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

Seller:	MicheleTopor
	Michele Topor, Inc.

Ratings Summary: Rating: 4.80

(902)
(All reviews for this seller)

	# of Reviews	Overall Rating	=	Positive Points	–	Negative Points	% Positive	Average Rating
Last 3 months	132	355		357		2	98%	4.8
Last 6 months	213	567		571		4	98%	4.8
Last 12 months	343	902		906		4	99%	4.8
All	920	2400		2418		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	819	99%	4.8
Boston Chinatown Market Tour	83	100%	4.9

Rating	Date Attended [v]	Reviewer	Gender	Age	Where From?	Group Type?
	If you love food & cooking, you'll love this tour. North End Market Tour
	Wed, Sep 28, 05 10:00 AM	suzanne33065	Female	50-59	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	I whole heartedly recommend this tour! I purchased these tickets as a surprise to my husband. We're Flordians and visit Boston at least once a year for a medical conference. We always scout the North End and I hoped he would enjoy the tour as I read the reviews..taking into consideration anyone else's disappointments. We did both thoroughly enjoy it. Michele Torpor is passionate about Italian food and her neighborhood which makes this tour all the more interesting and personal. The selection of stops were very noteworthy and her knowledge of Italian history in relation to cooking and food is formidable. Chef Torpor was excellent as a tour guide and only briefly lost my husband's attention in the wine store where our tour originated (he was overwelmed at the great selection there). My husband has been a serious cook for over thirty years and was thrilled at the information he learned and the sources for the excellent ingredients that he garnered. Wear comfortable shoes and either bring some bottled water or a large coffee. You won't be disappointed and you'll love Boston all the more. DON'T MISS IT!!
	MMMMMMMMM North End Market Tour
	Wed, Sep 28, 05 10:00 AM	tamiminich	Female	40-49	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	Michele was very informative. Her love of food is infectious. We toured small shops that we would never have ventured into, not being from the area. Three hours + passed like one hour. Michele moved right along and provided not only a tour, but information valuable to our healthy eating habits.
	Educational and Fun North End Market Tour
	Fri, Sep 23, 05 3:00 PM	beverly	Female	60-69	Domestic Tourist(s)	Individual
	Hated it when this tour was over. The time passed quickly as we were being educated about the Noth End, There was a perfect blend of history, food products, cooking techniques, and samples. You really experience first hand the feeling of "community" that permeates this part of Boston.
	Special and informative North End Market Tour
	Fri, Sep 23, 05 10:00 AM	campbellito	Female	30-39	Unspecified	Unspecified
	I suppose that with each guide the tour is a little bit different, but I learned so much about this unique section of town. I'm all the way from Seattle, and love to visit Boston in general - but if you have any interest in the Italian culture, the influence it has on the North End, or want an introduction to authentic Italian foods and ingredients, then you should take this tour. The North End is such a closely knit neighborhood that some of our tour stops I'd never have gone in before the tour because they were the very blood in the veins of the subculture; I would have felt a bit like I was intruding! This isn't a restaurant tour, and this isn't a cooking tour - it is the tour to discover how to find the authentic ingredients and tools to cook like a chef and learn little history along the way! If you do choose to shop after the tour, make sure you have plenty of cash. There was one shop that I stopped in that didn't take credit cards; it was such a unique, old fashioned corner grocer that I really didn't expect it to either!
	Have fun discovering a great neighbourhood North End Market Tour
	Fri, Sep 23, 05 10:00 AM	debfinn	Female	40-49	Combination	Unspecified
	The North End Market Tour was a great way to get to know this little gem of a neighbourhood. The pace of the tour was perfect for getting to know what the area had to offer and our guide was both interesting and well-informed. The shops we visited were well-chosen and we had the pleasure of sampling some really wonderful products. The balsamic vinegar we tasted in one shop was so incredible that I had to bring a bottle of it home with me and I can't get the gorgeous fresh figs we sampled on another of our stops out of my mind! All in all, this was one of the best tours I have ever participated in, anywhere in the world. I found myself making a mental list of all the people I know who would have as great a time taking this walking tour as I did. Be sure I will spread the word to everyone I know who is looking for something really unusual to do in Boston!
	Very interesting Boston North End tour North End Market Tour
	Wed, Sep 21, 05 10:00 AM	CarolW	Female	50-59	International Tourist(s)	Individual
	I found the tour very enjoyable and interesting particularly the information provided about the early settlement and later inhabitants of the North End of Boston and their culinary history.
