Yucatan Dinner in Chicago: Michelin-Trained Chef's Home Cooking

Slow-roasted chicken and marquesitas made the way they cook them in the Yucatan Peninsula

A two-hour dinner experience in Chicago where Chef Carla, trained at a Michelin Star restaurant, cooks Yucatan cuisine from scratch and serves it family-style with aperitif, cocktails and digestif. You sit at the table with other food travelers, taste dishes built on traditional techniques (from slow-roasted pibil chicken to crispy tostadas with fresh tuna), and drink Xtabentún cocktails made with Mayan honey liqueur. The meal moves through seven courses, each one rooted in the region's culinary traditions.

The experience

You arrive for an evening in a Chicago home where Chef Carla and her partner Ronaldo, who trained in Spain and carry a deep knowledge of Yucatan food, have set the table. The night opens with an Xtabentún cocktail made from Mayan honey liqueur and vanilla, followed by a hibiscus agua fresca with cinnamon and ginger. From there the courses unfold: a crispy tostada layered with fresh tuna, avocado and chipotle mayo; a soup made with chicken broth, onions, garlic and peppers; pibil chicken slow-roasted for 24 hours in a paste of axiote and citrus; green rice with jalapeño and cilantro; and marquesitas (crispy crepes filled with Nutella and Swiss cheese) to close.

This is not a restaurant meal plated for one. You eat at a shared table with other travelers who came for the same reason: to taste food made by someone who knows it deeply. Carla brings the flavors and aromas of the Yucatan to the plate using the freshest ingredients and the traditional cooking methods she learned in Mexico and refined in Spain. The cocktails are Yucatan-inspired, designed to move through the courses alongside the food. Aperitif, cocktails and digestif all come with the meal.

The experience runs two hours. Guests with food restrictions (allergies, dietary needs) should mention them when booking so Carla can plan around them. The full address arrives on your confirmation voucher.

What’s included

• Aperitif, cocktails and digestif.
• the full seven-course dinner.
• an evening around the table with other foodies.
• first-hand experience of Yucatan food and culinary traditions.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 2 Sep 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (6 to 89 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by eatwith

Is this one for you?You sit at a shared table, so this suits travelers who want to eat with other food-minded people and taste Yucatan cooking made by someone trained at a Michelin Star restaurant. If you prefer to dine privately or want hands-on cooking instruction, look for a different experience.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is pibil chicken and why does it take 24 hours to cook?

Pibil chicken is slow-roasted in a paste made from axiote (a seed spice), citrus and vinegar, a traditional Yucatan cooking method that infuses the meat with subtle spices and sweetness over the full day. The long roasting makes it tender and deeply flavored.

Do I cook any of the food myself or watch Chef Carla prepare it?

You sit at the table while Carla cooks and serves the meal. This is a dinner experience where you taste the food she has prepared, not a hands-on cooking class.

What are marquesitas and why do they pair Swiss cheese with Nutella?

Marquesitas are crispy crepes, a traditional Yucatan street food. The filling of Nutella and Swiss cheese is an unexpected combination (sweet and savory together) that Carla describes as paradise and a perfect way to end the meal.

Will I eat alone or with other people?

You sit at a shared table with other food travelers. The experience is built around dining together and sharing the meal as a group.