North End Market Tour

Tons of info provided re food, restaurants...also great recommendations and history of the area.

Chris has evidently been involved with North End restaurants in the past; she is knowledgeable about the history of the North End's immigration waves and long-time restaurant owners; she is an enthusiastic cook and willingly shares tips and recipes; she was thoroughly prepared (we had the opportunity for a "tasting" at each place we stopped); and had an overall terrific time. Although 3 hours seems like a long time, it flew by and we had a chance to "rest our feet" occasionally. Shopkeepers welcomed her and our group of 8 (mostly out of town tourists). Be sure to give her a nice tip at the conclusion ... she works hard at giving us a good time and it is the polite thing to do.

John was very knowledgeable and personable. There were five of us in the group and he made us feel like friends though we hadn't met most of the others before. The merchants were very welcoming and provided tasty treats. The information we received has and will continue to influence our choice of products. We look forward to future visits to the North End to shop and eat.

Took the tour on a Friday morning, had only 1 other couple on the tour for a total of 4 people. Our guide was Jim , a former chef, who was very interesting and knowledgeable. I wasn't sure I would enjoy the tour or learn much since I have been coming to the North End for years. But I learned a little history, interesting food facts, and found some great new spots to shop & eat at. It was a nice way to get to know the neighborhood better and fun to do something a little different in the city. I plan on taking the Chinatown tour soon.

I booked this tour with my husband and 3 children in their 20's. We are Italian but the other reviews said it would be interesting and we would see and learn about new things. True we did learn a few new things. But the tour was soooo slow and much too dragged out! We spent 45 min in a pastry shop discussing every pastry. My kids were very bored and almost fell asleep. I do want to say our guide was very nice. It's just that the tour was about 1.5 hours too long. Sorry but don't waste your money. Just go to the stores yourself. It would be more fun.

The tour was excellent. It was informative and the time went by quickly. The informational sheets distributed by the guide were very informative. On tour, when I took a deep breath in some of the stores and closed my eyes I could imagine being back in Italy. My only suggestion is that the tours be limited to a maximum of eight people per tour because the shops are small and space is at a premium in each store. We had thirteen people on our tour and the customers at the stores intermingled with us (that was fine) but the stores got very crowded at times and left little room for the people on the tour to maneuver out of the way of the paying customers while trying to pay attention to the narrative provided by our guide.

Even though we are natives and live locally, we learned lots of history and were exposed to markets and foods that we were unaware of.

This was a wonderful tour of the North End. Our guide was pleasant and extremely well informed. We learned a lot about the history of the North End, as well as the cooking techniques in northern, central, and southern Italy. Our tastings were delicious! Well worth going to. Polly Shumaker

We felt most fortunate to have Michele herself as our guide for our Saturday 1 PM tour (though I'm sure all of her staff are equally engaging, informative, and entertaining). Her first-hand knowledge of the area, Italian culture, culinary heritage, dietary and health benefits of particular foods & preparation methods, and overall history / dynamics of the North End are shared with true passion and energy - an affection also shown by many of the small shop-keepers and their families who we encountered on the tour. The pace is relaxed & the small group size (10) encourages more personal interaction. A diverse sampling of spices and foods from several establishments further enhance the experience. Highly recommended.

Michele took us on an adventure back in time through Boston's historic North End. Our visit through this wonderful neighborhood extended back to its origin to where it is today. She showed us how people today still enjoy, live, eat and celebrate life in the richness of Italian heritage near and dear to my heart. My love of cooking and my ancestry is an essential part of who I am and how I live. It is so reassuring and heartwarming to share this delight with Michele as she seems to love it and treasure it as well. Her knowledge of the North End and its culture is amazing, her love of the people who surround it is obvious and her preservation of this wonderful place and its culture through this memorable tour is astounding. Not only was it a tour of the neighborhood but an ongoing culinary lesson on how and why foods were made, served and savored. Lessons for a lifetime. Sampling foods along the way only enhanced the history and reaffirmed my love for my heritage. It was sad it had to end. It was the most enjoyable 3 1/2 hours ever. Thank you, Michele, you were a delight!