My dad also spent a great deal of time in Boston. As many engineering students’ ambitious parents can’t stand the idea of a child spending a whole summer outside of the classroom, my dad went, whether by choice or by force, to summer school at Harvard and Boston University during his college years.
When I asked my dad for tips about what I should make sure to do while I was in Boston, one of his immediate responses was “cannolis from North End.” I’ve never knowingly ignored my dad’s food advice, so that’s just what we did.
After a decadent dinner with Jon’s family at Erbaluce, we drove over to the popular Mike’s Pastry in the North End for some real Italian dessert.
The place, which is normally packed to the rafters, was only quietly buzzing when we arrived around 9pm. The women served us with the practiced hands of professionals, quickly wrapping and typing our boxes of cannolis and tiramisu in the bakery’s trademark way, from string wound around giant spools on the counter.
The bakery’s cannolis serve the cravings of presidents and celebrities, as evidenced by photos lining the walls taken with owner Mike Mercogliano. Mercogliano runs the bakery with his wife, Annette.
And here they are, in all their North End glory: rich ricotta cream filling in a home-baked pastry shell, dusted with confectioner’s sugar and dipped in chocolate chips on each end. I’d advise not eating after a huge meal like we did — these suckers are nearly a meal in themselves.
Mike’s Pastry
300 Hanover Street
(between Parmenter/Richmond and Prince Streets)
Boston, MA 02113
617-742-3050
www.mikespastry.com
