If you're ever in Boston and want to experience the North End (aka Little Italy) through the perfect blend of history and cuisine--do yourself a favor and book this food tour! Paula is an incredible guide--an enthusiastic historian with a deep love for the North End, its rich stories, and its vibrant food scene. She brought the neighborhood to life with fascinating facts, local lore, and unforgettable bites from hidden gems we would've never found on our own. We were so lucky to be the only two people who kept our reservation despite the rain, and honestly? It made the experience even more magical. Paula customized the tour to our pace and preferences, and it felt like we were exploring with a friend who knows everything about the area. One unforgettable stop was Ristorante Saraceno, where we met Franco--the owner--who is an absolute joy to interact with. His warm hospitality, legendary food, and impeccable service made us feel right at home. Buon appetito, indeed! I've done food tours in several cities, but this was hands down the best one yet. From the cozy mom-and-pop spots to the authentic flavors and stories, it was a feast for all the senses. You can genuinely feel Paula's passion for this historic neighborhood and its people. Don't miss it! read more

See all

We spent our morning with Paula and had an amazing time. If you want to do a food tour, you SHOULD WANT to do a food tour, pick Paula's. She feeds you tons of good Italian food and desserts. She's a great historian and spent a good time just showing her love for the north end. We will definitely go with her again. She's amazing. read more

This was amazing! I wish we started our trip to Boston with this tour. We would have spent more time in the restaurants and places recommended and visited with Paula! I cannot say enough about her passion, history, and her love of the north end! Highly recommend for anyone visiting Boston. read more

Such a great time!!! Paula is amazing- she was so great with really interesting information/ and the food!!!..... OMG!!! Sooo good!!! read more

See all

Paula is a gem! She's so passionate and knowledgeable about the area. I really felt like she was a part of the community on the North End and really enjoyed living there and showing it off. She has a deep understanding of the history and how and why it changed. Having this context for the food, made it a much better tour. I've been on several food tours and Paula is tops. Now let's talk about the food. All of the food was spectacular. They were of the best quality and you can tell they were made with love. We hit all the notes of the cuisine, pizza, pasta, bread, pastry, wine, gelato, meats. it couldn't have been more balanced. It was a 4 person tour and I felt like it was very friendly. Everyone got to know each other and it made for a more enjoyable experience. I was there alone, but I didn't ever feel alone. We were one group. Paula is super organized and I love that. She sends you a log of where you went and where you ate afterwards. I really connected with her message of community. I would 1000% recommend this tour to anyone and everyone. read more

Off the Eaten Path has introduced us to a North End that we did not know existed. We experienced a wonderful history lesson as we walked thru the streets, that kept us away from the "tourist" attractions and gave a deeper understanding of community and friendships that strengthen the neighborhood. Our tastings were more then simply eating food, we tasted new flavors and learned about authentic ingredients. Don't miss taking this tour with Paula read more

Nice bend of history and good food. Paula did an incredible job. She covered the major migration phases and hit some iconic food establishments. read more

Paula was awesome! She lives in the North End and took us to places that we may not have gone to on our own, hidden gems. Not only did we have delicious food, we also learned a lot about the history of the North End. read more

Paula is literally the most amazing tour guide!!! She is so knowledgeable and so invested in the North End community! Her tour is not only informative but so authentic! She knows all of the shop owners and they love her as much as you will once the tour is over! Every shop/restaurant is a true treasure. Be sure to add this tour to your list even if you are a local New Englander! read more

Off The Eaten Path - Yummy pasta and - Food Tours Near Me

My wife and I LOVED this tour! We have taken other tours both here and in Europe, but Paula is terrific -- definitely the best we've ever had. Paula's extremely knowledgable and personable. She has vast knowledge about the North End, as well as so much more about Boston history. But she didn't overwhelm us with fact and dates. Instead, she told a story about a really amazing community and how it came to be and grew into such an important community in Boston and with impacts far beyond. She also arranged for us to taste some wonderful food and meet some of the great chefs and proprietors that are normally behind the scenes, but when are pillars of this thriving community. We couldn't recommend Paula more highly. If you want a great tour in Boston, do it with Paula -- Off the Eastern Path!! read more

