I stopped by Chicago Winery on a Wednesday early evening solo and was able to sit at the bar…read morewithout reservation. I was blown away by the ambiance and decor. Chicago Winery prioritizes upscale and intimacy but their service is personable and friendly allowing you to feel right at home. On Wednesday they offer a Happy Hour special, $5 off a tasting and $10 wine by the glass. The server as extremely kind, and was able to offer me some suggestions based on my personal palate and wine interests. I landed on the Winemaker's Tasting, which included 4, one ounce pours, including Blancs de Blancs, Albarino, Barbera and Merlot. I paired the tasting with the a BYOB board. From their menu I picked the olives, Afterglow, and the Tempesta Guanciale. The server was educated on the wines was able to walk me through the tasting and pairings but gave me independence and autonomy to enjoy at my own leisure and pace. I highly enjoyed my visit and absolutely will be returning to dine in, as well as to get a winery tour!

Was gifted the wine tasting and tour for my birthday which was a very fun experience. Great deal to…read morebuy wine after. I preferred the whites and was disappointed by the reds. We had the date package and ate at the restaurant after. I recommend the pork schnitzel and pierogis. We ordered four shareables but weren't blown away by the butternut squash fondue and gougeres. Loved our hostess for the wine tasting, but wish there was more guidance on tasting notes and wine terminology. I'd recommend though to any wine lovers, I still learned a lot!

I booked a wine tour with Windy City Company for myself & three friends this past fall and it was…read morefabulous! Our driver was patient the entire time when some of the groups got a bit rowdy and overall was a great guide. Things were mostly on time (our initial pickup was a little late) and everything went seamlessly from winery to winery without any issues. They picked fantastic wine spots to visit and we were all very impressed with the entire experience. I booked this for my friend as part of her bachelorette party and it was perfect for that! There was also another small group of girls for a birthday and a few couples there, so really it's for anyone. I can confidently recommend the tour with Windy City Tour Company to visit lower Michigan wineries! It's the best way to get picked up in downtown Chicago, be driven from place to place in Michigan, then get driven back home. Don't drink and drive, be responsible and use Windy City Tour Company!

AVOID!!! I booked this just a couple of days ago and unexpectedly had to change plans. But…read moreapparently they have the worst cancellation policy and has to be 22 days before to get a full refund. They kept pushing back saying I will have the credit waiting for me for when I book again but I didn't know when that would be and just wanted a refund. I then hear nothing and ask for the status. They informed me then I was now 19 days away and they have to charge me 10% fee for not being within 22 days as that is their policy even though I had booked the trip only 3 days before. Any company this rude and that makes you go through this many hoops just to cancel a reservation is not someone I ever want to do support! They need to improve their customer service and I certainly will NEVER book with them in the future!!!

Great wines and community! Definitely worth a visit. I love the monthly live music eventsread more

What a great spot!! I can't believe it's taken us this long to go here. The owner is super nice and…read moreso is the staff. The wine is also exceptional - we loved the super Tuscan! They also have really cool events throughout each month. Loved it, we'll be back!!

Spent a weekend at the Bed and Breakfast. Wonderful service…read more. Great wine. Most comfortable suite. Delightfully delicious breakfasts each morning and abundant charcuterie boards in the evenings

This was my first time visiting Lynfred, and the outside immediately caught my eye. The setting is…read morereally charming as you drive in alongside the venue. We went on a Saturday and had a great time. We did a tasting and gravitated toward the sweeter wines, which were enjoyable. We ended up purchasing their year-round Oktoberfest wine. If you prefer sweeter wines, this is a good spot for you. One thing to note is that they stop serving earlier than the posted closing time. At first, our server told us we only had 30 minutes for the tasting, so we felt a bit rushed. My husband asked again, and another staff member clarified that we actually had more time, which was a relief and allowed us to slow down and enjoy it. They provide breadsticks, and there are snacks available for purchase. I'm really looking forward to going back in the summer to enjoy the outdoor patio, which looks huge. The inside, however, felt smaller than expected. There are essentially two main rooms, plus a standing bar, a seated bar, a hallway with seating, and an exclusive members-only area.

Had an amazing time with this company. Communication was great and price couldn't be beat. They…read morewere there for us all day and the bachelorette party we had was amazing. Our hosts were friendly, knowledgeable and super sweet. Highly recommend.

