This is not really a food tour. We've done so many food tours through Viator. We loved them all. This one was horrible. The details should make it clear that except for the last stop, you aren't sitting down. The first stop for pizza (which was average) we were supposed to eat standing up outside in the freezing cold. Second place was a slice of a sandwich in a deli. Which we were allowed inside as long as we "were out of the way of customers." Eye roll. A tasting of three different drops of balsamic vinegar had to be done on 1 small piece of French bread topped with one small piece of mozzarella. No drinks means not even a cup of water. I HATED EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF THIS TOUR.
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Nov 2021
Not unexpected, sadly. On rare occasions, unfortunately, tour operators find themselves in a no-win situation from the outset of a tour, of which this is one of a handful of examples I would cite in our ten years of multi-award-winning operations. Thankfully, at Boston Foodie Tours, as our many guest reviews attest, we have not only consistently met "realistic" expectations, we have also often exceeded them.
The bottom line: This particular Floridian guest and her daughter were simply not prepared or dressed appropriately for Boston's seasonably brisk weather. In fact, the buyer shared that she had cancelled her reservation the previous day, and rebooked based on anticipated weather more to her liking. Arriving late to a sold-out tour, she voiced her displeasure at our first "official" stop, Regina's Pizza, which has been ranked the #1 pizza in the country two previous years in a row by TripAdvisor. A small, old-school, local neighborhood institution that is consistently sold out, Regina's simply cannot reserve space for tour groups. Instead, our guests enjoy a slice casually outdoors, on this day, under HEATED awnings.
Our second stop is a Monica's Mercato, which many reviewers have noted as a top tour favorite. In the warmer months - through November 1st this year - Monica's allows us to seat our guests in an outdoor patio prior to its neighboring restaurant's opening. In the colder months, guests enjoy its Best of Boston-winning Italian sub standing off to the side in the the deli, where there is no available seating. Should guests not be flexible, we would need to omit this stop, which I suspect nearly all guests would object to.
At the next stop, Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shop, guests were seated on comfortable sofas - often around lighted fire pits - at its sister, then-closed Mare Oyster Bar, where they enjoyed flavored balsamic vinegar tastings with house-made mozzarella on a freshly-made baguette. When asked at the tour's conclusion, both mother and daughter chose this as their overall favorite tour tastings. As for water, our tour confirmations advise all guests to bring a bottle of water, for which we've never been asked at this stop, or have the option to provide.
The tour continued with a stop at a three-time Best of Boston-winning bread bakery, and a final pasta course at award-winning Ristorante Limoncello, where each party was offered its own separate table. The mother enjoyed a signature pasta dish that was featured in Time magazine, and which another reviewer described as "mind-blowing". On this day, all guests were also provided with complimentary Limoncello, which mother and daughter enjoyed, as well as a departing iconic cannoli.
While I personally extended myself throughout this tour to ensure the comfort of these largely, physically-disengaged guests, it simply was not possible in this case, as the tone and negativity of this review exemplifies. I regret that, despite our best efforts, they did not have a favorable experience similar to that of the better-prepared, more flexible guests on this particular tour, and of the many guests who have highly recommended it.
Note: Our North End Neighborhood Tour will be on hiatus during the winter months. We encourage guests who wish to join us during that time to consider our morning Boston Public Market & North End Tour, which is more centralized, and is largely indoors.
We also encourage visitors to pack appropriately and warmly for Boston's seasonal weather. We promise you award-winning best eats, but we can make no promises when it comes to Boston's unpredictable weather.