Paula is a top-tier tour guide. She has an passionate and authentic love for the neighborhood she's showing and equally the food and history there. The food was delicious and you get a full meal doled out slowly, progressive dinner-style. Do not squeeze this in when you have a jammed-packed day, though; Paula will go over the advertised 3 hours and it's all the better for it for the history lessons she's imparting. While it's a wholly family friendly tour, it was a bit too long for the two-year-old in our party and parts of the tour were not stroller-friendly, so a toddler might not get the full value of their ticket. All the same, this tour is an absolute must-go if you're visiting Boston. The North End is a unique corner of the city and it cannot be missed. read more

Off The Eaten Path - Just a quick preview of the first stop. - Food Tours Near Me

Wonderful experience! The guide is very knowledgeable, friendly, and great at navigating a large group through some tight spaces.

The food was incredible. The history was interesting . The guide was so knowledgeable and engaging. Totally recommend this!!

We loved our tour today with Paula! She is SO passionate about history and it really shows. She shared so much knowledge about Italian history and regions, as well as how that history helped shape this important part of Boston. We enjoyed a wide variety of food, got an in-depth education on olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and even experienced a natural wine tasting. In true Italian tradition, the excursion ended with espresso, cannoli, and a spot of gelato. This tour should be your first stop in Boston. You'll get a warm welcome to the city, and a well-rounded perspective of how it came to be. We've done food tours around the world, and Paula was by far the most knowledgeable host we've ever experienced. If you appreciate history and great food, make this tour your first priority! read more

See all

Paula did such a fantastic job and her passion shined through. The tour is such a great way to spend some time here and my wife and I are planning to do it again it was so good. read more

Paula was fabulous! We have done one of her previous food tours and returned because it was so good. The tour provides a significant amount of delish food! She's knowledgeable, energetic and passionate about the area! read more

I brought my 18 year old daughter and our 18 year old Italian exchange student on the "Off the Eaten Path" tour. It was truly one of the most awesome experiences we have had. I could tell Paula (the owner) was special and delightful from our first phone call. Paula was willing to give us a private tour despite it being her day off to accommodate our travel plans. Paula is clearly loved by locals as SEVERAL people would stop us along the way in the neighborhood to greet her or to tell us how lucky we were to have the best tour guide (she really was!). As a 20+ year resident of the area, Paula knows the places the locals love to go. She is incredibly knowledgeable of the history and culture of the North End. We knew she was accurate and thorough as she engaged our Italian guest with conversations of comparisons and authenticity to Italy! Our first restaurant stop at "Galleria Umberto" was a hit where we enjoyed fabulous Arancini, Panzarroti, and Pizza! The portions were huge and I was grateful to take our leftovers home as we knew we had several stops to go. We loved "Salumeria Italiana," an authentic Italian grocery store where we sampled THE BEST Extra Virgin olive oil I have ever tasted. The Balsamic Vinegar, Prosciutto, and Sardinian Tartufo was incredible as well. We learned so much here, and bought some groceries that are definitely not available anywhere at our home in Colorado. At our next stop, "Ristorante Saraceno," I absolutely fell in love with the ambiance and people. The original owner has the most charming smile and treated us to an impressive flaming calamari- it was unbelievable! We also tasted Caprese salad and pasta Amatriciana, with Montepulciano wine. (Another to go box, please!) Paula shared stories and pictures of her ties to this incredible place as a hostess 20 ago! Ristorante Saraceno appeared to be a quaint place, but Paula surprised us with a grand tour of the huge restaurant of 3 floors including a glass ceiling. (I don't imagine other tour guides would have this insiders perk!) Next we went to "I am Books" and all of us could have stayed all day perusing the interesting and unique Italian American novels, history and children's books. At our stop to "Polcari Coffee and Spice" I was sold and ready to move to the North End! This is the oldest grocery store in Boston, and I wanted to buy their buckets of Fava Beans, unique spices and blocks of Almond Paste! Finally, "Caffe Paradiso" was exactly that. We felt like we were in paradise as we enjoyed cannoli, espresso, and gelato. Again, the locals and owners greeted Paula with hugs and stories for us. Today was exceptional, and we could not have imagined a better way to spend it. I highly recommend this unique and special tour. Molto bene! read more

