (bring a large cooler and ice if you plan on purchasing seafood). Then we’re off to Devon Avenue and the Indian and Pakistani meat markets, spice emporiums, and bakeries. Here you’ll be dazzled by the array of spices, vats of Indian snacks, and the beauty of traditional saris. Next, we’ll stop in Old Town. We will visit the ever-popular Spice House (a specialty herb and spice shop) and Treasure Island Supermarket (a Chicago landmark grocery store). Our final stop of the day will be Eataly Chicago. This gourmet food wonderland (backed by Chef Mario Batali) offers an innovative Italian food and beverage experience that includes an extensive Italian food market and over 23 boutique eateries. Lunch will be on your own, either early in the day along Devon Avenue, or later at Eataly—of course you are welcomed and encouraged to eat your way through the entire trip, and if anyone can resist purchasing the seafood, sausages, cheeses, breads, baked goods, pastas, spices, gourmet items, and spirits that will be available, I will be surprised.
Portions of this tour require walking, so make sure that you wear comfortable shoes. If you wish to purchase items, we strongly suggest that you bring a cooler (a large-sized one is fine) and ice to hold and protect your treasures. This tour is subject to change! We apologize, but for logistical reasons, we cannot make intermediate stops to pick up or drop off tour participants. As traffic conditions are beyond our control (especially with the current road construction projects around the city of Chicago), the return time is an approximation.