Read Our Guest Testimonials

Hello Marcello and Raffa!
Wow, do I miss you guys!!! I miss Italy so much. It is good to be home but I miss everything you introduced my heart to! When I try to explain my experience to my friends and family finding the right words to give Italy such good justice is hard. Even the pictures can not portray or define the beauty of it all. My trip truly changed my life and I thank you both so very much! I can not pick my favorites from either tour... I loved it all!
Again, thank you for everything. For gracing me with new friends and memories my soul will hold forever!!
Love and miss you both!

Dear Marcello,
having you as our guide in Emilia Romagna was the best thing to happen to us in Italy, I felt like I had a friend in town. You showed us how to live like Italians. It is really "La Dolce Vita"! Raffaella's and your hospitality will always be remembered and appreciated. I have already passed the word on to friends and family about your tours. The wonderful part about bringing foods from the region home was I get to share the wonderful tastes ofItaly with my family. All my trips to Italy cannot compare to the one I shared with my brother and you!! Thank you again for everything. Also, thanks to all your friends that welcomed their homes and businesses.
Sinecerely.

Good evening Marcello and Rafaella!
What a wonderful time I had in Italy! It could not have been better! It was sad to leave after only a week, but I know I will be back! Next time perhaps for a longer stay. You both did a splendid job of showing us your 'real' country and making us feel at home. I would and will recommend this kind of tour and service to everyone! The personal touches made it very special indeed!
Thank you again for your part in making this a truly passionate adventure and for sharing your family, friends, food, wine, and country! Fantastico! Sincerest best wishes for a joyous and boutiful holiday season and new year!
PS: I got on the bathroom scale this morning...something I was dreading...and...C'e illusionismo!!!???...All that marvelous food and wine and I have not gained a single pound!!!!! Questa si che e` vita! Molto bene!!!

We are so happy we found your tour. Seeing Italy with an Italian was so different than just looking at things on our own. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful first experience. I know we will be back to see another part of Italy with you someday.
I wanted to contact you and let you know what we thought of our Italian adventure. In one word,GREAT! We had the time of our life. Marcello was absolutely fantastic from the minute he picked us up. First thing we asked was how many were on the tour. When he said just us,we were speechless. Our own private tour!!! Who could have dreamed that?
If you were to ask what we liked best and what we liked least it would be hard, but I will try.
Everything set out in the itinerary and more was supplied. The accommodations were lovely, also. Once again, all I can say is the trip was all and more than we expected. Wilbur and Marcello hit it off like long lost friends. In fact, I think they have become true friends, not just client and tour director. I certainly expect we will return for another tour with them sometime in the future.
Thank you for being part of creating this and I hope more folks take advantage of it.
PS San Domenico...what can I say !!!

Dear Marcello and Raffaella,
Where do I begin to express my gratitude to you? So often a long awaited trip cannot live up to expectations when you finally get to take it. Not the case for me. Because of the two of you, it far surpassed anything I could have anticipated. From the day you picked me up at the airport, to the day you took me back for my departure flight, you amazed me. Even after every other wonderful thing you did for us during our tour, you continued to amaze me by bringing us lunch for the trip back. What a treat it was to have my last taste of your delicious Mortadella (you remembered how I love it) and Prosciutto.You touched my heart with your thoughtfulness and your generosity. You anticipated our every need and always went that extra mile to fulfill each of our desires. Our entire group was in awe of your ability to constantly strive to make things better for us. You put together a trip that was designed to please each and every one of us, making changes as you got to know our likes and desires. If you heard one of us say we liked something, it appeared the next day. It was clear that we were more than clients to you and you became a dear friend to all of us. I know that I speak for everyone when I say how very grateful we are to the two of you for making our trip so memorable.Again, I want to thank you for the best trip I can ever remember taking. You truly made a dream come true for me. I look forward to seeing you on another trip one day. I will think of you each time I pour a glass of the Nocino you so graciously gave me when you saw how much I enjoyed it. When you make that trip to the states, I hope you will make Denver one of your destinations and give me the opportunity to return to you some of the hospitality I received on my wonderful Italian holiday.

