Sure, Mike’s Pastry has cakes and pies and cookies, but the lines leading out the door, around the corner and down the street are all about the cannoli. As soon as you walk in, the graphic menu of cannoli flavors across the back wall give you all you need, except the time it takes, to decide which of these Italian delicacies are headed home with you today. Their iconic sting-tied white and blue boxes are seen in the hands of tourists and locals all over town.
This is truly must-do, world-class, book a flight to Boston just to experience the legend, cannoli heaven.
Founded in 1946, Mike’s Pastry is located in Boston’s historic North End on Hanover Street. Michael Mercogliano (Mike) moved here with his family when he was 12 years old, mastered baking in his cousin’s bakery next door and developed what many thing still today is the perfect cannoli.
An easy walk halfway between Faneuil Hall and the Old North Church, Mike’s Pastry is just around the corner from The Paul Revere House on the Freedom Trail. But Hanover Street will have you think Italy more than Founding Fathers as soon as you arrive.
Here they are (you try to pick just one or two!):
- Ricotta
- Yellow Cream
- Chocolate Cream
- Chocolate Dipped
- Mint Chip
- Chocolate Chip
- Pistacchio
- Pecan Caramel
- Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate Covered
- Florentine
- Espresso
- Amaretto
- Hazelnut
- Chocolate Ricotta
- Strawberry
- Limoncello
- Oreo
- Peanut Butter
These guys are the best. It’s clear that they know what they’re doing, they’ve been doing it for decades, and they know how to move through hundreds (thousands?) of customers and cannoli and have everyone leave happy!
They’ve even partnered with a local New England brewery to bring the world Mike’s Pastry Cannoli Stout Beer! Made with Mike’s hand-made cannoli shells, cocoa nibs, lactose, and vanilla Be sure to try it out at your local liquor store!
Tutto Cannoli Rating
–Spettaculare!–
Shell
So fresh and flaky and delicious. They are sending so many cannoli out the door here, shells are coming out of the fryer all day long. These pastries are nice and wide, offering, I think, the perfect ratio of shell and filling.
You can get plain, chocolate-dipped (just the ends), or the whole shell chocolate covered.
Filling
So smooth and creamy. Just the right sweetness level and a richness to ALL their flavors, from Ricotta to Hazelnut to Chocolate Covered. Looking for something new? Try Lemoncello, Florentine or Mint Chip.
Toppings
Mostly limited to a generous end-dips into chocolate chips, plus a few more options of nuts or other crumblies. But everything you need to make you happy.
And always with a flurry of powdered sugar to make it fancy.
Overall Experience
These folks know what they’re doing. These cannoli are wicked good and have been for a few generations now. Truly one of the few cannoli destinations that you put on your list of must-dos when making vacation plans.
So do it – the line moves fast and you’ll fit right in carrying your string-tied Mike’s Pastry box around town.