After a recent visit to Italy, I thought I was past due to do a tour of one of my favorite places in Boston.... Just a few miles from my home. Paula's tour of the North End was exactly what I was looking for and more! First of all, I instantly felt like I knew Paula my whole life so the afternoon quickly became an easy meandering of the streets, picking up stories of local establishments while gaining an understanding what really makes the North End a community... it's the people! I discovered places I walked by a million times but never visited and tasted a range of flavors from sweet to savory just like a typical Italian meal. What made this tour just a little more unique, was the way she shared the history.... It was a little past, present and future. It was not a typical lecture of tired facts and dates but instead I left with a feeling of understanding and wanting more. read more

This was my fourth time bringing friends or family on this tour. My guests and I never fail to be inspired by Paula's passion and charisma as she weaves carefully curated narratives on the history and architecture of the North End, not to mention a feast for the senses (highlighting, if course, the palate!). read more

Who knew that someone could combine a history lesson with great food and wine. But that is exactly what Paula did as our guide. For over 3 hours, Paula delighted us with nuggets of historical significance of the Boston North End, while at the same time taking the group to several food & beverage locations in the North End. As a resident of the North End for over two decades, Paula knows the area quite well, and has established a great relationship with the owners of several establishments in the area. Some of the local cuisines we got to sample included pizza, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, cheese, wine, pasta, sfogliatella (yes that spelling is correct), cannoli and gelato. You won't go home hungry (and you probably won't need to eat dinner later in the day). This tour is well worth the cost - ENJOY! read more

Don't book here I was very much looking forward to this tour. I booked it 3 months in advance for myself and a friend. The confirmation email states the starting location of the tour will be emailed closer to the tour date. 2 days beforehand, my friend and I were discussing other plans to make on this day. I emailed Paula asking when we would know a meeting place so we could make other plans. No response. The day before our tour, I received the auto generated reminder email which still did not list a starting location. At that point I called because we were 24 hours out and really wanted to make other plans on that day. I had to leave a voicemail but the voicemail identified her as Paula. No response. The night before our tour, I texted that number at 10:26 pm because we were 11 1/2 hours away from the tour beginning. I woke up at 7:30 am and still no response and no email as to where the 11am tour starting point was. At that point, we felt ghosted and I booked another tour (fantastic tour! The North End Boston food tour - highly recommend!) and I texted requesting a refund around 8am. Then I immediately received a response. Paula's response included many apologies and excuses (I texted too late - she was in bed, she was at the hospital visiting when i called - bad reception). But the end result was 3 hours before the tour we had no idea where to meet and had been ignored throughout all of my attempts. The customer shouldn't have to work that hard to know where to meet for a tour. If you filter through the other 1 star reviews (which I should have done prior to booking with her), you will find they all center around a lack of communication with the customer. Save yourself the stress and uncertainly and just book elsewhere. We were lucky it was a Wed in September and could easily experience this with another fantastic provider. However, we did not know that as we frantically tried to find a replacement this morning. Otherwise, we would have missed out on this experience altogether. read more

