Boston, Massachusetts, is often referred to as the birthplace of America. It was here the colonialists came to find shelter from the laws of the King and it was here that the first acts of the American Revolution took place. From Paul Revere’s famous ride, to the Boston Tea Party, Boston is steeped in American history-- and also culinary history.
One of the best places to surround yourself in this great history is in the North End of the city, commonly known as the Italian section.
The North End, originally settled in the 1630s, has served as a welcoming home for immigrants of all different nationalities since the British moved on to settle other parts of the city in the 1840s. Once they moved on the Irish came in, then Poles and Jews, they were followed by the Spanish. Finally, during the 1890s the Italian community set up shop in the area and made it their home.
The North End sits directly on the Boston piers, giving residents direct access to the catches of the day as they came off of the fishing boats in the evenings. It should come as no surprise that the Italians stayed in this area and that their cuisine was heavily influence by the unwanted fish from the piers.
Today, the North End is widely regarded as the place to go for good Italian cuisine in Boston-- there are more than 70 restaurants in the small half-mile neighborhood. Of course, with that many places to check out, it can be an overwhelming task to get a real feel for the area. That's where Michele Topor’s "North End Market Tour" comes in.
The "North End Market Tour" is three hours long, but flies by due to the amount of information to take in. Stories of the neighborhood are told throughout the entire tour and of course wonderful samples are given.
The tour begins with a relaxing moment on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, one of the most beautiful products of the "Big Dig," Boston’s largest, and most expensive, construction project. Here, your guide begins your journey of the North End by exploring its past and introducing you to the different areas of Italy based on the cuisines of each region.
When the walking tour commences, your guide leads you through the narrow, sometimes cobble stoned streets of the North End. Italian is still spoken in this area and store owners treat you as family.
You visit one of the best pastry shops in the city, where your tour guide knows the owner and her family well enough to introduce each member by name. Here you sample many of their pastries, each one better than the last. The tour moves you to a market where you taste the difference between the more common oriental pine nut from the Mediterranean version, you learn about a large variety of Italian delicacies-- citron, different types of cinnamon, fresh herbs, seeds and nuts. This is a store that has stood the test of time, and appears exactly as you might imagine it 100 years ago.
Next, the tour guide brings you to a market so small that the tour cannot enter, but you stand on the sidewalk and are shown, taste and learn about the produce that the proprietor purchased just that morning. And then he leads you to what was my favorite stop- "A Salumeria" where the display cases are packed with fresh cheeses, many of which are made locally and dozens of cured meats.
This is truly a food heaven-- if your idea of heaven includes fresh baguettes with spicy cured meats. The tour then winds its way to the other side of the North End where your guide introduces you to different pre and post dinner drinks, the traditional libations part of an Italian dinner. Finally, the tour ends in a market that specializes in all things Italian from pasta’s to meats, to gorgeous olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
I have lived in this city for years, and never before have I seen the North End the way that I do today after taking Michele Topor’s North End Market Tour. For more information visit, www.foodtoursofboston.com.
Fiona Coxe lives in Boston, you can read more of her writing at A Boston Food Diary.
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