There are some places where you will always remember the first time you visited. Mike’s Pastries in Boston’s North End is one of those places for me. Every time I walk through the doors, I am reminded of the summer of 2004. It was my first summer in Boston during grad school. My fellow Emersonian and friend Angela and I had been spending the summer break from school experiencing some of the city’s best food finds like the produce market at Haymarket near the Boston Garden (the Fleet Center or whatever it happened to be called at the time).

One of the destinations we wanted to try most was Mike’s Pastries. We had heard stories about their fantastic cannolis with their crunchy shells, smooth ricotta cheese interiors and chocolatey coatings. Finally, one day we made the trek.

I remember ordering a chocolate-chocolate cannoli (chocolate ricotta cream filling) in a fresh shell dipped in chocolate, and then chocolate chips adorning each end. Our little treats were bundled in the signature Mike’s Pastries white box with twine. We proceeded to walk along the Rose Kennedy Greenway to Christopher Columbus Park. As we sat along the waterfront watching boats and tourists pass us by, we indulged in these intensely sweet treats.

Mike’s Pastries is a memory-making kind of place. From the time you walk in the doors, you’re welcomed by the sugary aroma of so many different types of desserts from mousse cups to cupcakes and gelato to petit fours. There is a little something for everyone in this historic place that I think everyone should try.

Let’s step inside for a closer look:

Cheesecakes, brownies and other temptations await you in glass-enclosed display cases at Mike’s Pastries in Boston’s North End.

The lines of customers can be 10-people deep but it is well worth the wait (and the people watching). Just be patient and take the time to suck it all in. Admire these fabulous dessert treasures and figure out what you’re going to order!

Cakes of all different types are available for special order at Mike’s Pastries. Whether you want that Boston Bruins cake to celebrate the Stanley Cup (Good Luck team!) or a fancy wedding cake, the master decorators here have been making sweets for generations.

I’ll take one of each, please! With so many different chocolate brownies to choose from, why not go for them all?

Slices are already pre-cut of cheesecakes – here is one topped topped with chocolate.

You can get several different cannoli variations at Mike’s Pastries from pistachio (yummy!), espresso and the original ricotta version. They’re all superb!

Not in the mood for something chocolate? Then, you can opt for one of their fruit-flavored desserts instead.

Espresso-soaked lady fingers and mascarpone cheese combine for the tiramisu cup that is the perfect strolling treat while you take in the sights along North End’s Hanover Street.

This chocolate mocha dessert – not quite sure what it exactly is but it looks good!

Don’t want a whole slice of cake? Then grab one of Mike’s Pastries cupcakes like this red velvet version.

If you want a little ice cream after dinner, go for the Italian version of gelato. This airy frozen treat comes in various flavors including coffee, pistachio and Oreo.

There is a small dining area at Mike’s Pastries but I’ve never been inside and seen an empty seat. According to their website, you can order any of the desserts or some coffee when you dine in at “Caffe Mike’s.”

Some people swear by Mike’s Pastries. Some people swear by Modern Pastry located down the street. No matter what you do in Boston’s North End for a little dessert after your dinner or just for a snack while roaming the city streets, you can’t go wrong. Still, I’m a Mike’s girl whenever I’m strolling down Hanover Street.