Michele Topor, Inc.

Well worth the time and money

Our tour guide, Jim, was so knowledgeable about the folklore, food, customs and traditions of the people who have shaped the history of Boston's North End. We thoroughly enjoyed the tastings, and getting to meet the shop owners and merchants. They welcomed us like family, and were so informative and gracious. After the tour, we ate dinner at one of the restaurants recommended on the list, and it was a culinary treat! We took back desserts from 2 bakeries to my daughter's friends at Boston College, and they were promptly consumed, garnering rave reviews. We have already recommended this tour to friends back home, and will continue to spread the word!

Jim, an x-chef, was our guide. He provided a fascinating perspective of the people and eateries including the history of the North End that was very interesting that it made the time fly by. We spent from 10 - 20 minutes at each purveyor as Jim explained the customs and food of the Italian immeigrants who settled there before the turn of the century forward. While we enjoyed some of the tastings of authentic Italian food, we would have preferred it to be more of a dining experience than sample tastings. We participated in a similar culinary tour in NY that included 3 kinds of pizza, wine and cheese and unusual local foods that made the experience more enjoyable but the tidbits of information Jim shared will provide a lifetime of memories. Great tour!

My husband and I really enjoyed this informative and educational tour. If you are a foodie, this tour is highly recommended. If you love Italian food, this is the place to go and explore. The restaurants are fabulous. The shops and restaurants that were recommended are excellent and brought back lots of Italian goodies to Hawaii. Maria's sister Enza from Maria's Pastry Shop packed our pastries and cookies so well every piece arrived without a scratch. Everything we tried was superb but the Ameretti or almond macaroons were simply the best. Our guide Jim Becker was very informative and easy to understand. We even ran into another tour group and their guide seemed just as passionate and enthusiastic. This tour is a great start to explore the North End of Boston.

Excellent, informative, fun, rewarding, interactive. I enjoyed the tour, the tour guide and even the other people on the tour! I plan on taking it again and again.

My daughter and I did this tour together and really enjoyed it. We are foodies anyway and love to cook things that are good for you. The tastings were very nice and the small shops so accomodating. We went back to some of them afterwards to purchase a few things. The guide was excellent. This was just a very memorable time with my daughter who is in grad school in Boston.

The tour was a little different than I expected. There was more discussion about the history and culture, including the food, of the local Italian community as well as discussion about "true" Italian food. Although a little different than expected, we all (2 adults and one 10 year old) had a great time. We will definitely do the Chinese tour next time we are in Boston.

Anyone with even a passing interest in cooking and eating will be delighted with this tour. The knowledgeable guide, the unique markets, the delicious samples, the fascinating information, the North End itself -- all were a recipe for a perfect afternoon. I've been on similar tours in other places and this one was by far the best.

This tour was everything that I hoped it would be and more! Beth our guide, was terrific. She added great stories, shared recipes and took a personal interest in the members of the group. The store owners and employees were outgoing, which was to be expected but you never know. They didn't disappoint one bit! In fact, one couple was celebrating their first anniversary and we were all treated to a slice of their anniv. cake, compliments of Maria's Bakery and Beth. It was the topping to a wonderful 3 hours! This tour brought back a lot of family memories of growing up Italian. Being able to participate in this experience with a family member was a treat! I've never been a great cook but I feel confident that I can be. Beth shared with us how to look for the best ingredients and how to find quality!! I will frequent these shops whenever I'm in Boston. You could tell that Beth was a teacher. She gave us some handouts which saved us from taking notes. This way, we were able to concentrate fully on what she was sharing. I will definitely do this tour again and recommend it highly to friends and family. Although the ad said that lunch was not included, I felt that the samplings that we got were more than adequate. I was pretty stuffed when I left the tour and very content! Thanks to Michele's foresight in developing this great tour. How about doing a special tour occasionally with Michele for those of us who might like another experience?

This was a terrific tour...fun, educational and brought back many memories (saw many visions of my Italian grandmother in our travels though the North End neighborhood streets and stores). We all had a fabulous time and are still smiling and talking about what we learned and what a great day we had! We have enthusiastically recommended this tour to friends, family and co-workers!

My husband and I did the tour and we both enjoyed it. i just wish that we could of bought more things to bring back home. We are from PA, so it made it a littler harder, with flying. We are going to try to order on line some of the items that we tryed. We are also going to cook a little differently. I would recomment this tour to anyone. It would make a really good girl weekend trip.

Having taken the wonderful North End Market Tour several years ago, we looked forward to this Market Tour of Chinatown and were not disappointed. Jim, the leader, is informative about food, Chinese history and language, and this area specifically. The shops chosen are both unique to Chinatown and traditional in products. The highlight is the dim sum lunch. We knew nothing about these wonderful dishes (other than Chinese buffets at a hometown restaurant) and would have had no idea of how to order them or even find a restaurant specializing in them. Absolutely great! Attitude is everything: be prepared to have the opportunity to taste unusual and unexpected things....it's worth it!

The tour guide was extremely knowledgeble, with lots of interesting facts and personal stories of Chinatown. Food was wonderful, really enjoyed the Dim Sum luncheon at the end. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

I loved the North End Market tour. As a daughter of Italian heritage and an avid viewer of the Food Network I thought this tour was perfect. We got to tour the best variety of stores and taste delicious foods. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and very well known in the neighborhood. He shared his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood and his thoughts on recipes and using the different ingredients we were able to taste. My husband and I had a great time and suggest it to anyone who is interested in cooking and the Italian culture!

My son (age 23) and I took this tour on 8/21/09. I was the one that really wanted to go. He offered to come along since my husband only had time for business. After all we had seen and done during our short time in Boston, my son and I agreed we enjoyed our North End Market Tour the most. We wish we could have stayed longer and took the tour of China Town. Jim Becker was our guide and he did a fantastic job.