Flight Chicago is a new service that will take groups on tours of local restaurants starting in September. The company was founded by friends Amber Tillett, formerly of Metromix, and Monika Lotter, director of dining and special events at Kendall College and former director of catering for the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago and Trump International Hotel and Tower.
For $100 per person, the tours let guests into restaurants during the hours they are closed to the public—usually between lunch and dinner. At each eatery, participants get to meet the chefs, tour the kitchen, and sample dishes with wine and beer pairings. A typical tour stops by three restaurants that offer different kinds of cuisine—Tillett and Lotter think of the service as a restaurant version of a wine flight, which inspired its name. The tourss typically last about three hours and can accommodate as many as 20 guests. The activities will take place in neighborhoods such as West Town and Wicker Park, and participating venues include Branch 27, Green Zebra, and the Bristol.
