In October 2023 I was happy to put another notch in my Boston food tour belt, adding Boston Foodie Tours to my list of wonderful tours that I’ve done in Bean Town. Luckily for me it’s just a quick hop on the Boston Express Bus into downtown Boston, and the rest is on foot. It was actually Halloween, and I was in town to see my favorite band, Depeche Mode, at TD Garden that night. It made perfect sense to head down a little early and fit in a food tour to pass the hours.
Audrey, the owner of the company, was a wonderful hostess and I enjoyed our intimate little group with only another lovely couple from California. The North End Neighborhood Tour was just what I needed.
There are a few food tour companies in the North End and they each have their own perspective. For Audrey, it’s exploring the award winning chefs, dishes, and restaurants of Little Italy. And by awards, I’m talking James Beard awards, Best of Boston awards, food recognized by the New York Times and Trip Advisor, places featured on Food Network shows and those frequented by celebrities. There is a lot, of course, going on in this little neighborhood.
James Beard Award Winning Pizza
Our first tasting took us to Umbertos’ iconic pizza that TripAdvisor ranked the #1 in the country twice! This was a new one for me, having never been there before. Neat place!
Audrey is a wealth of information about the North End, but what makes it so special is that she really knows the people in the neighborhood so you feel like you get an insider’s glimpse of life in this community. We enjoyed tastings at a number of exceptional award-winning restaurants, bakeries, and shops.
When you have visited the North End and done enough Boston food tours like I have, you will definitely see some overlap in the tasting locations. Pretty much any tour will take you through Bova’s, Polcari’s, Bricco, and Modern Pastry…… and that’s ok!! They are institutions for a reason. You can always enjoy them no matter how many times you have been there.
We stopped by the incredible Modern Pastry to pick up cannolis to go! These were boxed up so we could enjoy them after the tour.
Dinner Course At Family-Owned Limoncello
My favorite part? A sit down meal at award-winning, family owned Limoncello with bread, olives, pasta, and a delightful glass of chilled limoncello to finish up the tasting. We were able to purchase an additional drink so of course I chose the classic Aperol Spritz. Limoncello is a gorgeous restaurant but my goodness, they have pretty bad food photos on their website.
We enjoyed an incredible rosette pasta with one of their famous meatballs.
There was no time to rest! We had such a great time chatting like family over dinner that I lost track of time. I realized I was about to be late for my reservation over at Guy Fieri’s restaurant Tequila Cocina. I bolted, on foot, over to TD Garden. I actually made it on time, for some trash can nachos and margaritas before the Depeche Mode show!
And as an added bonus, it was Halloween, so by the time I left the group, dusk was falling and I enjoyed seeing all the kids trick or treating in the neighborhood. 
If you follow all of Audrey’s recommendations and suggestions for other notable eateries, you could plan out your whole Boston visit with top-notch experiences. I highly recommend this tour as part of your Boston visit, but make sure to do it at the START so that you can follow up with all the places you will discover!
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New Hampshire Food Photography
Erika Follansbee is a published Goffstown, NH food photographer whose job is to make food look amazing. She is available for hire to help small restaurants and cafes to create beautiful images of their dishes to use for marketing, websites, and social media. Magazine-quality food images are the best form of advertisement.
Erika is also a wedding photographer. Visit www.erikafollansbee.com for more information.