Dear Marcello and Raffaella,
I do not know how to thank you enough. I had such a wonderful experience in Italy and I have not stopped talking about my trip since I returned home. You really have created a delight for both chefs and food lovers and I was delighted to have taken your tour.
The tour you planned for me was perfectly balanced. I particularly enjoyed the dichotomy of cooking one day in the "country kitchen" of Maria Grazia to the next day observing the fine epicurean mastery of the chef at San Domenico. This allowed me to contrast the styles of the simple Italian family to the complex Italian culinary design. I must have over 200 recipes that I can use on a regular basis. The meals which you selected to be prepared were well chosen to highlight the various strengths of each chef and the skill with which they exercised their skills was extraordinary.
Your rapport with the chefs in your program is very special. I think that you have developed strong personal ties to your chefs and they clearly trust you deeply. It became evident to me that I received more insight and instruction from these chefs because you made them enthusiastic to teach me. They shared many tips and secrets" which I do not think they would have been as free to divulge if you were not so close to them personally. In particular, when Ms. Idanna gave us her secret recipe. I knew that I was very lucky to be with you.
Finally, on a personal basis you made me feel at home. Your hospitality was beyond compare. You not only catered to my every need and want for the week, but you welcomed me into your home with your family. This made my cooking experience not only personalized but extra special. I truly appreciated this because I was traveling alone and you made the extra effort to make sure that I was fully occupied at all times. Even when there was nothing formally scheduled, you invited me for lunch in your home. This allowed me to feel like I had my own family in Bologna.
I hope you realize that you always have a special friend in New York. I certainly cannot wait to come back for another visit in Bologna with my family (once our new member arrives).
Sincere Thanks

Dear Marcello and Raffaella,
I just want to thank you both for the wonderful tour you provided for Kris, Jim and me. Even though I was tired, I enjoyed every minute of it. You provided a terrific learning experience as well as plenty of variety to see and do. And the food . . . Outstanding!!! I have already written to my brothers and sisters and told them I'm taking them on your tour. They will love it!

Thanks again for taking such good care of us. The trip exceeded all of our expectations and we had a fantastic time. Your warmth, caring, attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile in providing the best service possible was extremely appreciated.We hope that all is well with you and that the people at the tollway have now (at Marcello's suggestion) put up huge signs warning of even the slighest delay in traffic (in time to do something about it!)
With great appreciation and affection,

I live in Mexico, and I had for long time wish to make a guided trip to Italy and enjoy their wonders in history, food and wine. I was in Bologna, in the first week of June, I had a great time with Mr. and Mrs. Marcello Tori, they were wonderful to me, I got the chance to see many things I never imagine not even in dreams, I have traveled to Italy before, but now I can tell I got to see the real one.
Besides having Rafaella and Marcello with me, all the time, showing their love for their country, their pride for the history and the wonderful people and sharing only happy moments, The accomodations were wonderful, Cinzia and Domenico made me feel at home at their hotel in Riolo Terme, all the classes, the people I got to meet during my week, are now part of my wonderful memories.
I will always treasure my experience there, and I have talked about it with many friends here in Mexico, so I am sure many will travel in the future to Italy and live themselves my experience. Once again thank you for a wonderful week, great people, beautiful places, lots of history, the best food and wine.I send my best regards to all who made my experience possible.

I would simply like to say that I NEVER do this sort of things. I find that most "marketing" testimonials are simply marketing tools written to pull on your heartstrings and sell you something. This letter is written from my heart and is truly meant to convey an experience that did not last long enough, but will continue to live on in my heart and memories forever.
In September 2002, my sister, a dear friend and I booked a tour with Vegetarian Cooking Tours in Italy. This was our first trip to Italy. I am an artist and designer, so my imagination runs away with me. I tend to imagine larger than life. What a wonderful surprise to find my imagination could never conceive the beauty of the country, the food or the people of Italy. Meeting our host in Bologna was instant friendship. The warmth and genuine enthusiasm of Marcello and Raffa won our hearts. Their passion for all things Italian make us fall in love.
I am still reeling from all of the things I saw and experienced in Italy. The markets, the cooking lessons, the wine, the herb garden, the gelato, the people and the wonderful food made this an unforgettable tour.
Somewhere along the way, we forgot we were tourists and we began to blend into the landscape. We forgot Marcello and Raffa were tour guides and begin to think of them as family. It is simply impossible to put into words our Italian experience.
I am someone who enjoys visiting different places and always going somewhere new, but I cannot think of any place more beautiful or more inviting than the Italy of Marcello and Raffa. Be warned, you will never be the same once you have experienced the Vegetarian Cooking Tours in Italy.

