Boston Culinary and Food Tasting Tours by Michele Topor (North End Walking Sightseeing Tours)

Seller:	MicheleTopor
	Michele Topor, Inc.

Ratings Summary: Rating: 4.78

(858)
(All reviews for this seller)

	# of Reviews	Overall Rating	=	Positive Points	–	Negative Points	% Positive	Average Rating
Last 3 months	130	330		333		3	98%	4.7
Last 6 months	173	449		453		4	98%	4.8
Last 12 months	331	858		862		4	99%	4.8
All	867	2245		2263		18	99%	4.8

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About this seller (MicheleTopor)

Ratings by Activity
(Each activity's ratings from the last 12 months)

	Overall Rating	% Positive	Average Rating
North End Market Tour	796	99%	4.8
Boston Chinatown Market Tour	62	100%	4.8

Rating	Date Attended [v]	Reviewer	Gender	Age	Where From?	Group Type?
	Opens the door to a culinary and cultural world North End Market Tour
	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.
	Loved the tour and Michele North End Market Tour
	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.
	stimulates the mind and all the senses North End Market Tour
	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
	An excellent, entertaining, informative outing North End Market Tour
	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.
	Surprising Tour North End Market 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.
	very informative North End Market Tour
	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
	Don't miss this one! North End Market Tour
	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!
	Excellent overview of the "Little Italy" of Boston North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 27, 06 2:00 PM	lbrickne	Female	40-49	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	It was fun tasting the different samples and learning more detail on Itialian foods.
	Well worth it. Lots of fun... North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 27, 06 2:00 PM	tomcolucci	Male	40-49	Local	Other
	Michael did a great job taking us on a tour of the North End. His enthusiasm and his knowledge of of the neighborhood was more than evident throughout the afternoon. We thought the tour was well worth the money and a great way to spend some time learning about one of Boston's great neighborhoods..
	Fascinating, even for someone somewhat familar wit North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 27, 06 1:00 PM	SWozniak	Female	50-59	Local	Other
	h the North End. I loved the tour. As a young woman in Michigan, I often visited the home of an Italian friend, whose mother and aunts would gather, principally at Easter, but at other holidays as well, and bake wonderful pastries. For years, I tried to duplicate their lemon cheesecake, but, I am convinced that one needs to have been born Italian to do so. As a homemaker and avid cookbook reader, I began with Elizabeth David's volumes on French and Italian cookery and continued on to Marcella Hazen. Soon, I was searching used book stores for the classics of regional Italian cuisine and grabbing the new ones, like Marlena Dibiasi. Although my former husband claimed to have been a lover of Boston, we never dined in the North End and visited it just once, because my parents were in town. He's one of those belligerently unsophisticated Yankees who are convinced a good roast beef is the only way to eat. To him, Italian cooking was red sauce only, despite having been fed by Hazen's and Bastianich's recipes for years! After the divorce, I began making annual pilgrimages to Salumeria Italiana and drinking an espresso at ll Graffito before catching the commuter rail home. Three years ago, I discovered Cirace & Son. However, visiting familar territory in no way diminished the tour for me. It made it more pleasurable! The guide was knowledgeable and interesting and I found the history as valuable as the food tips. It was great to be in the company of a professional chef and to hear his recipes as he narrated the area. Tasting the olive oils, ices, meats, cheeses and produce was heavenly. The friendliness and good humor of the merchants was inviting. I confess I never liked Mike's, the one place everyone seems to identify first when the North End is mentioned, and now I know why: it's Italian American and not real Italian! After the tour, I bought a new espresso pot to replace my battered aluminum model with the cracked handle as well as the making for risi bisi. Unfortunately, I had to hurry off to meet a friend who wanted to see a movie (Da Vinci Code) that was a waste of time and my risi bisi had to wait until Memorial Day. Served along with strawberry shortcake, it made a lovely, albeit non-traditional, holiday meal. Even my curmudgeonly son enjoyed it!
	Terrific North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 27, 06 9:00 AM	mnickels	Female	50-59	Domestic Tourist(s)	Group of Friends
	We learned so much history of the area and enjoyed learning about all the shops. The treats were great and it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours. I would love to do it again!!!
	what a wonderful time North End Market Tour
	Fri, May 26, 06 10:00 AM	bowbird	Male	50-59	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The Guide, Michael, not only was pleasant and personable, but most intelligent and entertaining. We both not only enjoyed the tour, but learned so much about Boston , Italy and the foods of both. The personal insight into the area, and his obvious knowledge of Italian food was excellant. I would encourage anyone to take this tour. It was the highlight of our two week trip. My wife and I travel quite a bit and have taken many tours and excursions, but this one is at the top of the list. Two huge thumbs up. Bob and Cheryl Ernst Lancaster Pa
	maria's bakery North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 20, 06 1:00 PM	Gladding	Female	60-69	Local	Group of Friends
	My friend and I both bought bread at Maria's Bakery. I thought it seemed very hard to the touch, but the salesperson said it was soft on the inside. Both my friend and I found when we got home that the bread we purchased was hard as a rock, clear through, and we threw it out. This was a real disappointment as we had looked forward to getting some old fashioned Italian bread in the North End. Otherwise, the tour was fine. Shirley Gladding
	interesting to see local culture North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 20, 06 10:00 AM	taffychloe	Female	50-59	Domestic Tourist(s)	Group of Friends
	Very enjoyable. It is always interesting to get a local perspective on a city. I loved the old buildings and the background information given by Michele. It seemed at times that we were transported to another time, besides another culture. I would do it again, when I bring my husband back to Boston.
	A Pleasant Experience North End Market Tour
	Sat, May 20, 06 9:00 AM	npcordy	Female	40-49	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	My sister and I (we are of Italian descent) took our husbands (two Irishmen) on the walking tour for their birthdays. We thought they would enjoy it, but were happily surprised that all four of us LOVED it. Dick was our colorful guide and did a great job taking us through the history of the North End, introducing us to all the shopkeepers who were all warm and friendly, and sharing his knowledge and experiences with us. The food and drink samples were terrific, even at nine in the morning! Michele Topor came into Maria's Bakery while we were enjoying some delicious treats. I highly recommend the tour to anyone who loves Italian cooking, food and culture! I will definitely make a point of going back to some of the shops in the future.

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