About Us

“To receive guests is to take charge of their happiness during the entire time they are under your roof.”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Food.Stories.Travel. combines more than two decades of experience designing and guiding active vacations with a passion for connecting people to new places, cultures, and foods. 

We believe in...

-Food makers who care about the products they make and the people, animals, and place around them.  We patronize restaurants that source locally, seasonally, and organically--i.e. that offer “good, clean and fair food” (the motto of Slow Food) and compensate farmers and artisans for their time and energy, paying them for tastings and visits, whether or not this is requested.

-Tours that include sightseeing, walking, hiking, and/or cycling for a healthy lifestyle accompanied by a full immersion into the local culture.

-Tour Leaders who have honed their craft (after, in some cases, 20+ years as guides) 

-Small-group travel for the most enriching and rewarding experience. See more info about our tour in our "Ingredients."

Our Story

Cristiano Bonino founded Food.Stories.Travel. in November 2013, inspired by a chance meeting with Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food in Pollenzo, Italy, in August 2013. Cristiano felt instantly connected with his hero, given his and Petrini’s common roots in the Piedmont region, and the Slow Food philosophy of “good, clean and fair food” became a founding tenet of the business.

Meeting farmers and food makers, and hearing their stories, is core to what we do. Add deep and wide ranging experience designing and leading group vacations, "stir," "bake," and you get Food.Stories.Travel., a tour operator connecting people, cultures, food, and stories through travel in Italy and the Mediterranean.

In January 2026, after more than twelve years in business, Food.Stories.Travel. moved to Italy—to within a two-hour drive of Pollenzo, and that chance meeting with Petrini. From the town of Ivrea, long-time Food.Stories.Travel. colleague Davide Marchegiano is leading Food.Stories.Travel. into its next chapter with the same stellar team including Cristiano who will continue to assist customers from his home office in the Boston area.