We liked all of our itinerary, the accommodation was in the perfect location. Both Marcello & Raffaella were wonderful. Each of our cooking lessons was unique in its own way, the food was great, the variety better.

Hello Marcello & Rafa-
We had a wonderful time with you and have been bragging about our culinary experience. So far, though, we've only made the shallot sauce that Maria Grazia showed us and the salad that Luigi prepared for us. We would like very much to remain in contact with you as well. Your very gracious hospitality made our vacation a dream come true.

Our tour was a nice mix of sightseeing, cooking classes, visits to places of food-related interest and good restaurants. My favourite visit was the factory where we watched parmesan cheese being made. The thing that attracted me to this tour, in fact, was this visit and the one to the makers of prosciutto. To me, that part was the most
interesting in the planning of the trip and in the actual taking of the trip - and I wouldn't have minded an extended amount of time dedicated to that kind of tour. For example, to see how olive oil is actually made.
The view out the window of our room was spectacular!. The hotel was clean and neat. Marcello did the tour and he is just wonderful, a real gem. He's genuine and considerate and thoughtful and seemed to anticipate every need. He always asked questions and kept the conversation flowing and nobody feeling left out (our tour group was 5 people). He gave us a lot of insight into the people and customs of the region, which is more important than the "typical" tour guide who recites dry facts (which I can...and did...read in the tour books before I went on the tour). He "made" the tour. He made us feel like "family" to him. He was also an excellent driver. Raffa wasn't with us a lot, but she was very kind and helpful and a pleasure to spend time with. The "cooking lesson" portions of the tour were the things of least interest to us before the tour. We're not "into" cooking, but love food. So mostly it was the chance to tour the factories that appealed to us - and the cities we were to visit. That said, the lessons were a pleasant surprise. They were fun and we really, really loved meeting the families and seeing their homes/gardens - feeling a "part" of their lives for an evening. My favourite cooking lesson was at Gianni and Maria Grazia's home. One, the lessons were not overly-long. Two, we cooked/tried/ate a variety of things. Three, the veggies came out of their garden - fresh peas, fava beans, etc. (and we got to eat cherries right off the trees - which impresses city people like us!). Four, we very much enjoyed the meal with them and their family and friends.
I liked the variety of dishes and tastings we were exposed to. For instance, one meal highlighted salume (it was wonderful). Another focused on very traditional types of dishes. We ate at all different kinds of places, tried wonderful foods – we were never bored by the offerings.
I think we got a lot of value for the money. The tour was very comfortable, informal, well-planned and well-paced. When we were at table, we were never rushed, always offered a variety of things to taste. If we wanted anything (an after dinner drink, for example), it was available. The little touches were very special - getting tour books of the cities we visited, getting the recipes we tried printed up in a book, having the chef at San Domenico come out and greet us and sign his book for us.

A million thanks for the fantastic photos that arrived last week. What a surprise when we opened the envelope and found the wonderful pictures from our most memorable trip to Italy. We think of you often and remember the incredible cooking classes, the meals, and the beautiful scenery. And having you as our tour guides made the trip so memorable.

We liked everything of our tour! It was a good mix of food, cooking, wine, Ferrari's and tours! Maria Gracia (the chef) and the cooking lessons were wonderful, really hands on! Marcello and Raffaella were the best! They are very charming, fun, and willing to do everything! Marcello picked us up early each morning and spent the entire time with us. They know everyone in the region and always got the best
service. Also I love Raffa's mother! She was so sweet and she even made a cake for me! We were made to feel like part of the family!
The cooking lessons with Maria Gracia were great because we had to do most of the work ourselves, which gives you the confidence to do it again when you get home. All the recipes with all the chefs were very simple with few fresh and delicious ingredients, and also not too time consuming to prepare. This is extremely practical, and we have made several dishes since returning home! If the dishes would have been too time consuming or too fancy, I am sure it would have been fun there, but not very helpful once we got home!
It’s too hard to say what was my favourite cooking lesson. I think the best thing was the MIX of the different chefs. Maria Gracia with her "mama" style, Umberto who is always on the move and very professional with a big kitchen, and Luigi (who taught us about Balsamico) made the most beautiful and delicious dishes!!!
The best thing was the fact that we always had so many dishes! We could taste a little bit (or a lot!) of so many different dishes, which really gave you a great feeling for region! Everything was great!!! Pasta, prosciutto, parmesan cheese, balsamico, wine, etc. etc.! A good question would be: "Would you return?" and our answer is a POSITIVE YES!!!