From the owner: - Wine Tours both Private and Public - Local Wine Events…read more- Long Distance Wine Tours

Wow! Five stars are not nearly enough for South Shore Brew Bus and our exceptional driver Mark!…read more I had searched around trying to find the best service to take us to and from a few wineries and stumbled upon South Shore Brew Bus. We were celebrating a 40th birthday and started planning a little late. After submitting some of my info and details of what we were looking for, Chris reached out right away. He made the entire planning process painless and was an incredible help with suggestions and recommendations. I knew from the start things were going to work out well. We settled on the wine tour consisting of 3 wineries and lunch at a brewery, as well as transportation to and from each of our stops including pick up and drop off at our home! The day before our reservation I heard from our driver, Mark. Just this simple act settled some of my nerves. I was stressing leading up this about things going awry. What if our driver didn't show up? What if bookings were messed up since I booked last minute? You name it, I thought it. Mark confirmed our schedule for the day and we were set. The day of the reservation he showed up early to pick us up and start our day. We had less than perfect weather yet Mark kept us on time for each of our stops. Not only did he take care of us getting to and from each winery, he also provided us with a charcuterie tray, mimosas, and homemade cookies. He was also able to educate us and give us fun facts about each place we stopped. Mark was better than any personal assistant - it was like we've known him forever! Not a detail was left untouched. We had the BEST day celebrating thanks to Mark and South Shore Brew Bus! We are looking forward to booking a brew tour this summer!

My group of nine (eight women and myself) booked a winery tour with South Shore Brew Bus, and…read moreunfortunately our experience with our driver, Mark, left us feeling uncomfortable and unsafe by the end of the day. To start, Mark seemed friendly enough--he offered to take photos at each stop and gave us the rundown of the day. He mentioned that he had "seen it all," from wild bachelorette parties to loud groups, and reassured us that nothing we did would surprise him. Even with that, something about the vibe felt a bit off from the beginning. The girls in our group tried to include him in little moments and keep things light, but as the day went on, his energy felt stranger and more uncomfortable. The real issue happened at our last stop. Instead of Mark taking our photo like he had at every other winery (where he took multiple vertical and horizontal shots each time), I asked a random woman to do it. Right as she was about to snap the picture, Mark walked up quickly, told her he'd handle it, and took the phone from her. When one of my friends politely asked him to make sure the sign was in the background--just like he had done all day--he reacted rudely and visibly annoyed. He took only two rushed photos and handed the phone back without a word. Our entire group exchanged looks because the shift in his demeanor was so sudden and uncomfortable. Then, on the ride home, the situation escalated. Mark kept flooring the gas repeatedly, something he had never done during the previous six drives between wineries. Despite previously priding himself on being a safe driver, none of us felt safe at all. It completely ruined the end of our trip and made every woman on the bus uneasy--especially concerning given that we were a group of drinking adults trusting him to get us home safely. After we arrived back, one friend calmly addressed her concerns to him. Instead of apologizing, he got defensive. He eventually admitted he "overreacted" and said he was offended that she asked him to get the sign in the background because he's "been doing this for six years and knows how to take a photo." It was bizarre behavior, and at that point we simply tipped him and asked him to leave because he was making everyone extremely uncomfortable. Overall, our day started off great but ended on a very unsettling note. For a service that's supposed to provide a fun, relaxed, and safe experience--especially for groups of women--I can't recommend South Shore Brew Bus based on this encounter. I would strongly consider booking with a different tour company.

As a preface, this company is currently under investigation by the Better Business Bureau, the…read moreFederal Trade Commission, the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General's office, the Consumer Resource Center of Washington State, and several financial and private institutions. I will update this review accordingly, if that changes. But here's why: The TLDR: A) the company does not responsibly or efficiently apply the money you send them toward your accommodations, B) they engage in deceptive billing practices, C) they ignore clearly specified preferences when booking additional accommodations/excursions, and D) when questioned about any of the aforementioned aspects, they delay response or cease responding altogether. Here is my point-by-point experience with Magical Mystery Tours (MMM) and their deceptive practices. 1. The company did not responsibly apply our money towards hotel/flight accommodations. We booked travel from December 10-19 of 2004 and the company later revealed, under pressure, that they did not book ANYTHING until early December. In the best case scenario, flight and hotel were booked TEN DAYS before our trip began. In no scenario could this have been the cheapest timeframe. (see picture 1, a segment of an email from MMM). 2. During the trip, our preferences were not adhered to. We informed MMM that we were vegan during our preliminary correspondence. They proceeded to book us reservations at several restaurants with no non-meat (and certainly no non-dairy) options on the menu. Despite this, we showed up, trusting MMM had made some sort of arrangement. The restaurants in question said they were informed of no such thing. The same story played out with 3 other excursions we had them schedule that included meals. 3. When we returned and asked for a breakdown of costs, MMM included a Paypal Transaction Fee of over 3% of the total vacation cost. It is explicitly stated in the Paypal User Agreement that merchants may not pass on the merchant fee to the seller. They must have known this, but were counting on me not knowing. Ultimately, they did refund the fee, but only after being pressed--partly why I continued to distrust and investigate the rest of the bill. 4. When we requested original receipts, our request was denied, despite the their advertising otherwise (see picture 2, a screenshot of their website BEFORE we requested original receipts). After requesting this, they promptly changed the wording in an attempt to hide their billing (see picture 3, a screenshot of their website AFTER requesting original receipts). 5. After sending the before/after screenshots of the changes to their website, and applying additional pressure, they sent undated and unverifiable screenshots of receipts, refusing to send anything else. 6. There were several discrepancies in the final total trip cost relating to the percentage taken as an MMM "fee"--which were substantial. After several follow-up emails were sent regarding this, MMM ceased communications. (Note: the amount in dispute was less than $200. Imagine if you were challenging more than that...) The takeaway: Be careful when dealing with MMM. Do not pay a "transaction fee." Do not book unless promised original, dated receipts beforehand. Demand proof that your travel preferences will be adhered to. Double-check the math of your bill afterwards. My advice: Do not book with MMM. There are many other companies offering this service without deceptive practices: Pack up + Go, The Vacation Hunt, Black Tomato, Rustic Pathways Mystery Trips, Blind Experiences, Guess Where Trips, etc...

