Chicago Chocolate Tours

Valerie - Awesome job!!! You really do a terrific job!!!
Carl

Is it just me, or should you rename your tour:"Chicago Coffee & Tea Tour"? Where are the actual chocolate shops?
Melissa


Note from the Founder:

Hi, Melissa -

Thanks for your query! I'm guessing you're referring to Lavazza and Argo, which are stops on the Downtown Loop route of our chocolate tour; another Argo location is a stop on our Magnificent Mile route too. One of the things we like to do on a Chicago Chocolate Tour is show our guests not just traditional chocolate shops or locations they may already know, but also to take you to hidden treasures where you can find incredible chocolate treats in everyday places or surprising places. Our tour guests often thank us for mixing things up and showing them a variety of chocolate locations and letting them taste chocolate drinks as well as traditional chocolate truffles or bon bons. Variety is the spice of chocolate life, so to speak!

For example, Lavazza has amazing coffee to be sure, but have you been on a tour or otherwise had the chance to try their Chocolate Delight? It's chocolate chip gelato, with molten Italian drinking chocolate poured over it. Some of our tour guests vote their Chocolate Delight their favorite thing on the whole tour! Lavazza also carries imported Italian gianduja chocolates, in the form of hazelnut cream covered in or blended with chocolate.

And, Argo offers wonderfully creative chocolate-tea blends such as their Chocolate Mint Tea Latte, which contains black tea, European chocolate syrup, mint, and milk. When our tour guests try it, often they're not sure if it contains tea, or if it's a variety of hot chocolate, or exactly how to categorize such a unique and delicious chocolate drink, sometimes voting it their favorite thing on the tour! Again, if you haven't tried it, if you're a chocolate lover I really think you'll enjoy it! Plus, Argo bakes fresh chocolate brownies and other treats onsite, and our tour groups get to sample a nice chocolate bite with their chocolate-tea blend. The brownie was developed in Chicago by the Palmer House for the World's Fair of 1893, so there's a nice tie-in!

Additionally, Lavazza and Argo have impressive Chicago connections. Lavazza is huge in Europe, but in the US they're in just one city: Chicago. Argo is also currently only in Chicago, having been founded here just a few years ago. The teams at both Argo and Lavazza are knowledgeable and welcoming, and our tour guests always come away with positive experiences there.

So, on a Chicago Chocolate Tour we take you to sample amazing chocolates at shops such as Sarah's, Teuscher, Lindt, Charbonnel, Frango, and Hannah's, and we also mix things up with visits "off the beaten path" to enjoy scrumptious chocolate bites and drinks at unique places with great Chicago connections. We believe that chocolate is best enjoyed in all of its forms - come try it with us!

Here's to the wonderful and multifaceted world of chocolate!

Your friend in chocolate,
Valerie

Hello Valerie and CatieLeigh,

I wanted to say how much my family and I enjoyed our tour on 06/02/09. CatieLeigh is a gem. We really enjoyed talking with her and having her show us around Chicago's treasured chocolate shops. The chocolate was wonderful and we were not disappointed. Thank you so much!!!

Hello Valerie and Carrie,

My mom and I went on the tour this past Saturday. It was wonderful! We had a great time. Heather was a fantastic tour guide. I felt really blessed to have won the raffle- what an amazing prize!
I have already told friends about it, and will probably do it again when I have out of town visitors. LOVED Sarah's- what a gem!

Thanks again!
Vittoria

Valerie,
You and Heidi did a wonderful job yesterday.
Thank you so much for making a perfect day even more special.
The bride and everyone keep singing your praises.
Thanks for creating great memories,
Jennifer

Valerie,
I booked the chocolate tour for my daughter Sara's 16th birthday because she LIVES FOR CHOCOLATE! My oldest daughter and a friend were also with us and we enjoyed it immensely. Thanks so much!
Susie

Hi Valerie,

My husband, Jorge, and I took the chocolate tour on Sat. April 25 at 3:45, we just wanted to say Thank you both for showing us some wonderful unique places. We really enjoyed ourselves, although we were drenched wet, but hey it was wll worth it. I will highly recommend this tour to family and friends!!!

Monica

I just wanted to let you know what a great time we had with Heidi on Friday. She is an extremely knowledgeable guide and we learn several things about chocolate along with enjoying our tour and the chocolate. All of our stops offered something different and we enjoyed all of them. We especially liked that all the shops were local unique shops. I would definitely recommend the tour to others and highly recommend Heidi.

