The most deliciously unnecessary rivalry in Boston — two North End pastry shops 200 feet apart on Hanover Street (Mike's Pastry at No. 300, Modern Pastry at No. 257) whose long-running competition for the title of Boston's best cannoli has divided the city's Italian-American community since the mid-20th century, and whose differences in shell thickness, ricotta filling, and decoration philosophy are held with the passion of a Red Sox fan's views on the Yankees.
Why It Belongs on the List
Mike's Pastry (open since 1946) and Modern Pastry (open since 1930) represent the North End's most passionate neighborhood debate — a cannoli competition that Bostonians discuss with the specificity and conviction usually reserved for the great religious disputes of Western civilization. Mike's is the more famous internationally (the perpetual line outside, the celebrity clientele, the wide range of flavors including pistachio, chocolate dipped, and Oreo-coated variants, the festive paper box that every tourist photographs); Modern is the preference of most North End Italians and longtime residents who find Mike's line a measure of tourism rather than quality, and prefer Modern's smaller, more traditionally Sicilian preparation. The answer is that both are notably excellent and the question is worth investigating with one of each. The North End's pastry circuit also includes Maria's Pastry (smallest, least touristed, winner of multiple 'best' awards from Boston Magazine), Bova's Bakery (the only 24-hour North End bakery), and Modern's sibling café for proper espresso.
What Stands Out
- Mike's Pastry (1946): the most famous, the longest line, the widest flavor range — Oreo, pistachio, chocolate dipped
- Modern Pastry (1930): preferred by most North End locals, smaller shell, more traditionally Sicilian preparation
- The approach: order one from each and form your own position on the city's most important food question
- Maria's Pastry: the lesser-known third competitor, smallest and least touristed, multiple Boston Magazine 'best' wins
- Bova's Bakery: the only 24-hour bakery in the North End — the emergency cannoli option at any hour