Food Tour Classes Chicago - Fulton Market Food Tour | Factories to Calories

Fulton Market Food Tour | Factories to Calories

with Multiple Guides at Chicago Detours

TOP RATED

5.0 | 3 reviews

21 Have Dabbled

MEET YOUR HOST

Multiple Guides at Chicago Detours

ABOUT THIS EVENT

Event Category

Food & Drink

Event Overview

Discover the dramatic transformations of Chicago’s most rapidly booming neighborhood on this walking tour. Over the course of this two-hour excursion, you’ll get a glimpse of Fulton Market’s meatpacking past and enjoy a taste of its gourmand present.

Our Fulton Market food tour guests will sample some of the culinary delights of Fulton Market without feeling overstuffed. You’ll get to taste artisanal deli meats from Publican Quality Meats and half of the signature sub at J.P. Graziano, a family-owned shop in its third generation. The neighborhood tour finishes with pickles and a craft beer sample at Haymarket Pub & Brewery. Please keep in mind that this is an educational tour. Other Chicago food tours may focus more on eating, but we will eat a light amount and most of all learn!

We call our Fulton Market food tour the “Factories to Calories” tour because of the area’s shift from a place of production of appliances, furniture and meat products to a hub of consumption of food and drink. The walking tour starts with a grand view to see the train and highway systems that made Fulton Market into a vital industrial and meatpacking district throughout much of the 1900s.

From there, we’re off on a one-mile jaunt through a neighborhood defined by change. As recently as the 1980’s and 90’s, Fulton Market was home to underground parties, drug busts, and low-rent art galleries. Today instead, you will find high-end retailers and offices of massive corporations like Google and McDonald’s among historic architecture.

Fulton Market Tour Highlights
-Signature sandwich from a family-owned neighborhood shop
-A giant cold storage facility, now Google offices
-“Gourmet Food Trend Row” and a tasting from Publican Quality Meats
-The striking art deco Richter Foods building
-Hidden clues in the landscape tied to the meatpacking past

Walking Tour Stories and Ideas
-Chicago’s meatpacking history and the role of Fulton Market
-Impact of transportation infrastructure on neighborhood identity
-The industrial neighborhood disappearing before our eyes
-Family businesses and traditions
-Urban renewal and redevelopment
-Labor history and the Haymarket Affair

Minimum age

All ages welcome

Cancellation Policy

Location

There are currently no upcoming dates scheduled for this Dabble. Log in to an account message the host or add to your bucket list to be automatically notified when new dates are posted.

MORE ABOUT YOUR HOST

Multiple Guides at Chicago Detours

TOP RATED

Our Philosophy
We believe that the primary role of a tour guide is to educate, so we create an interactive group dynamic and share educational tools and new perspectives for you to connect with the architecture of Chicago.

We are committed to responsible travel, so our tour company uses green practices and immerse you in a truly local experience.

We know that history is best told with a creative approach, so we use different media, like historic quotes, old photographs, and documentary film clips, to stimulate your imagination and present various perspectives.

We believe that a city like Chicago is more than “highlights,” so we share forgotten stories about both famous city landmarks and lesser-known attractions.

We understand that business is about building community, so our tour company likes to connect with tour operators, conventions, destination management companies, non-profits, community groups, senior groups, universities, cultural organizations, and Chicago businesses.

We treat all our tour guests like a new friend, because we believe in the importance of hospitality, and we love when tour guests have chosen to tour Chicago with a small business.

MESSAGE HOST VIEW PROFILE

EXPERIENCE REVIEWS

Liana B.
Reviewed on 05/28/19

The tour plus food samples were great! I highly recommend it to foodies or those who are just interested in learning about the Fulton Market/ Randolph area. Our tour guide Alex was very knowledgeable and fun! The only bummer was that we didn't get to sample a sandwich from JP Graziano's because they were closed for the holiday (just means that I need to go back), which Alex ended up treating us to beverage to make up for this.

The tour plus food samples were great! I highly recommend it to foodies or those who are just interested in learning about the Fulton Market/ Randolph area. Our tour guide Alex was very knowledgeable and fun! The only bummer was that we didn't get to sample a sandwich from JP Graziano's because they were closed for the holiday (just means that I need to go back), which Alex ended up treating us to beverage to make up for this.
Debra T.
Reviewed on 07/08/18

Alex made the tour really fun! While we wanted to learn about the Fulton market, h included details and history that I had no idea was associated with the area.

Alex made the tour really fun! While we wanted to learn about the Fulton market, h included details and history that I had no idea was associated with the area.
Tim R.
Reviewed on 05/30/18

This tour was full of really interesting details about the history and buildings of this neighborhood. I’ve been through the Fulton Market area before but I didn’t know very much about its history. Our tour guide Alex was full of knowledge and his enthusiasm was really contagious too. And of course the food was awesome! It was a really great way to get out and explore the city in a new way.

This tour was full of really interesting details about the history and buildings of this neighborhood. I’ve been through the Fulton Market area before but I didn’t know very much about its history. Our tour guide Alex was full of knowledge and his enthusiasm was really contagious too. And of course the food was awesome! It was a really great way to get out and explore the city in a new way.