Had the pleasure of being on Paula's food / history tour through the North End during a recent weekend trip to Boston. We were visiting from Florida for a concert.. Paula's tour was the best part of our trip (and we pretty much did it all in Boston) Paula is such a wonderful, delightful person! She is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about Italian culture and food, specifically that charming little area of Boston. We learned so much from her! And it's obvious from the local business owners that she is a beloved member of that community. We visited so many awesome spots that we wouldn't have known to go to (as a visiting tourist). All of the food from each place was amazing, from the pizza, pasta, wine, Sfogliatella, cannolis, Italian market delicacies. She has the tour so thoughtfully planned out and organized that we were having some eats here, some there, walking, talking; we never felt too full along the way so we could enjoy each thing.. in the end of tour, we left with completely satisfied, full bellies! This is not your average tour, it's one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience that I highly recommend. I came home and bragged about Paula's tour so much that my husband and kids want to take the trip to Boston just do it! So we will be returning hopefully some time within the year. Thank you Paula for your kindness and just being a great human!! read more

This is THE food tour to take. Besides amazing food and wine, I love that Paula, the owner and your tour guide, is also a local and has lived and worked in the North End for years with her family. I have been going to the North End for 20+ years and Paula taught us so much we didn't know. It's not just a food and wine tour, it's an intimate experience in a historic and delicious neighborhood! read more

What an amazing tour! Paula was fantastic! She was informative, knowledgeable and fun. She kept the group interested and shared all her knowledge of the Boston, the North End, Italian and Italian American history and kept it entertaining and fun. Top that off the delicious food ! Highly recommend ! read more

See all

My beloved and I went on Paula's Off the Eaten Path food and history tour of Boston's North End (Italian) yesterday. It was everything we hoped for, and more. Paula is passionate about the neighborhood and what it offers. The North End is a cohesive, ethnic neighborhood. Off the tour, you can walk the neighborhood and hear Italian being spoken and see family members interacting, enjoying games together at the local bar, and living life. It would be possible for those who live here to stay here, without having to leave the neighborhood. There is still a local butcher and grocer and spice store - all catering to those who live in the neighborhood. Paula does an excellent job of showing you this and talking about the history of how this section of Boston goes from a British outpost to what it is today. It's fascinating to learn how the North End becomes an Irish enclave, then a Jewish one, and eventually an Italian neighborhood. There are parts of it where you can feel like you're in Italy. Paula knows so much. She's only able to share a fraction of it during this approximately 2-3 hour tour, but you can ask her questions afterwards and she will happily share even more with you. This was the first food/history tour we've done and we came away very impressed, not only with Paula, but also with the food we were able to try. I've never had prosciutto, olive oil, or balsamic like the kind we had at Solumeria. The Quattro Napoleon style pizza and potato gnocchi were wonderful. The bread was exquisite. The natural wines we sampled were fantastic. The end of the tour, with the trifecta of espresso, gelato, and cannoli was the perfect ending, and that comes from a non-coffee drinker! From start to finish, this tour was worth every cent we paid for it. We walked away feeling like we had learned a lot, and it was a gastronomic delight in the process. If you're not interested in history, skip it. At Quattro, Paula gave an extensive overview while we enjoyed pizza and gnocchi. I could see some people's eyes glazing over. Perhaps they were there more for the food than the lecture, but we absolutely loved it. Paula is passionate, knowledgeable, approachable, informative, fascinating, and an excellent tour guide with personal stories to share. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Our only suggestion would be for Paula to hand out a map of the neighborhood that highlights some of the usual stops, so that you have an idea where you're headed from the beginning. Otherwise, given the length of her talk at Quattro, you might suspect that you'll be spending your entire time there, when that's not the case. As others have suggested, it would have been great to hear something from the bread maker or one of the staff at the Salumeria. Still, this tour was perfect in every way. read more

See all

Great way to kick off our trip to Boston and get acquainted with the North End. Paula was fantastic. Her love for the neighborhood and her historical knowledge made the tour even more charming. Our stops included Quattro for pizza, Bricco for authentic Italian bread, the wine bottega for natural wine, North Street Grille for Nutella French toast and Aria Trattoria for espresso, cannoli, and gelato. It was a hot day, but with the breeze and going into the various restaurants, the 90 degree heat was tolerable. After the tour, we stopped by some of the shops to pick up some authentic foods for dinner. There was plenty of food to fill me up for lunch, but my husband was still down for a plate of pasta afterwards. Definitely recommend this tour. Thanks Paula for introducing us to the north end and all of its unique history. read more

