| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
Michelle is a treasure!
|
| Sat, Jun 10, 06 10:00 AM |
jschumi |
Female |
30-39 |
Local |
Other |
| My sister and I ventured out for the tour on a rainy Saturday morning, but the dampness in the weather did not seem to affect Michelle's enthusiasm and energy. We learned so much about the history of the North End in addition to her culinary insights, and the tastings were a real treat. I only wish I had taken the tour sooner! |
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A lot of fun
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| Sat, Jun 10, 06 10:00 AM |
dancraft |
Male |
20-29 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| As a younger guy who does love to cook, I was not sure how much I would enjoy this. I must say that it was a lot of fun and very informative. The area is very cool and there are great places to shop. I went away ready to cook real Italian food. |
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Informative & Tasty - I'm a tourist no longer
|
| Sat, Jun 10, 06 10:00 AM |
TMBJDMBA |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| My wife and I took the tour on a slightly rainy Saturday morning, not sure what to expect. We found it to far exceed any expectations that we did have. Michelle was an excellent guide, sharing information about Italy, the North End, and the Italian's approach to food. The tastings added a nice touch. We spent the afternoon after the tour as well as part of another day exploring the neighborhood further and really began to "see" the neighborhood and understand the people and the North End. I no longer felt like a tourist.
I would strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in history, italy, or food.
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Opens the door to a culinary and cultural world
|
| Fri, Jun 9, 06 3:00 PM |
pmdrucker |
Female |
60-69 |
Local |
Individual |
| Michele Topor has all tthe qualities you'd hope for in a culinary tour guide: expertise from years as a chef, deep familiarity with the products, the traditions, and the people of the North End, and a knack for communicating what she knows. Her tour takes in seven places that are treasuries of Italian and Italian-American tradition, covering meats and cheeses, olive oils and vinegars, pastas, produce, pastries, wine and more. By the end you'll know where to shop, and you'll know a good deal about what you're buying and how to cook it. She also recommends restaurants, and adds some of the history of Italian-American food. There are good samples along the way, from fava beans to mortadella, sfogliatelle to limoncello!
I'd recommend this tour to anyone interested in Italian and Italian-American cooking, and/or the culture and history of the North End. People with normal mobility can handle the amount of walking, as the stops aren't far apart. You need to be able to stand for most of the time, but--perhaps because of the absorbing and delightful commentary, and the intervals of walking--it didn't seem hard at all. |
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Loved the tour and Michele
|
| Sat, Jun 3, 06 2:00 PM |
Karmac |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family Without Children |
| We were lucky to actually have Michele guiding our tour and thoroughly enjoyed the information along with her presentation style and personnal comments/opinions. Whenever traveling I enjoy learning what the "locals" enjoy regarding food and shopping. What better way to learn about the Italian influence in Boston than hearing it from someone who lives it. |
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stimulates the mind and all the senses
|
| Sat, Jun 3, 06 1:00 PM |
sarasteele |
Female |
30-39 |
Local |
Other |
| loved learning about the history of the neigbhorhood, the foods and goods, and know I finally know where all the 'gems' of the north end are |
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An excellent, entertaining, informative outing
|
| Fri, Jun 2, 06 10:00 AM |
calliemat |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| What a fun, out of the ordinary type of excursion! We learned so many varied things from Paul, our excellent tour guide, about the North End whether it be food, culture, dining, shopping. Definitely a welcome treat for all ages. |
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Surprising Tour
|
| Fri, Jun 2, 06 10:00 AM |
winsheeper |
Female |
50-59 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| The North End market tour was surprisingly educational. I thought that I had been to the North End enough times to know all about the area, but I was wrong. This tour featured interesting and little-known history of the North End. It also provided information about how the culture of the North End is similar to and different from modern day Italy. And of course, it gave glimpses and tastes of what is available in the myriad of historic and aromatic shops.
I enjoyed this tour tremendously. It has made me look forward to returning to this neighborhood to continue to explore all that it has to offer. I had previously only scratched the surface of what is available there. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and personable. He was entertaining and was able to share his insights with us easily.
I would reccommend this tour to anyone, even if they've been to the North End many times before. This tour was a great supplement to my previous experiences in the North End, and will enable me to enjoy my furure visits even more. |
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very informative
|
| Wed, May 31, 06 2:00 PM |
judycarp |
Female |
60-69 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| We had a beautiful day and wonderful tour guide. Had been to the North End before but not the entire area. Paul was very informative about the stores and Italian history in the North End. We enjoyed all the samples and are planning another trip by ourselves to go back and visit the area again. Thoroughly enjoyable. When i returned home that evening I was delighted to read in the AAA newsletter an article all about the places we had just visited. Thank you for the great time |
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Don't miss this one!
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| Wed, May 31, 06 10:00 AM |
jmgarrett |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
Unspecified |
| Loved the information and generous samples of baked goods, candies and dried foods, meats, olive oils and balsamic vinegars, Italian liquors, and more --- all from a knowledgeable neighborhood resident who gave us years of history, food advice, and eating tips in just three hours. All walking tours should be this good! |
