While walking the Freedom Trail with my fiance, we stopped to have lunch at Florentine Cafe. Having eaten pasta and some bread, dessert did not seem a likely option. However, as we were walking through the North End of Boston, we noticed the sign for Mike’s Pastry and could not pass on the indulgence of a treat.

As is typical of this bakery, there was a decent-sized crowd in line to purchase pastries. Seeing an open table, we decided to have a seat and enjoy our baked goods inside the bakery. Of course, before we could enjoy some decadent dessert, we would need to decide what each of us wanted, which is no easy feat!

Each of us took a turn squeezing through the crowd to view the huge assortment of baked goods. Among our choices were cheesecake, carrot cake, cookies, biscotti, cannoli, tiramisu, and gelato, to name just a few. With neither of us being big fans of chocolate, some of our choices were eliminated. Being in an Italian bakery, we decided to stick with traditional Italian treats and chose a cannoli and a piece of cheesecake.

However, ordering a cannoli has options also. There are different fillings, different ways of making the pastry, and plain or chocolate-covered cannoli. We asked our waitress about the Florentine cannoli, and when we heard her answer (honey and nuts added to the shell), knew exactly which cannoli we wanted.

Our pastries and beverages arrived in a very timely fashion for such a busy place. I had ordered a cappuccino, and my fiance had an espresso. Both were garnished with a sugar-coated stirrer and were hot and tasty. The pastries were exceptional. The Florentine cannoli was the best cannoli I have eaten, ever. The addition of honey and nuts to the shell made for a sweet, crunchy pastry. The filling was creamy and perfectly sweet. The cheesecake was topped with a strawberry glaze and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

As we sat at our table, savoring our hot beverages and incredible desserts, we noticed that the line for purchasing baked good had grown even longer. Obviously, Mike’s Pastry is known for its treats, and we can vouch for them now. If you are in the Boston area, it is well worth the drive to Mike’s (and the wait in line) for some of the best pastries you ever will have.