The great cannoli debate

Which Boston bakery is better -- Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry?

Tour books are going to point you to Mike's. Locals will send you to Modern. I've sampled from both, and here are my very unscientific findings:

Mike's Pastry

www.mikespastry.com

* Better customer service. There are always several people working the large counter. Service is quick and efficient, somewhat friendly. You feel rushed, and sometimes the employees make you feel like they're annoyed if you don't know exactly what you want. My questions got answered politely, but quickly.

* Big selection. Usually at least a dozen different cannoli flavors (when you mix and match shell, filling and garnish flavors) for you to choose from. Lots of other cookies and pastries, too.

* More people. There's always a line. And I've never been there when one of the little cafe tables was available.

* Premade cannoli. Although the cannoli are huge, they're premade. When you buy one, you don't know how long it's been sitting there. The cannoli I got from Mike's had a slightly chewy shell. (Cannoli photo courtesy of my friend Katie, who opted for Mike's on her first trip to Boston.)

* A local tells me some of the pastries aren't made on site, that they're imported from New York. Granted, when we're talking Boston, that's not that far away.

Modern Pastry

www.modernpastry.com

* Not so great customer service. They serve you when they're ready, at a pace that may not get you out of the shop as quickly as you'd like. I've been in there when one employee was waiting on a demanding customer, while three other employees weighed cookies just feet away from where the line of customers kept growing and growing.

* Small shop. Not much room for a line. But always a free cafe table.

* Made-to-order cannoli. To me, this is the biggest advantage Modern has. Three shell flavors -- plain, ends dipped in chocolate, whole thing dipped in chocolate -- and three filling flavors (traditional ricottia, vanilla creme or chocolate creme). Dusted with powdered sugar. Perfect to eat as you get back on the Freedom Trail (which you were following until you got sidetracked by cannoli).

* A nice selection of other pastries. It's a smaller selection than at the rival bakery, but the quality is excellent. The torrone (nougat made from honey, egg whites, vanilla and almonds) is worth trying. The red velvet cupcake I got there one day (and ate for breakfast) was absolutely divine.

* Recommended by the locals. To me, this is all I need to know.

My favorite? (Insert drumroll here, please.)

Modern Pastry. Despite the iffy customer service, you just can't beat the cannoli.

I will admit, however, that I will be ordering a cannoli kit from Mike's for my birthday this year. They send you 10 shells, your choice of cannoli cream and goodies to decorate with. Check it out on their website.

(This was the final post from my Boston trips. Don't know where I'm headed next, but I hope there are good places to eat!)

More Boston eats

A few more places to consider if you're heading to Boston ...

Montien

www.montien-boston.com

This Thai restaurant/sushi bar is right next to an adult bookstore, so it would be easy to keep on walking by (although maybe the location would be a draw for some people). I never would have stopped if someone at the office hadn't recommended it. (The red awning on the far right of the picture, not the place on the corner.)

The place was fairly empty when I arrived, but it filled up fast as there was a show at one of the many theaters in the area.

The menu is extensive, both of Thai food and sushi. The lemongrass chicken and basil chicken were recommended, but I opted for the drunken noodles -- chopped up flat rice noodles sauted with chicken and a lot of veggies. The dish was marked as "hot and spicy" on the menu, but my nice waitress requested it be less spicy for me. The sauce had good flavor but could have used just a bit more of a kick.

I ate half of my dish, leaving plenty for leftovers for lunch the next day. So I ordered the mango sticky rice for dessert. Normally when I've had this dish, the mango has been chopped up and mixed in with the rice. This restaurant serves the two side-by-side. The sticky rice was excellent, but the mango wasn't that great (not quite ripe enough). But it's winter, so I'll cut them some slack on the mango quality.

Tantric

www.tantricgrill.com/home

It looks fancy from the outside, with the heavy decorated doors and a counter in the vestibule, but it's just run-of-the-mill inside. Service is haphazard, and you're not sure who you are leaving a tip for. Sometimes the big screen TVs are on, but there's usually Indian pop music playing.

Food was average, although a bit pricey by my standards. The night I was there, it seemed the staff was more concerned about making space for the belly dancers than serving the customers.

The lunch buffet is a bit more reasonably priced. And the selection is good -- fresh naan, veggie patties, soup, rice, two or thee vegetarian dishes, thee meat dishes and two desserts (anyone else had those dough balls in the sugar syrup? yum!). Plus you get some sort of crispy crepe stuffed with potato.

Purple Shamrock

www.irishconnection.com/index.php?id=46

Just ate here once, and it's only worth mentioning because it's in the same row of restaurants as Union Oyster House down in the Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall area. It's a old bar, with a bar menu. We ordered lobsters, and although the price was right, the lobster was so-so. I'd never ordered a whole lobster before, and I fought with that *&%#$@ thing to get all the meat out.

Rock Bottom Brewery

www.rockbottom.com

Yes, this is a chain, but not one we have in Utah. I've been to these elsewhere in the country, so it was nice to see one just down the block from the hotel. The Asian chicken wrap small plate appetizer hit the spot one night when I didn't want a heavy meal. I've had the Italian burger (with turkey burger) a few times. Side choices are fries or homemade malt potato chips, the quality of which varies. I opt for a side salad.