We had the absolute best surprise trip experience with Katie and MMT! We had done a surprise trip…read morewith another travel agency previously, and MMT was above and beyond more exceptional in every way. A few highlights: 1. I appreciate the thoroughness of the survey. Based on the questions, you can tell that MMT puts a lot of thought into the nuances of the experience for their customers. 2. I LOVE the customizability, especially with the budget. We weren't sure what our budget should be. Katie was immediately transparent on the minimum budget MMT would recommend in order to provide the experience we were looking for. We ended up giving a larger budget than MMT's minimum recommendation and were issued a refund of unused funds at the end. 3. Katie was timely and thorough in her responses to all of our questions throughout the process. She was sure to double check every detail before finalizing anything. 4. The excursions planned for us were INCREDIBLE and aligned with our survey exactly. It was the perfect combination of activity and downtime that we requested. I cannot wait to book our next surprise trip with MMT!

In 2021, I started making wine at home. Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery was where I could buy…read moresupplies that I needed. I had taken a winemaking class here, so I also could buy some of their kits if I didn't want to start from scratch with my own juice. Recent, I went to a Sunday brunch session that was really nice. The food was outstanding. And with the weather being nice, outdoor seating was an option that made the afternoon that more enjoyable. I had only been familiar with the wine, mead, and brewing supplies aspect of Wild Blossom. I like their "restaurant" setting. I may get back to enjoy some weekend events.

There are places you go for a drink... and then there are places like Wild Blossom Meadery…read more This spot has been there for us through everything -- celebrations, quiet nights, and even the hard moments. Somehow it always feels exactly right. Warm, welcoming, and just a little magical. Their mead is incredible (of course ), but the real hidden gem? The cheese boards. Thoughtfully put together, perfectly paired, and honestly... good enough to make any bee proud. Add a deck of Uno, a cozy table, and good company -- and you've got one of the best nights you can ask for. Wild Blossom isn't just a meadery. It's a place that shows up for you

During Parents' Weekend at the University of Chicago, the university offered tours of the…read moreneighborhood through Chicago Detours. My wife did this tour a couple years ago and highly recommended it, but I wasn't especially interested because I had also gone to school here and figured I knew enough about Hyde Park already. However, she insisted that it would be worth our while and so I agreed to climb on the bus. And it was the absolutely right decision, because the tour was excellent. In fact, it wasn't just a tour of Hyde Park. It included the surrounding neighborhoods of Washington Park, Kenwood, Jackson Park, and Woodlawn. Since this was a UChicago sponsored event much of the information related to the University's investment and involvement in the area. Our tour guide and founder of Chicago Detours, Amanda, is herself a graduate of UChicago and thus she had some additional insight into the relationship with the community. Though the 75-minute tour felt a little slow-going at times, there was much to learn about the vibrant but sometimes troubled history of the area. Amanda has tremendous knowledge and the excursion was both fascinating and entertaining. I can imagine that Chicago Detours would have equally interesting tours of other neighborhoods in this diverse city.

Virtual tours are such a cool thing to do right now. I attended a Yelp Elite event that was a…read morevirtual food tour of Chicago. It was incredibly informative and a good balance of history and current trends. Looking forward to attending more virtual tours, like the World's Fair and the Cruise From Your Couch Boat Tour. I loved seeing the pictures of the in-person tours and can't wait to attend some of those too.

Chicago Walking Tour - Elevated Architecture Downtown 'L' Train…read moreWe have previously taken the CAC boat tour and one of the surface walking tours (both of which were great), but this time we wanted something with a slightly different perspective while staying downtown. We chose the Elevated Architecture Downtown 'L' Train tour led by Andrew, our CAC docent. As no one else had signed up for the tour that morning, it became a private tour. Andrew was not only very knowledgeable about the architecture and friendly, but also, given that he works in planning at the Chicago Metro, was able to take us on an even deeper dive concerning the "L", its history, and some of the current challenges. As we were about 35' about street level for the tour, we were also treated to a different perspective of the building and their design/decoration, something that cannot be readily observed from street level. Thans again to Andrew for an information and entertaining tour above the streets of downtown Chicago-truly a unique experience.

If you're in Chiago you have to do the Architecture tour at least once. If you're in Chicago…read moreduring the Summer as I was you can seek sanctuary in the air conditioned lower level. I wish the audio was a little bit louder on that level due to the sound of the fans and people talking. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)