Mike's Pastry

Mike's Pastry is an Italian-American bakery at 300 Hanover Street in Boston's North End, in Massachusetts, United States, and one of the most recognisable food stops in the city. The shop is known for its long glass display cases of cannoli, tarts, cookies, biscotti, cakes and Italian pastries, and for the white-and-blue string-tied boxes that visitors carry around the neighbourhood. The ricotta cannoli is the emblematic item, filled to order in flavours that range from classic ricotta to chocolate chip, pistachio and other variations. The lobster tail pastry, a crisp shell filled with sweet cream, is another signature. The counter-service format means there is no table service and no reservation system; customers take a ticket or join the queue, point at what they want and pay at the register. The interior is bright, crowded and noisy, with staff working quickly behind the cases. Seating is minimal, so most visitors eat on the street or carry pastries to nearby spots. Prices are low, with single pastries typically a few dollars each, and the shop is a casual rather than formal experience. The queue frequently stretches out the door on weekends, summer afternoons and holidays, though it tends to move briskly. Mike's Pastry sits among several rival bakeries on Hanover Street, including Modern Pastry, and visitors often compare cannoli between them. The shop is a short walk from the Paul Revere House and Old North Church, so it fits naturally into a Freedom Trail afternoon. Coffee and espresso drinks are available to pair with the pastries.