Michele Topor, Inc.

My best friend and I had a wonderful time. We saw much that was "authentic" Italian. We learned a lot of history about the North End, sampled some delicious food, and will definitely will go back and shop in the stores we went into. We also learned some interesting facts and information about which parts of italy produces specific products. I would DEFINITELY recommend this tour. It would make a great gift !

Informatiave and entertaining, Excellent and knowledgeable guide who provided great information, was responsive to questions and the needs of the group

Guide knew his stuff, very informative and great rapport with the group. Learned a lot, would take the tour again and others offered.

Group of 6 women. Some have done this tour before but not recently. We chose to do the morning session, a time when it is much less crowded on the streets and in the shops. Our guide was prompt and very well informed (not Michele who operates the tour, but definitely as well informed and pleasant!). A brief history of the North End was included at the start of the tour, but this is NOT an historical tour or a tour of the North End per se. Throughout the tour, our guide discussed Italian cooking and eating throughout the different areas of Italy. Handouts were provided of the markets we stopped in, plus several others mentioned. A listing of local restaurants including brief info on them was distributed. This was definitely a helpful addition to the tour. At every stop we were offered "samples" for tasting and this was much more than our last trip and greatly appreciated! One really was able to test the difference,say, in pine nuts produced in different world areas. Also a few of the markets provided informational handouts. This is definitely a tour I would do again. It also whets your appetite to return and explore all of the neighborhood as well as revisit many of the markets. The tour directions for driving were easy and accurate and parking was reasonably priced and easily accessible. The only potential downside, which we did NOT encounter, would be rainy or otherwise inclement weather as much of the time we were outdoors. Also, if you need a bathroom, they are available as described in the tour info, but one should really plan to not need one until the tour is done! We had an excellent experience overall!

While the information was good and the sample's a treat - I thought for the price it wasn't worth the value. Maybe if the groups are smaller they wouldn't be so militant about where we stood in the shops/sidewalks. They made us stand on the street at the vegetable market - I think they could have let a few at a time go in if they were interested. And you couldn't always hear the tour guide because of the size of the group. The secret scoop about the restaurants didn't exist. It was fun for me because otherwise I would have been walking around by myself.

I spent my 1st morning of a week in Boston on this tour. It was so wonderful! I returned twice with friends to shop and eat. It was such a treat! If you happen to be traveling alone or have some time to yourself in Boston, don't hesitate to sign up for the tour. There were several people on our tour that came alone. Four of us even stayed after the morning tour and had lunch together. It was an unexpected treat to make 3 new friends. We also learned that several of the stores have websites to order from when you get home.

This is one of the best tours, outside of Italy itself, that I have ever been on. Michelle is just perfect and oh so knowledgable. I guess being from an Italian-American home and having already been to Italy, the tour just hit the right cord. I can remember my Dad would take me to the nut shop after dinner, and somtimes we would stop by a bakery in Little Italy, NYC, for a slice of pizza. Michelle was able to bring all these memories back for me and gave me new meaning to the old traditions of my family. Thank you Michelle and I hope to see you soon. Warmest Regards, Charles & Michelle Costa

My husband and I have taken several culinary tours in major cities in the US. This North End Tour was the best by far. Our guide was a chef and historian and was very entertaining and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the North End. Dick did a phenomenal job sharing the history of the neighborhood and introducing us to the cuisine. It was very informative and very interesting. We absolutely loved it and would do it again.

Our leader was well prepared, a wealth of information, quite knowledgable and very enthusiastic. We loved the places we visited and the food samples we tried. The Dim Sum luncheon was most enjoyable. We would highly recommend this tour to others. It was well worth the price.

This was a nice opportunity to learn more about the Italian cuisine and history of the North End in Boston. We appreciated the selection of venues, and the historical perspectives offered. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.

It was a very fun and unique way to spend the afternoon. I enjoyed the tour and getting an inside look at the North End neighborhood but felt the tickets were a bit on the pricey side.

We've lived near Boston for almost 40 years and hadn't taken a "real" tour of the North End. Wish we'd done this tour years ago. Have all ready recommended the outing to several friends and family members to take advantage of this memorable outing.

We enjoyed our tour of the North End very much. Our guide "Jim" was very knowledgeable about the food and history of the Italian's that lived, and now live in the North End. It is a great tour for anyone that wants to know more about Italian cooking. My husband and I have tried many olive oils, but liked the one Jim recommended so well we are taking 2 bottles home with us. Thanks for the great time.

excellent tour of the north end. i live in the area and went with my parents who came in from out of town. for the price, i would have expected more food samples and was a bit disappointed in that respect. that said, it is very informative for locals and lends a good grasp of where speciality items in the north end can be found. summary: too expensive for what it was, but all in all an enjoyable experience.