Tour of duty

Unfortunately, not all factory tours are as dazzling as Charlie's tour of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Fortunately, none are as dangerous, either. Curious about how our locally made foods are made, we hit three Chicago institutions—Intelligentsia Coffee, Eli's Cheesecake and Goose Island Beer Company—to sneak a peek at the whirring cogs and inner mechanisms that churn out some of our favorite local products.

Intelligentsia Coffee
Nestled in Chicago's West Side industrial corridor is the delicious-smelling Intelligentsia roasting headquarters. For $3, you get a tour of the facility, all the coffee you can drink (we got the shakes after three-and-a-half cups), and a half pound of the tasty coffee you just saw roasting. The warehouse isn't the most massive space, but there are a few big, fancy machines. You get a rundown of the company history and a 101 on coffee growing and harvesting, before you stand around the mega coffee roasters and learn java terminology. By the end of the tour, you'll be able to throw around weird coffee lingo ("flavor profile"), describe the two different ways to process harvested coffee (wet and dry) and rattle off weird coffee aphorisms ("coffee is the second-biggest commodity after oil"). Thanks, Intelligentsia tour. If you're an information hog, or a coffee connoisseur, stand in the front. The coffee-roasting machine is loud, and the guy in charge of it—while knowledgeable and friendly—is soft-spoken. Push your way up to him, though, and all your coffee questions will be answered. Intelligentsia offers tours of its roasting works two Saturdays a month. Call 888-945-9786, ext 23, to get details or make a reservation. 1850 W Fulton St between Wolcott Ave and Wood St.

Eli's Cheesecake
If you like your tours on a grander scale—and you don't mind the off-putting feeling of watching workers toil while you lazily snack on sugary goodness—check out the inner workings of Eli's Cheesecake headquarters. Eli's clients include the Clintons, Jay Leno, Roger Ebert and the White Sox. But even if you're not a high roller, surely you can still cough up $3 for one of the 45-minute tours. After convening in a coffee shop/gift store where you can chow down samples along with some elderly visitors, the tour takes off, led by a cheery-but-subdued guide who takes you through a brief company history and then into the bakery. While some might be fascinated by the complex machinery, there's an inherit guilt that comes with savoring your dessert while people slave away in a hot bakery. At certain points, you might find yourself hoping the banal factory setting bursts into song a la Dancer in the Dark. But the journey ends on a high note when you're able to pick from innovations like Crème Caramel cheesecake (baked with caramel, butter shortbread and—get this—Southern Comfort). Eli's offers tours of its headquarters at 1pm Mon–Fri. Call 773-736-3417. 6701 W Forest Preserve Dr at Montrose Ave.

Goose Island brewery
Sometimes Southern Comfort cheesecake won't cut it and you need the hard stuff. You know, India Pale Ale. We were hoping for a tour of the full-on brewery at Goose's place on Fulton Street (next to the Intelligentsia digs), but because those aren't available, we settled for the tour of Goose Island's brew pub near North and Clybourn. The tour costs $3, and you'll need to bring your ID. A Goose Island brewmaster takes you to a drippy, dank basement where he points to a few giant vats and tells you about the beer-making process. It was nothing we hadn't heard before (malt, hops, water, yeast), but the tour ends with a beer tasting that's well worth the pittance you paid to get in. The brewmaster talks a little about each brew, and then passes around a pitcher. The six-beer flight (albeit in Dixie cup–size servings) finally gave us a clear idea of what the word "hopiness" means, as well as some tasty samples of beers we don't usually order. Plus, how many factory tours come with a little buzz? Goose Island gives tours at 3pm Sundays. Call 312-915-0071. 1800 N Clybourn Ave at Willow St.