TD Garden concession stand

www.tdbanknorthgarden.com

Ate at the Garden when co-worker Katie and I went to a Celtics game. Sausage with peppers and onion. Pretty darn good, although a tad hard to eat in the stands. Lots of beer stands, for those who want a brew with their basketball (or hockey or concert or other event). There was even a stand where you could get a shot of hard liquor. Not sure why you'd need a tequila shot to watch basketball ...

A Friday evening giggle

I'll have more about eating in Boston later, but thought I'd make a short post on a Friday afternoon to start your weekend off with a giggle.

Just how durty is she?

One week I was in Boston, my co-worker Julie was also there. So after work, we'd go wander the city for a few hours and have dinner. We passed Durty Nellie's pub one night when we were in the wharf area. We should have gone in. (The tents are for the market that was the next day.)

I wonder if this is what fish really think

I used the T a lot of Boston, especially when I stayed a weekend and explored the city. As I was leaving a green line station at Boston Common after a 4+-hour visit to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (a MUST if you're visiting the city), I saw this billboard. Too funny to pass up taking a picture!

Where everybody knows your name

Yes, there is an actual Cheers bar in Boston. This is the one they used for the exterior shots. I wanted to eat there, but a look at the menu told me it was all overpriced bar food. So I passed. Spent my money on a T-shirt.

Wicked good eats in Boston

Jami and Dorsey invited me to contribute to their blog, although I'm a bit perplexed as why. I'm not a foodie like Dorsey. I don't have a favorite hangout spot like Jami. Quite often a Wendy's cheeseburger from the drive-through or a homemade margarita (Dorsey's recipe, of course) are all it takes to make me happy.

But when I travel, I like to try the local restaurants and the local foods. In fact, I try to stay away from the chain restaurants as much as I can. McDonald's tastes the same (crappy) across the country, after all.

I just finished my last business trip to Boston, and most of the time I was there it was snowy and cold. So I didn't venture far from the hotel for food. But I thought I'd share some of the places I've found on other trips (in warmer weather), which have allowed me to spend six weeks in this city.

Oh, this will be the first of several Boston posts. If I include all the restaurants in this post, the post will be so long you'll never come back!

(By the way, I'm Allison. I work with Dorsey, although I'm based in Utah.)

Jacob Wirth

www.jacobwirth.com/index.html

I was introduced to this restaurant by a co-worker on my first trip to Boston. It has since become my stand-by place to eat -- if I can't figure out where to eat, I go to Jacob Wirth. It seems to be a popular place for drinks after work and for dinner before going to a show (as the restaurant is in the midst of the theater district).

The web site calls this a "European style restaurant," but it's really a German beer hall. Huge beer menu. Items on the menu like wiener schnitzel, sauerbraten and bratwurst show the German flair. But the menu has burgers, salads, sandwiches, too.

I tend to get a grilled bratwurst with hot German potato salad. I skip the sauerkraut and cooked red cabbage. My German heritage didn't leave me the proper taste buds for those side dishes. I've also had the wiener schnitzel, which was light and crispy. The spaetzle in lemon dill sauce was tasty.

The dessert menu is pretty basic -- except for the apple cherry strudel spiral. Light flaky pastry, black cherry sauce and a small scoop of ice cream. Perfect for one person.

Lucia

http://www.luciaboston.com/

A little gem among all the Italian restaurants in the North End. This place was recommended by someone at the office, and I'm glad I followed his advice. Figuring out where to eat in the North End can be overwhelming. Every third storefront on Hanover Street is an Italian restaurant. Only hope you have is to look for places that are fairly crowded and whose menu appeals to you.

I first went here for dinner with co-worker Katie. Chewy bread is brought to the table for you to snack on while you peruse the lengthy menu. I ordered the gnocchi, which arrived with a light coating of pesto. Katie got the Lucia special, which was handmade pasta in a light cream sauce with shrimp, asparagus and something else really good that I can't remember (maybe sun-dried tomatoes?). Oh ... my ... gosh. It was all wonderful!

I went a second time for lunch with co-worker Eduardo. Smaller menu, smaller portions. I got the lasagna. Another great meal, though the gnocchi was better.

I didn't make it to Lucia on my last visit and I'm bummed about that.

Added bonus to Lucia's location in the North End -- it's at the far end of Paul Revere Mall, so you can hop across the street and see the Paul Revere statue, then look down the mall and see Old North Church.

Legal Seafood

www.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm

THE place for seafood in Boston. (Well, other then Union Oyster House, but I never made my way there.) There are several Legal restaurants around the city, including a mini one in the airport. I've been to the one on Stuart Street, in the theater district, several times.

Be ready to lay down some cash. Service is formal, and I always feel underdressed and out of place. However, that's just my own insecurities (and casual dressing style), not the wait staff treating me poorly.

The menu is nice, although I have a hard time finding something to order because of foods I don't like -- scallops, clams, oysters, broccoli, etc. So I'm always a bit disappointed in my meal, because I've had to order something simple. Maybe I should just save my money and go elsewhere ...