Fastest and Most Delicious Route to an Old Fashioned Italian Sugar Coma (And a Pretty Fall Wreath To Go)

Dispatch from Beantown.  Let's start with a wreath I passed walking through the North End.  Because you know I LOVE wreaths. (Also check out my "I Have a Thing For Wreaths" board on Pinterest!)

Pretty wreath on the shiny black door of a restaurant in the North End.

Mike's Pastry, the iconic North End shop of Italian pastry heaven.

Mike's gets ready for Thanksgiving.

No fewer than Eight flavors of macaroons (with two o's, different from the exquisite almond flour French macarons - one O ), my all-time favorite Italian cookie/sweet/dessert rainbow layer cookies) and magical looking marzipan on the bottom row.

Cannoli extravaganza:  this summer, Mike's expanded the traditional cannoli flavors to include twelve more -- including the four above, limoncello, strawberry, Oreo, and peanut butter. 

The cannoli parade continues (under the fists of an excited customer!): chocolate covered (shell dipped in chocolate, ends dipped in chips), Florentine (candy and nut shell), chocolate mousse (the filling, as you guessed), pistachio (dipped in the nuts) and on and on they go.

And of course, all kinds of cupcakes.

One of my all time favorite restaurants in the Boston's North End is Piccolo Nido ("Little Nest" in Italian). It is the epitome of what I believe a great Italian restaurant should be: warm and comfortable space, an experienced owner from Italy who is also a wonderful host, the freshest hand made pasta, minestrone of fresh small-chopped veggies in a light tomato broth, all at a good price.  Full review coming next week.  It is a true hidden gem, tell owner Pino that I sent you!  Your meal will be glorious!

Yours, in sugar coma just from posting these photos,
JPV