See all

Speechless, no words can describe this tour. Stops carefully selected for an amazing experience. Paula, the tour guide will take you through great north end history and authentic Italian places. She is so knowledgeable about the culture that is impressive and adorable the way she tells the stories and walks you thru town. Money well spent. I wished I had done this tour before I ever set foot at north end because, yelp and google are babies compared to Paula. Thank you Paula, don't ever change and keep educating people the way you do. From Maryland visitors, 6/29/18 read more

We came to Boston for a bachelorette weekend and were SO glad that we signed up for this food walking tour. Paula's food tour is incredibly lively, informative and delicious! The food was incredible and interactive. Everyone knew Paula in the North End and we went into such hidden and delightful eateries. Paula was incredibly knowledgeable about history, geography and architecture of the North End. We got to taste food from a variety of restaurants ranging from take-out forward to a white table cloth sit down eatery. It showed us all of the intricacies of the North End and made the tour incredibly well rounded. We also went to several shops including a bakery, butcher/cheese maker & cafe and tasted high quality Italian based foods. We will be back!! Thank you, Paula. read more

I've been on many food tours and this is one of the better ones. The main highlight is the quality of the food. Every stop had good or amazing food. Some of my favorites were the gnocchi from Quattro and the prosciutto from Solumeria Italiana market. I've been on the North Beach (Italian area of San Francisco) food tour, and the food in North End Boston is noticeably better! Overall the tour was a great experience, but there are a couple things I would change. One of them would be to trim the fat on the history that gets shared. I could tell Paula was very passionate about history and enjoyed talking about it for long periods. I enjoyed the majority of the history that got shared, but also found myself zoning out a few times, waiting to eat the food or for the tour to move on to the next stop. Separately, I would have liked to hear more from the owners/staff of the establishments we visited. We got to hear a little bit from the owner of Wine Bottega and it was great! Particularly, I would have loved to hear from some of the Solumeria Italiana Market staff or the owner. read more

It was my husband's birthday and we wanted to do something fun. Read the reviews and decided this tour looked good. Paula is a ball of energy and is so very passionate about the North End culture from inception to current day. I could have listened for much longer about the rich history of the North End. We sampled delicious fresh gnocchi, pizza, cheese, balsamic vinegar and more. Not too much food, just right. I never knew the balsamic I thought I was eating wasn't even balsamic! Take this tour. The history alone makes it a must. The food takes it over the top. Most enjoyable afternoon spent. read more

We've been to the North End several times for dinner but never enjoyed an experience like the tour Paula gives. Her knowledge of the neighborhood history not just the food is phenomenal. We learned so much, not just about about the largest Little Italy in the USA but about Italian history, wine, olive oil, coffee, and more. She's a wealth of knowledge and she took us to amazing places to taste pizza, prosciutto, pasta , cannolis and coffee. A must for everyone!! read more

Paula gives a fantastic experience. If you're interested in learning about the history of Little Italy and Italy, this is your tour. The communication prior to the tour was less than great - we wondered, as others have written about, if we might have been a victim of fraud. Fortunately Paula answered the phone Friday morning and sent a text with instructions about our meeting place. This part of the business seems to be a problem. Once on the tour we had a GREAT time and received lots of tips, a great deal of historical information, and the tour even went longer than planned because the group wanted more and Paula was flexible with us and offered additional sites and information. I would recommend her tour to anyone with an interest in knowing about the food, drink, and customs of Italians, both in America and those in the homeland. read more