Hi Valerie,

I just want to thank you for the Chocolate Tour, it was wonderful, we really enjoyed!!

Thanks!!!

Rita

Hi Valerie,

My friend and I were able to attend this tour, (Sunday, April 5th) and we both had a wonderful time. Kristi was a warm, engaging, knowledgeable guide. It was fun to brave the elements with her and learn about chocolate and Chicago. I will definitely recommend the tour to anyone I know going to the area.

Thanks for the great experience (and tasty chocolate).

Clarissa Louie

Hi - I just wanted to thank you, Valerie, and Rosetta and Katey-Lee for our fantastic tour yesterday. The kids and I had a fantastic time and they were sharing chocolate facts with their dad all throughout dinner. I was so imppressed with the quality of the tour guide as well as the hospitality at each shop we visited. The chocolate was shared generously, the hosts at each shop were excited to have us, friendly, warm and welcoming! The kids were completely engaged thruoghout the tour and you all kept it interesting and fun.

Thank you so much for making this day so special for us!

Cindi

I've lived in downtown Chicago for 23 years, and was eager to go on this tour with a half dozen friends yesterday, Saturday, but really did not expect to be taken to any new place - thought I knew my neighborhood well!... but was I WRONG! Five of the six places our tour went to are entirely new to me, and each was fabulous. I learned so much and now have many new places to go - not just for chocolates, but for salads, guiche, tea, etc...It is THE best tour in Chicago!

Our Chicago chocolate tour was a highlight of a sisters' weekend in Chicago. We had travelled from various parts of the country and were excited to try the chocolate tour. We weren't sure what to expect, but we were thrilled with our experience. Our guides were warm and friendly. We loved the cute chocolate shops and bakeries we visited and enjoyed the generous samples we tried. I recommend it to any group heading to Chicago. What a fun and unique experience!

Hi Valerie! I was at your tour on Friday and absolutely loved it and just wanted to say thanks again for everything. I also wanted to know if you
could tell me the name of the champagne we had at the Signature Lounge.
It was the best I've ever tasted! Thanks!

-Lindsay


Note from the founder:

Hi, Lindsay -

It was great to have you on the Chocolate and Champagne tour, and I'm so
happy that you enjoyed it; thank you so much for participating and for
your wonderful email!

Here is the answer from Angela Roman of the Signature Room:
****
Hi Lindsay!

The Champagne you enjoyed on Friday was the Piper Heidsieck Cuvee
Sublime Demi Sec. You can find it at any Sam's Wine & Spirits or at
Binny's. The price varies, but I usually see it for around $35 per
bottle.

Thank you for coming to the Signature Room!

Angela Roman
The Signature Room at the 95th
312-280-0458
****

Thanks again!

Best regards,
Valerie

Hi Valerie,
I just wanted to send a quick thank you for the amazing chocolate tour a few weekends ago. My mom and I had a fantastic time and loved every second! Our tour guide was great and I think everyone had a wonderful time. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness, I really appreciate it!

Amy

I went on the tour Dec. 13th. I had such a fun time!! We wanted to find a different kind of fun for my sister's birthday (instead of the yearly bar thing) and what we found is an experience that I will always remember. I have told so many people about the tour. Thank you so much!! Im thinking about going on the other tour,and bringing more friends!! It was so enjoyable!!

I went on the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Tour and had a blast. I was very impressed by Heidi's, our tour guide, knowledge of chocolate, history, and the city of Chicago. I recommended your tour to all of my friends, family, and people that think they know all about chocolate. Walking around the city during the parade made the tour even better. Thank you again for a great tour,

Brian

Hello Valerie and Catieleigh,
The Loop-route Chocolate Tour on Friday Dec. 12th was a lot of fun. Nice to have a small group. Made tour more personal. Lots of information from you and our guide. All shop managers were very nice had lots of information to share and was very excited about sharing their products with all of us, CHOCOLATE. Plenty of samples. Was glad we took the tour and will recommend it to others. Might see you on another tour. The weather was cold outside that day of the tour but plenty of warmth from inside the shops we had toured. Thanks for a nice time. Kathy and Rex

Hello Carrie,
Thank you so much for your help with everything. My mom was totally surprised and absolutely LOVED the tour! In fact, we're thinking about doing one of your other tours in the near future.

Heidi, our tour guide, was absolutely fantastic! She was fun, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to be with. Overall, it was a perfect birthday.


Thank you again,
Sam

Thanks! We all agreed that it was a really great tour and that you did a fabulous job!!