Modern's vs. Mike's

As you may or may not remember, my class I took this summer was in the North End. And one of the many things that the North End is known for is pastry. There is a lot of discussion too among people where to get the best pastry, and more specifically the best cannolis.

Mike's Pastry seems to be the place that you hear about the most. it's a big store, with good branding and is always packed with people. But you know what? They're cannolis aren't my favorite. Sure, they're big, and they come in basically any flavor you want, but if you're getting something fancy then they aren't stuffed fresh (which is the mark of a truly great cannoli) and so they're a little soggy. And yeah they're big, but they are actually a little too big (unless you're going for something you'd have to split with someone), and they are more expensive. My personal favorite are the cannolis from Modern Pastry. It's right down the street from Mike's, it is a smaller store, and I think they only do two flavors (and really, somehow if it isn't filled with ricotta I'm not sure it's really a cannoli), but their cannolis are a little cheaper and they're also a better size for a single serving. And they are always stuffed fresh, which means that your cream is cool and creamy and the shell is always crispy.

There are lots of other places you can get cannolis too, but Modern's are my favorite. And you can get all kinds of really good other pastries at just about anywhere. I may have to head back to the North End one of these days and get some more pastry...