Review: Sidewalk Food Tour of Chicago, River North

If it’s one thing my boyfriend knows how to do, it’s plan a good date! I wish I could take credit for finding this culinary tour around Chicago’s River North neighborhood, but this time, it was all him!

This tour started around noon and it was essentially a  3-hour walk around River North, where I  learned about some of Chicago’s rich architectural history while stopping at 6 culinary gems along the way.

Let’s talk about where we went and what we ate:

1) The Doughnut Vault: This River North staple has been on my bucket list of places to try, but I simply haven’t gotten around to it (mostly due to their limited hours and long lines).  I was excited for this to be the first stop on the tour since I had heard so many great things about it (and could finally try it without waiting in the line).

As a part of the tour we got to try a “Buttermilk Old Fashioned” (although we didn’t get a whole one) and it was pretty good! I have to be honest though, I’ve had better doughnuts and was surprised to hear that this one was awarded “the best” by Food and Wine Magazine. I say if you don’t have to wait in a 2-hour line to try one of these, go for it. If there is a line, save the $2 and the excessive calories.

2) Lou Malnati’s: Since moving to Chicago, I’ve had deep dish from almost every popular place in the city. While I do like Lou’s, I was initially bummed that this was a part of the tour since I’ve had it so many times and I think the pizza lacks salt (therefore when I eat it at home, I can just add it myself).

Never-the-less, I’ll never turn down a slice of deep dish pizza and I actually learned something during this part of the tour! Apparently, Lou’s has this special “butter crust” that you have to ask for, otherwise you get their regular crust made with oil.  We got to try the butter crust and it was absolutely delicious. Learning that fact was enough to give this stop a gold star!

3) Xoco (pronounced “show-co”):  I am HUGE fan of anything Rick Bayless (the owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and of course, Xoco), so when I heard this gem was on the list I got super excited. I had gone here once before for lunch and found it to be absolutely delicious.  On the tour, we got to try the restaurants “Aztec Hot Chocolate” and the churros.

The hot chocolate was super rich and creamy, but totally overshadowed by how incredible the churros were. When I tell you that this may be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my entire life, I’m not lying. PLEASE, do yourself (and your tastebuds) a huge favor by getting yourself some of these Xoco churros. In fact, I couldn’t even get a photo of them because they were eaten too quickly.

4) Al’s Roast Beef: This is another Chicago staple that has been on my culinary bucket list since I moved here. They are famous for their italian beef. If you don’t know what that is (don’t worry I didn’t either until I moved to the Midwest), it’s basically beef cooked in tons of juices until its about medium rare. It’s then shaved off the bone and put back in more juices making it super tender!

As a part of the tour, we were able to try a 1/2 of an italian beef and it was pretty good! My favorite part was actually the pickled vegetables they put in the sandwich. They were briny and spicy and brought a whole new level of complexity to the sandwich. I don’t think I would ever go back for another one, but I can understand why it’s such a popular sandwich.

5) Carsons: This restaurant was the star of the day! This is a very unassuming, yet super traditional  BBQ restaurant in Chicago. I have to be honest, I must have driven by this place 100 times since moving here and I never even noticed it.

As a part of the tour, we got to try the pulled pork sandwich and it was pretty incredible. The BBQ sauce was a Carolina vinegar based sauce (which I love) and was perfectly paired with a pickle (sounds strange but you just gotta try it).

The best part about Carson’s? The owner actually puts his personal cell-phone number on the menu in case you have any questions, comments or concerns. I think I may use it and set-up a time to go in so that I can write a full review on this place.

6) More: Our final stop of the day was at More (a cupcake shop). Since I had already been here before, it was a little anti-climactic, but the cupcakes at this place are pretty good. On the tour we got to sample their classic cupcake which is basically an up-scale version of a Hostess. It’s good, but after a day full of doughnuts and churros, I was a little stuffed!

However, this place DID made Oprah’s list of favorite things, so you know it has to be good!

So that’s it! If you find yourself salivating about all the amazing food I tried today, you can easily go on this tour as well! Just head over to their website and book it (they also do one in Wicker Park).

Love always,
Erica