
I expected luscious Italian food in my mouth during the Boston North End Italian market tour I just returned from, but I didn’t realize I would also learn shocking facts about my own kitchen and city.

Our tour group of a dozen folks from around the country assembled at 10am just past the Haymarket T station. Before us opened the (hungry) mouth of the North End: Boston’s “Little Italy,” a famed commercial neighborhood that has been continuously inhabited since 1630.

After we all introduced ourselves, our guide gave us a brief historical overview of the North End. Here was the first shocker: the North End used to have a huge Jewish population, and “Salem Street” was once called “Shalom Street!” For a Jewish gal like me, this was an exciting new fact about my home city.

Our tour’s first culinary stop was an Italian bakery, but NOT the famous one (which I shall keep nameless, as I’ve never liked it much) that all the tourists flock to on Hanover Street. Rather, the small gem we toured, “Maria’s,” is low-key, authentic, and scrumptious. Plus it has a fluffy cat.

To our ecstasy, after talking through the different types of Italian pastries in the shop, our guide (a former chef!) pulled out a platter with bite-sized samples. Given that I have the pregnancy symptom of being madly hungry all the time, I embraced these nuggets with gusto.

Our tour waved to the bakery and moseyed down the European-style streets to our next destination…

A pasta shop! We all squeezed into the cozy space at DePasquale’s and I giggled, taking photos of the tentacles you see below. Little did I know, my culinary world was about to be rocked.

You see, it was at this spot that our guide began to educate us about olive oil and balsamic vinegar. As the flavorful yellow oil slipped onto my tongue from the tasting spoon, the guide revealed that much of the “olive oil” in today’s supermarkets is fake, being mixed with safflower and other lies. Further, since olive oil only lasts a year or so, most of us have been using rancid oil. Nooo!

Then came an education on balsamic vinegar. In fact, true balsamic vinegar is pure and expensive, but much of what we clamor to buy in our American stores is actually a mess of mediocre vinegar, sugar, and food coloring! And I thought I was so cool with my low-budget balsamic drizzles…

In a tragic twist for those of us incubating a mini-human in our abdomens, our guide then passed out prosciutto slices on fresh bread. This was sad because preggo ladies are advised not to eat cold cuts, as we are at greater listeria risk. I glared in jealous rage at my friend Angel the whole time he enjoyed his snack.

Next up was Polcari’s: a charming old-world coffee, spice, and random food store that’s been operating since 1932. Feast your eyes on this rainbow of goods! I’m reminded of the colors of the Glass Museum in the Finger Lakes, NY!

In Polcari’s, we were aghast to learn that what we call “cinnamon” is actually a cheaper spice called “cassia.” We got to smell and feel real cinnamon versus cassia, and my culinary world was rocked again.
Then, our guide revealed that what is marketed as “Nutella” in America is in fact quite different from the healthier (!) version sold in Europe, having over three times the sugar, along with trans-fats and inferior ingredients. Argh. The delusions that have been swirling in my kitchen!

Our tour’s penultimate stop was Alba Produce: a wee, unmarked produce market at which we were presented with a glorious plate of figs, fennel, and cabbage. Crunch! I’ve never thought much about fennel, but you may now count me as a… fan-(nel).

I put lots of figs in my mouth and was happy. Outside on the narrow street, we laughed about how the movie “The Town” (one of a recent barrage of Boston gang movies) features a car chase in the North End. It’s hard to drive 2 miles an hour on those tiny streets, let alone race through in pursuit!

Through all of this, I kept thinking of the time I’ve spent in Italy itself. In my experience, the stereotype of Italy having incredible food is very, very true, so our Boston North End tour’s emphasis on finding the most authentically Italian markets and eateries was much appreciated.

Our three-hour tour was drawing to a close, with one final stop. Monica’s Mercato called to us…

Plump homemade ravioli winked out from the display case. Our guide explained that many “Heat and Eat” markets have sprung up in the North End for those who live there and have no time or inclination to cook. Those lucky North End residents!

Thus concluded our yummy North End food market tour. Angel and I headed home satiated from the snacks and dizzy from the surprises we’d learned. Thanks, Boston Food Tours, for a wonderful tour!
We were guests of Zerve Tours, but all olive oil shocks, tentacle photos, and fig chomping are my own.
Last Updated on
Suki W. says
The reason that there is a Little Italy in Boston is kind of a funny story. When the state house was being constructed, the architect decided that American stone carvers were not good enough to work with Italian stone (which is what some of the interior is made of). So, he had some Italian stone carvers come over from Italy, and some of them liked it so much that they decided to stay, and raise their families here. Thus, we have Little Italy.
Lillie says
That’s a riot!
Franca says
The food in this store seems pretty authentic from the look of it and it’s an Italian who is saying it. It’s amazing you can find figs, cabbage, fresh fennel, Italian bread, fresh homemade pasta… awesome!
Lillie says
So good to know!
Melissa says
This post made me HUNGRY!!!! Figs, yes!
Aleah | SolitaryWanderer.com says
I would LOVE to go on a food trip there!
Mary @ Green Global Travel says
Food tour seem like a great way to get a feel for the culture of an area. It’s great that your tour guide chef was able to share some little-known history with you too.
amelie88 says
Don’t worry, the European Nutella is not that much healthier! A few years ago I watched a video on Youtube of a French guy doing an experiment with a jar of Nutella. He left the jar in his car in the hot summer sun for a few hours. After retrieving the jar, he opened it up and poured the palm oil which had separated from the chocolate into a glass while it had baked in the heat. It filled the entire glass! It was pretty eye opening (and gross!). He was making a point about false advertisement about the percentages of certain ingredients in Nutella. The English version of the video is here if you’d like to watch it: https://youtube.com/watch?v=h99_vkuRmtc
Apart from the Nutella thing, your tour looked like a lot of delicious fun!
Lillie says
Yipes!!!
Steph says
I took the same tour, with the same guide (and stuffed myself just as much without any baby excuse). It really is an interesting place and I found myself back in the area hte next day in search of cannolis!
Lillie says
Awesome!!!
Gabi (The Nomadic Family) says
Wow……those foods looks really delicious.I hope you enjoyed your tour.By the way, nice top.
Gail says
Lillie,
You look all a-glow! And thank you for the North End tour….so scrumptious!
Travelogged says
Cool — I’ve never been to Boston’s North End. Looks delicious!
Marina K. Villatoro says
Yumm is right. we were just there and did a similar walk. My brother made us eat canoelis the best I have ever tasted!
estherjulee says
i love your top! where is it from? :) i don’t think i got to see too much of the north end. i did eat at pomodoro, which was very good! :)
Lillie says
Thanks! I got it at some discount clothing chain but was very happy to find it. Later that day I walked into a store and the owner shrieked, “Look at all those colors!” I haven’t tried Pomodoro but have always been curious. Guess I have to return to the North End soon!
Hogga says
i am drooling on my keyboard
Angela says
I really want one of those flaky pastries. No, let me rephrase that. I really need one of those flaky pastries.
wanderingeducators says
Oh. My. Gosh. Time to head to Boston!
Cat of Sunshine and Siestas says
On my trip to Boston last year, we happened to be staying in the North End during the Fisherman’s Festival. I had a 27th birthday cake made of cannolis, washed down with grappa. What a treat!
Being a native, you probably have heard of Regina’s. I’m a Chicagoan, but partial to thin crust – yum!