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Our happy clients include corporate meetings, gourmet clubs, active senior groups, family reunions, and community fundraisers. Plan your perfect private experience with us!
Quick Details
Discover Argyle & Andersonville, two of Chicago’s best neighborhoods, on one tour!
Enjoy foods from Vietnam, the Middle East, and Sweden.
- Experience Asia on Argyle. Chicago’s ‘other’ Chinatown is now home to the city’s Southeast Asian community.
- Taste different aspects of Vietnamese cuisine as it changed through colonization.
- Time travel through a century’s worth of immigrant stories at The Roots of Argyle mural.
- Discover a forgotten silent film studio and hear why Hollywood’s biggest star turned his back on Chicago.
- Explore the spice routes of the Middle East with a guided spice tasting.
- Celebrate the vibrant, welcoming culture the Swedes brought to Andersonville.
- Find that perfect treasure or souvenir as you pass through the ‘Shop Local Capital of Chicago.’
- Taste the apple pie that made Food & Wine’s list of Best in America.
WHAT TO EXPECT
During our one and a quarter-mile walk, we’ll make two stops at Vietnamese restaurants in the Argyle neighborhood, then take a short walk to Andersonville for a spice tasting in a dazzling Middle Eastern market. Then we pop into the Swedish American Museum before finishing with a short walk to a cozy pie shop.
The tour ends at 5357 N. Ashland Avenue, just shy of one mile from the starting point. Please consider the extra activity when determining if this tour is right for your group. Public transportation is available to return to the starting point.
A great mix of cultures from authentic family businesses
- Nha Hang Viet Nam: This is the hole-in-the-wall restaurant that your friends will thank you for finding. Simply the best Vietnamese food in Chicago.
- Ba Le Sandwich Shop: Chicago’s first and favorite banh mi shop has won many Michelin and Zagat awards.
- T’oui Macaron: Enter a wonderland of French-inflected pastries and sample the goods.
- Swedish American Museum: Find that perfect souvenir in the cutest Swedish gift shop while you sample smörgåsbord staples.
- Middle East Bakery & Grocery: This Andersonville institution has been serving up the freshest pita and hummus since 1981. Browse their great grocery selection as you taste.
- First Slice Pie Cafe: This cozy non-profit eatery makes a sweet end to a fun adventure.
WHERE TO MEET
Your guide will greet you inside of Nha Hang Viet Nam, 1032 W. Argyle Street, just 2 blocks east of the Argyle Red Line stop.
Parking
- Parking lot at 5017 N. Winthrop $6 for 12 hrs thru ParkWhiz or SpotHero (recommended).
- Free side street parking is usually available on Winnemac, Carmen or Winona streets just west of Broadway Avenue. Allow 15 minutes to find street parking.
- Metered parking: only recommended with ParkChicago app, due to time limits.
Public transportation.
CTA/Train: Red Line to Argyle stop.
Rideshare
- First-time Lyft users receive a $5 credit when using CHICAGOFOODWAYS referral code.
Public Transportation
- CTA/Train: Red Line to Argyle stop
FAQ
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Parking is available at each tour’s starting location. After you purchase tickets, you’ll receive an email with parking recommendations.
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We welcome children on our Chicago Foodways Tours; we do not recommend a tour for most. Keep in mind that there is a lot of standing involved and children may not be as interested in historical facts. The tasting samples are designed to give participants an authentic taste of the cuisine, ranging from basic to somewhat exotic. There will be no substitutions available for children’s tastes. If your child has a true interest in cuisine and history, by all means, please bring him/her along. Note that the ticket price remains the same if the child will be taking part in tastings. Infants and children in strollers are welcome at no charge.
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You will be asked upon booking for any food allergies or sensitivities. We take your comfort and safety seriously and will make every effort to meet your needs, or to alert you if we cannot. As we strive to provide an authentic cultural experience we do not recommend our tours for those on gluten-free and vegan diets.
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Yes, restrooms are available during the tour at most, if not all food-tasting locations. In addition, hand wipes and sanitizer are available to all guests at each tasting.
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The tours are held rain, shine, or snow. We provide ponchos in case of sudden weather changes or if you do not have your own umbrella. However, we advise you to check the weather conditions for your day’s event and dress appropriately. Keep in mind for springtime and early summer tours, that it can be up to 20 degrees cooler near Lake Michigan where our Saigon to Stockholm tour is located.