Tastebud Tour: feeding all of the senses
Each year Chicago’s culinary expertise grows in scope and Chicagoan Lynn F. Jaynes acknowledges this in creating a food tour called Tastebud Tours. Throughout the three-hour walking tour, out-of-towners and locals alike learn about Chicago’s history and get to experience the city’s world famous cuisine first-hand.
With over 10,000 tastebuds in the mouth, the tour tries to satiate salty, sweet and spicy buds with everything from pizza to gumbo. Choosing between either the Loop or Magnificent Mile tour, the gluttoness lunch-time tour begins late morning at one of Pizano’s pizza locations for slices of deep dish and thin crust pizza goodness. Along the way to the restaurants, a tour guide points out significant historical tidbits including St. James Cathedral’s charred steeple from the Great Chicago Fire, how Chicago is the candy capital of the world and that the best view from the Hancock is in the ladies bathroom.
Wandering around Michigan Avenue, snack on gooey brownie morsels at Sarah Pastries in the swanky Gold Coast, peer into the Palm Court of the legendary Drake hotel, then continue south for hot dogs, cheeseburgers and more candy. Each restaurant pre-makes the food so it’s available when the hungry and thirsty group arrives. The tour integrates traditional Chicago hot dogs made from 100 percent Vienna beef wieners and topped with nuclear green relish, onions, tomato, mustard, pickles and celery salt. After scarfing down a dog, the tour ventures into Mardi Gras territory at Heaven on Seven, a Cajun-themed eatery. Tourgoers are treated to mouth-watering dishes of gumbo and small cups of jambalaya and etouffee, indigenous Louisiana delights. Every kind of hot sauce lines the wall including an extremely hot one called Da’ Bomb: The Final Answer and are available for purchase. The final two stops include the subterranean haunt of cheeseburger joint Billy Goat Tavern where the tour guide unfurls the tragic tale of the billy goat Cubs curse and discusses the Saturday Night Live skit that made the establishment famous. Finally, depending on availability, the food adventure ends at either The Purple Pig or Candyality for a taste to satisfy the sweet taste buds, but one thing's for sure, everyone's stuffed to the gills. So, what’s for dinner?
Posted by Garin Pirnia