I was a little disappointed from the start of the tour because I thought I read somewhere that it was a small group tour. For me and my group, it felt crowed with 20 people. It was too large of a group to fit comfortably in the places we stopped and trek around the crowded streets. We stopped at a bakery and had dessert first and then ate a slice of pizza on the street both times with nothing to drink and no restrooms. After the walk from South Station to the meeting point and then the long intro at the meeting point, it was a long time to go without water or restroom, especially with food that made you extremely thirsty. Paula is knowledgeable, personable and takes her tour seriously. However, at one point Paula had to raise her voice to be heard over another group trying to enjoy their meal made that part of her presentation uncomfortable for us. After the tour we had about an hour and half before we had to leave. We had a blast on our own and met someone wonderful friendly locals and left Boston on a high note. read more

Paula was a fantastic guide, very informative regarding the history of the North End and clearly well acquainted with the area as well as the people we encountered on the street as well as in the restaurants and shops we visited along the way. She has a great passion for the neighborhood, having lived there for two decades, as well as it's people and traditions. The food was fabulous and diverse, representing multiple regions of Italy. The tour is well paced, the three hours went by incredibly quickly. We were in Boston for 6 days and have been there multiple times over the years and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, both those who are familiar or unfamiliar with Boston and the delightful North End. read more

We found Paula on trip advisor , everything she had to offer sounded great! It was more than we hoped for! She's a. One woman show and takes so much pride in her job!! It was more than a food tour, her knowledge of North End and Boston history is astounding. Best tour I've take. The food choices were balanced out with yummy Italian food, wine, olive oil, bread, and ended up with coffee and dessert. I would take this tour again and recommend to anyone. So fun!!! read more

I am headed to college in Boston, and recently took Paula's "Off the Eaten Path" food tour. It is one of my favorite things I have ever done during my visits to Boston! Paula is a local of the North End and is known and very obviously loved by everyone there. She took us all around Little Italy to places that represent authentic food from all regions of Italy. The food was SO good, and we even took a couple of to-go boxes. Everyone that we met was friendly, welcoming, and excited to share their culture and story. I learned so much about the food, regions of Italy, and about Italy's influence on Boston's historical North End. read more

This was a delightful tour through the north end that involved both food & history! Paula is a very knowledgeable host & left us with nuggets of information I will never forget - about food/wine, north end history, book suggestions & more. We loved this tour because it was a small group (about 8 total) & Paula took us to some "off the beaten path" places - like a back alley underground bread shop, a husband & wife owned wine shop for a wine tasting in their cellar, a cafe where locals actually go for coffee & pastries & my favorite - the Italian market with the best Prosciutto di Parma I have ever had. Paula has a way of really helping you visualize the feel of the neighborhood & it's strong historic roots. I would highly recommend for your first time in Boston or even thereafter (a lot of locals were on our tour). This was a highlight of our trip - I can't recommend it enough. read more

See all

This tour was incredible! Paula was such a smart and interesting person and had a great perspective on the north end. If you're really passionate about food, you'll enjoy how she provides historical and social context to the food that you are enjoying. And let me tell you, you WILL enjoy the food. She took us to spots that only the locals would seek out, with the most delicious food in the north end. The tour included wine and a visit to an Italian market, which is unique to other tours in the area. I also loved the relationship Paula seemed to have with every place we visited, she was well known and liked. The owner of the wine bottega was hilarious! This tour is a MUST when visiting Boston. read more

What a fabulous way to spend an afternoon! Paula is amazing and such a wealth of information. You get to experience the neighborhood, eat amazing food, and get a real feel for the North End and it's history. We would recommend this tour to all our friends who visit Boston - even those who know the city well, there's so much to learn and experience! read more

A beautiful afternoon in Boston's North End. Paula's energy and zeal for the history of her adopted neighborhood is contagious---we loved exploring with her and on our own into the afternoon based on her recommendations. Most of all, the exploration brought back so many delicious and warm memories of our nonnas. The textures, smells, and flavors. All felt like a warm hug from above. read more