Good Italian Pastries...

[adegiulio]

Years ago there was an awesome pastry shop in Hawthorne called Guy's Pastry Shop. I forget exactly where is was, but he had the best everything...sfogatelle, rum babas, cannoli, pignoli cookies....everything there was fantastic. He is gone now, and I can't find really good pastries anymore. Yeah, I've been to Calandra's and Corrado's, and they are ok, but I want something special, something worth the calories and guilt.

So, where are the best of the best in Northern NJ??

[lalaland]

There's a good place in Totowa on Union Blvd, but I don't remember the name. I also like Il Dolce on Lafayette Ave in Hawthorne...Used to be Chantilly something and Il Dolce is MUCH better. Only tried it 2x, but it has my vote.

[tommy]

dude, there's a place out by teaneck that my friends go to. i don't know what they have, but i know they have awesome "lobster tails" (not sure of the real name). i'll find out the details, unless someone else knows.

[Curlz]

Okay, here's something my town CAN contribute...try the Lyndhurst Bake Shop and (2 blocks away) Mazur's Bakery!

In Hoboken, Giorgio's between 11th and 12th on Washington. You can get drunk on their rum balls alone!!!

[Cook456]

Mazurs isn't all that good anymore. Lyndhurst pastry shop is better.

My favorite was D'Anna's in Garfield / Lodi, but they have started adding something besides Ricotta and sugar to their cannoli's. They were terrible. It's a shame when a shop starts to skimp.

My neighbor raves about a place in Bloomfield. Haven't tried it yet..I'll post the name later.

[shugga]

Jerry's in Englewood has some pretty good pastries.

[Curlz]

Mazurs isn't all that good anymore.  Lyndhurst pastry shop is better.

Have to agree that for authentic Italian pastries, LBS is the better of the two, but I still think Mazur's is an excellent bakery, esp for cakes! Any time I get a traditional b'day cake (whipped cream--I never order butter cream) people just rave about it! And fwiw, my understanding is that even with the new owners, the same folks are doing the baking.

[Cook456]

Even Mazur's uses stabilizers in their Whipped Cream. The only Bakery that doesn't that I know of, is Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck. It is just pure whipped cream.

Hmmmmmmm...Think I need to take a trip...

[GoodEater]

There's a good place in Totowa on Union Blvd, but I don't remember the name.  I also like Il Dolce on Lafayette Ave in Hawthorne...Used to be Chantilly something and Il Dolce is MUCH better.  Only tried it 2x, but it has my vote.

I think the name of the shop in Totowa is Dimaiolo Italian Bakery. It is at 181 Union Blvd. Very good pastry. I agree with you that Il Dolce in Hawthorne is excellent.

I believe that the "lobster tails" that Tommy is refering to are called Sfogliatelle in Italian. My Italian boss from Milan called them Sfogliatelle di Napoli when I brought some into the office when he was in the USA.

Edited August 8, 2004 by GoodEater (log)

[shugga]

Is Vito's in Cliffside park still around? It used to be excellent. And isn't there a Rispoli's on Broad Ave in Ridgefield?

[albie]

``Lobster tails" are another example of an Italian-American hybrid, unknown in Italy, but an amalgamation of sfogliatelle pastry (a puff pastry made with lard, I believe) and stuffed with a ricotta-based cannoli-type filling.

[albiston]

``Lobster tails" are another example of an Italian-American hybrid, unknown in Italy, but an amalgamation of sfogliatelle pastry (a puff pastry made with lard, I believe) and stuffed with a ricotta-based cannoli-type filling.

You can actually find "code d'aragosta", lobster tails, in quite a few pastry shop in Italy. They're very common in Naples for example. They're not a traditional item, as far as I know they first started appearing in the early-mid '80s. The only difference is that they're usually stuffed with pastry cream or a mix of pastry and whipped cream. The ricotta filling sounds intriguing though.

[fatcatbrew]

My cousin always brings over excellent Italian pastries from bakeries near where he lives, which is the "Nanny Goat Hill" section of Lodi/Garfield. I believe the name of the one of the bakeries is Sorrento's and it is close to Vitamia Ravioli Company.

I get my cannoli's at the Italian Riviera in Waldwick. They are quite good.

[zeman]

Only on Sunday's does Vitamia make cannolis. Also there's another pastry/bakery right of Harrison ave in Lodi about 2 blocks from Vitamia's that has some tasty pastry. Rosa's in Saddle Brook is another place touted by my favorite espresso house in Rutherford that I've been meaning to get to.

On a side note: Steuyertowne Bakery of Bloomfield Ave in Clifton makes an awesome crumb cake equal to B & W and many other German style baked goods. Try it you'll like it!

[BarbaraNJ]

Last time I looked (months) Vito was still open in Cliffside Park. Don't know if the quality is still "up there".

No one has mentioned Callandra's in Fairfield (also of Newark, of course).

Go there for the very hot bread, but usually can't walk out without some type of pastry.

[adegiulio]

Yeah, I mentioned Calandra's in my first post. They are good, not great. I'm looking for something sublime, like I remember at Guy's Pastry Shop...

[richl2214]

Sigh...the best pastry shop in NJ closed last year.

R.I.P. Ferrara's in Newark. Now a Domino's Pizza. GAAAAAAACK!