There's no question Chicago's neighborhoods are full of culture and culinary treasures. One local chef is bringing attention to the culinary secrets in two of her favorite areas through walking tours. Susan Pachikara of Cardamom Kitchen, leads tours through the Lincoln Square and Devon neighborhoods.
The Chopping Block Lincoln Square is just one spot on the Lincoln Square tour. When guests arrive, Susan gives a history lesson of the German immigration of the square and leads them through the neighborhood, making stops at Savory Spice Shop, Gene's Sausage Shop, Flirty Cupcakes and more for sampling and shopping. There's also plenty of information dished out about the different icons in the square from the Lincoln statue, fountain and lamp, as well as the maypole and a facade commissioned by famed architect Louis Sullivan. This building was the Krause Music Store which opened in 1922 and was the first retail shop on Lincoln Avenue.
"The terra cotta facade is Louis Sullivan's last piece, and he actually worked on it with another architect which is atypical. Did you know there's a piece of the Berlin wall at the Western El stop? There are so many different ethnic restaurants just on one stretch of Lincoln Avenue including Greek, Mexican, Thai and German. There's just so much to show off in Lincoln Square!" said Susan.
Susan loves to incorporate quirky stories that even long-term residents of the area may not know about. "For example, there's a brewery in Portland called Henry Weinhard's which was founded by a German immigrant. His dream was to have his beer flow through a fountain, so when Portland unveiled a fountain, he offered to pump beer through it. The city declined, citing a fear of rowdy horses. Instead, in 2012, the company created a commercial using computer-generated video of beer flowing through the fountain at Gidding's Plaza. As it says, Henry's goal was making good beer easy for everyone to find," said Susan.
Devon Avenue, which is known as Chicago's Little India, is a natural draw for Susan, who is South Indian and often shops the area. "My parents are from Kerala, the spice capital of India, but it takes at least 24 hours to get there. Short of actually buying a plane ticket, this area offfers a similar experience in authentic Indian food, textiles and jewelry," said Susan.
Here's a short video of what to expect on the Eat & Explore Tours:
Tours cost $65/person, but if you book a tour in June, you can save $5 by entering this promotional code during registration: SAVEFIVE. You can also learn ways to spice up your food at home with the Cardamom Kitchen blog.
