Michele Topor, Inc.

Loved it. Much fun. Would recommend to friends.

very informative tour and fun out guide was very good I enjoyed all the markets and shops we visited I will go on the Chinatown tour in the spring

We both love food, and we both thought we knew a bit about Italian cooking. Little did we know that every stop along this tour would turn our assumptions on their head and teach us something new about this delicious cuisine. Our tour guide struck exactly the right note, giving us heaps of information without boring us at all. We were interested in everything he had to say. Did you know that what we think of as cinnamon is actually something called "cassia"? The real stuff, which you get to experience on the tour, will blow you away. Same goes for the marzipan, which I typically hate, but couldn't get enough of at Maria's Pastry Shop. (Don't even think about going to Mike's!) And balsamic vinegar--don't get me started! The bottom line is that you'll walk away from this tour with a far greater understanding and appreciation for Italian food, and with a massive craving for some North End goodness! Make sure to book a spot (Monica's Trattoria is fantastic and takes reservations) or plan in some extra time afterward to browse the local restaurants. Your guide, I'm sure, will be happy to point you in the right direction. We can't wait to take their Chinatown tour!

It was great! I highly recommend it

We have been to the North End many times over the years and have tried many of the restaurants but taking this tour has opened my eyes to the many other stores and vendors in the area. Getting us off Hanover St. to the other stores and vendors was an eye opening experience. I will be visiting the deli, stores and bakeries Jim took us to on our next trip to the North End. I also hope to take the Chinatown tour with Jim in the future. He was great! Thanks for a great day despite the weather.

Although I have lived 20 miles north my entire life, I have never explored Boston's North End. Our tour guide, Beth, was very informative, and we learned a great deal. I appreciated the hand-outs at the end with good tips! It was great to meet the storekeepers. The weather on Saturday was horrible - the only thing worse would've been snow! It was a nor'easter - strong winds, torrential rain. Everyone was dressed for the elements, however! For the price, I would have liked the tour to have been a bit longer, adding a couple more stops. But, it really was fun, in spite of the weather! Our group was (3) life-long friends celebrating our birthdays.

This past Sat. in the pouring rain, my friends and I totally enjoyed the North End Market Tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable, well-spoken, and well-prepared. We had prepared ourselves for a morning of just looking and learning, not tasting, but we were pleasantly surprised to be able to taste products in many of the shops we visited. We learned a lot about the history of the North End and about a wide variety of products. The handouts our guide distributed will help us remember what we heard. At the close of the tour we went back to several shops to purchase specialty items. It was a terrific experience. The only caveat would be, just as they say in their information, to wear comfortable clothes and footwear appropriate for the weather. We were decked out in slickers, so most of us were fine, but you can't count on good weather. Highly recommend this to anyone interested in Italian cooking and, even better, eating! Even in the rain, we had a wonderful time.

I would recommend this tour.

Having grown up in a family who enjoyed "cucina di povere", our experience with North End Market Tour was fabulous! Jim helped us remember the times and ways of our grandparents and families. The tour provided us with an opportunity to visit shops that we later revisited. We have shared our experiences with other family members and are looking forward to our next trip to Boston with them! It will be another great day reliving our Italian heritage! We'll fill up our shopping bags with our good finds! I would highly recommend the tour for anyone but especially for people who, like us, lived this way of life! As an aside, our families truly survived with cucina di povere. They ate from the gardens as well as the land. Our family still enjoys (I am sorry that I do not know how to write the Italian dialect!) day-old bread with cabbage, potato and bread in a marinara sauce, spizzatta, and back in the 50's and 60's meats from hunted animals, i.e. rabbit, squirrel, pigeons, black birds, deer, fish, clams, quahogs. I remember going to the beach with the clan in three cars crammed with all the children and the "gravy" and home-made pasta and all the pans to cook them on the shore while the men and children enjoyed the day digging for quahogs! I also remember eating organ meats, knowing now that they were what the family could afford. One of my favorites was something my grandmother called what sounds like sou-freet: a dish in a light marinara sauce containing heart, gizzards, and lung. Delish! My grandfather and uncles always made their own wine in their cellars. When my grandparents' house recently sold, I asked the new owner, whom I happened to know, if he could still smell the wine down there. He can't but admitted that he had determined that that cellar would make a good wine cellar.

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent trip to Boston and the highlight was the tour into the North End . Our tour guide, Jim, gave us so much information, I wished I could have taken better notes , as I now have to decipher them, but I got the emails for stores I can send away for olive oils and hopefully wonderful cheese I never even heard of before. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves to cook and wants to just learn more about Italian culture and cooking.

we loved the North End Market tour- mostly it was the expertise and plesaant demeanot of the tour guide, Jim, that made for a one of a kind experience. Thanks so much for your professionalism. I appreciated that no tips were solicited- I hope he is well paid.

Enjoyed learning about the culture and history of the North End as well as visiting the shops.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide (Jim?) was very knowledgeable about the North End as well as Italian food and cooking in general. Loved the food samples....left me wanting more. :) I did return to Maria's pastry shop to get a cannoli and some more macaroons....which didn't last too long. Enjoyed learning about the culture and history of the area as well as learning more about cooking techniques and recommendations. Enjoyed the restaurant recommendations given by our tour guide. We went to a place he recommended for lunch and enjoyed the food a lot. Wish we would have had time to do the Chinatown tour too!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes to cook and appreciates fresh, premium ingredients! Our tour guide was very interesting and well informed.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. We will never shop for or eat italian food the same. We learned so much and loved all of the sampling. It was a wonderful experience. Thank you Michelle!