	New appreciate for what the North End has to offer North End Market Tour
	Wed, Sep 21, 05 10:00 AM	katiefitz	Female	40-49	Local	Family Without Children
	We were a bit disappointed that Michelle Topor didn't give the tour, but our guide did have deep insight into the North End. We discovered some shops that we would not have otherwise found on our own and learned what to buy at the various spots that we visited on the tour.
	Fantastic - some history, sampling & touring North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 17, 05 1:00 PM	cjbooth	Female	50-59	Local	Family With Children
	I would highly recommend the tour to anyone who would like to experience the North End. Learn about the history of the North End, as well as their heritage in Italy. Michelle is fun, knowledgeable and interesting. I would suggest you bring paper and pen to jot down notes.
	Fabulous, Informative, Delicious! North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 17, 05 1:00 PM	pider09	Female	50-59	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	This tour could easily be an hour longer. Michele is an excellent guide and provides a great deal of information, including history and things you would never even have thought of, e.g., the origin of being caught "red-handed"! She is terrific and my husband and I are considering taking the tour again the next time we visit Boston. There is not one negative thing we experienced on this tour.
	Great overview of the North End North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 17, 05 10:00 AM	KellyAnn29	Female	20-29	Combination	Other
	I was able to see another side of Boston. I discovered a few new places that I wouldn't have otherwise known. My suggestion to improve the tour: It seems that most people were not from the area. I think that places like the seafood market were not an essential part because noone is from the area and would go there for seafood. I thought finding out about more restaurants would've been a bigger part of the tour, but this was just given as a handout and not part of what we saw or discussed on the tour. It seemed a little more focused on things that would be great for people that lived in the area and not so much for people who visit from time to time. Overall, I am more familar with the Boston area, which is great. I just wished it had given a little more info. on the restaurants. We were looking for a good lunch spot and most of the recommendations where for dinner. If they are going to stick with seeing places with unique foods then I think it would be great to give recipes for the foods they are showing. Thanks! Hope this helps.
	Interesting tour, probably more so with Michele T. North End Market Tour
	Wed, Sep 14, 05 2:00 PM	msanvic	Female	30-39	Combination	Group of Friends
	I liked the tour, but I knew I would regardless as I like to eat, learn about food and at the same time get the bonus of learning about one of Boston's neighborhoods. My friend who is a local got more out of it than I did as he can go back and try Maria's Bakery or some of the restaurants pointed out. After reading all the reviews (before and after my tour), I do get the impression that being with Michele as your guide, you get a better experience. Others write about learning trivia, etc that made it more interesting... we did not have that. Our guide (a male) was fine, but I have to admit that I found him at times talking more about where we should stand in a store or on the street than sharing city/food knowledge, and he never made a recommendation on his tastes.. it was always 'Michele recommends this or that"... Part of what makes a great tour is when the guide is passionate and full of energy... people gravitate towards that. I just get the feeling that those who had Michele had the energy, passion and fun much more than what I experienced.
	A fun afternoon! North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 10, 05 2:00 PM	LMirandi	Female	40-49	Domestic Tourist(s)	Group of Friends
	I thoroughly enjoyed the tour! I can't wait to go back and do some shopping on my own and dine at one of the many restaurants! I was totally unfamiliar with the North End and now can't wait to do some more exploring there.
	Enjoyed Immensely North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 10, 05 2:00 PM	jlwolf	Female	40-49	Local	Group of Friends
	Had a wonderful time. Learned lots and lots about the various North End markets and how to shop at each. Recommend to anyone who enjoys cooking with different ingredients.
	Not worth the value North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 10, 05 10:00 AM	ChefDianeTX	Female	40-49	Domestic Tourist(s)	Individual
	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.
	Highly recommended! North End Market Tour
	Sat, Sep 10, 05 10:00 AM	thealy	Female	30-39	Domestic Tourist(s)	Family Without Children
	I highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys Italian cooking and culture. Not to mention, the North End is one of the best Italian neighborhoods in the US.