North End Market Tour

HAD SEEN TOUR AT A COUPLE AUCTIONS BUT DIDN'T WIN-SOO WHEN FRIEND TURNED 50 (SHE'S A 'FOODIE') 2 OF US THOUGHT WE'D ALL GO ON THE TOUR. CHARMING GUIDE-RICHARD-TALKED US THROUGH HISTORY AND FOOD OF NORTH END-LOTS OF UNKNOWN SPOTS TO NOW REVISIT-DELICIOUS SAMPLES ALONG THE WAY AND ENJOYED MEETING PURVEYORS -SOME LONG LINE OF FAMILY OWNERSHIP IN THE BUSINESS ie-bakery . WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL DAY-LUCKY-RAIN WOULD HAVE PUT A DAMPER ON IT. ONLY REGRET IS SEEING SERIOUS GABAGE ALL ALONG THE ROUTE-ON STREETS AND SIDEWALKS-HARD TO BELIEVE NORTH END HAS SO MUCH LOVE OF FOOD BUT LITTLE CONSCIOUSNESS OF CLEANLINESS RECOMMEND TOUR TO ALL- ALSO, FUN TO MEET LOTS OF FOLKS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE!

Totally not what we expected. The initial history lesson was cool, but the food we "sampled" was not what we had in mind (fennel seeds, pine nuts?). It was also about an 1.5 hour too long and not enough focus provided by the tour guide. For $50/ticket, we should have at least gotten to sample some authentic Italian cuisine. Disappointing.

The tour of Boston's North End was interesting. We learned quite a lot about the different foods of Italy and had a chance to sample some delicious bakery goods and deli foods. I found a balsamic vinagre that I hope to order on line! Our tour guid was very friendly and informative. The merchants were all very friendly which made the tour very enjoyable. I had hoped to see a bit more of the North End neighborhood but basically stayed on a few streets of the commercial area.

We had a lovely day traveling through the North End trying several different food items. All of them were gems off the beaten path. If you just walked the freedom trail through the North End, you missed them. We enjoyed shopping there so much we planned another trip just to bring some more fresh pasta from Monica's and authentic Italian pastries from Maria's. I really want to bring some more family along next time. This is a cooks dream.

Michele's North End Tour was fun, entertaining and educational. The process was similar to savoring an excellent meal. Each shop visited represented a course of the meal from wine, antipasto, all the way to dessert. Not only do you explore the incredible shops, Michele also enlightens you by explaining how the products and merchants relate regionally to Italy. You'll learn the history of Little Italy while exploring narrow streets fronted by a vast and varied array of shops and restaurants. Be assured that you will visit Little Italy the next day either to shop or enjoy an authentic Italian meal. Don't miss out on this exceptional tour. It was three information-packed hours that make for many happy memories of the North End and Boston.

We had a wonderful guide/ex-chef who gave us great insight into Italian American history, culture and cuisine. The stories were great, as were the shop-owners we met. The tour did not have the amount of food that others have had, but there was lots of variety and everything was delicious. We were delighted to return to the area later that night for dinner - an excellent recommendation from the guide. I'd definitely do this again.

We had a great time walking through the North End. We learned a lot and went back to buy some Italian goodies. Thank you for a great day.

It was very informative and the tour was a lot of fun to go on and provided many different tastes and experiences we wouldn't have gotten simply by exploring the North End on our own. Tour guide (Jim) knew his stuff, and was very open to questions. Good stuff

This tour of the North End was a lot of fun and educational as well. It was well worth the price and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different to do. We did the morning tour and that seems like the better way to go. The shops got much more crowded as the day went on.

We took the North End Market Tour with Jim as our guide. My husband and I, along with our 22-year old daughter, thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the tour with Jim's informative and entertaining comments. I would highly recommend this tour if you are interesting in seeing the "true" North End markets - away from the touristy area. We learned a lot about foods, and Italian cooking, plus very interesting historical facts. The shopkeepers were most helpful with providing information and samples to taste, as well as shopping opportunities. It's a top-notch tour, and we are looking forward to taking their other tour of Chinatown markets!