Any trip to Boston should never go without a visit to the North End. As you casually walk down Hanover Street there is no denying the deep Italian roots this area has. Here you can find stylish boutiques, to die for restaurants, and quaint hole-in-the-wall cafes and shops. Whenever I make the trip into town I always plan to have a snack while in the North End. I have two favorite places I always make time to stop in.

1.     Café Vittora

290 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

Caffevittoria.com

This quintessential Italian café. Once you step inside you feel as though you have just walked into a café in the center of Rome. From the décor to the desserts everything is authentic. My go-to order is Café Mocha and a lobster tail to share. The lobster tails are massive and beyond delicious. The outside pastry is perfectly flakey and the cream on the inside isn’t overly sweet or heavy. All of their desserts are truly amazing. They even serve alcohol if you’re looking for a place to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a great atmosphere. I would recommend stopping in any time of day and splurging. Hey! If you bring a friend to share a treat you half the calories right there!

2.     Bricco Salumeria & Pasta Shoppe

11 Board Alley, Boston, MA 02113

Looking to take a bit of the North End home with you for later? Briccos is the place to go. You turn down a small alley side street and at the end there are a couple of tables and chairs and two different stores. On your right there is a small shop with homemade pastas, meats, cheeses and other made in Italy products. Down and to the left is where the magic happens in my opinion. Bread Heaven. Bricco makes bread fresh everyday. If you’re lucky you’ll maybe even get one of the loaves that is still warm from being in the oven. I always get one olive loaf and one prosciutto and Parmesan loaf aka ham and cheese. You wont be disappointed.