It's In the Bag: Piccione Pastry Prepares for Opening

Traditional Italian cookies, one in the colors of the Italian flag.

Espresso and drip coffee—as well as the coffee equipment— is supplied by noted Italian coffee roaster Lavazza. Something new to the local coffee scene is the crema, a traditional beverage sometimes called “an Italian milkshake.” The crema in this case is made from sugar, ice, skim milk, and flavoring, frothed into a near meringue-like consistency. The customer stirs the cream into the espresso.

Sfogliatelle is a layered, stuffed pastry that resembles the fan of a lobster shell. Dough is rolled out, laminated with butter, then cut, stretched, stuffed, folded in half, and fried.

Cannoli, not as dry or as gritty as with other iterations, are first fried, cooled, then stuffed to order. Choose from a traditional plain filling, chocolate chip, lemon citrus, pistachio, Piccione cream (has a slight orange backnote), chocolate Piccione cream, chocolate hazelnut.

Chef Martin Lopez, in his words “a lifetime pastry chef,” is of Italian and Mexican heritage, so expect to see items like “cannoli chips with dip,” a cross-cultural play on chips and salsa.

Checkerboard cassata cake, two cakes in one

We predict the bomboloni to be the early crowd favorite: light, lemony, Italian doughnuts, fried fresh to order, served with a choice of three dipping sauces, 3 or 12 per order.

“Ricotta Pie” is a staple at Mike’s Pastry in Boston. Will Piccione's ricotta cheesecake—a blend of ricotta, mascarpone, and cream cheeses—become as famous?

Italian sodas in four flavors: lemon, strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry, plus sugar-free options.

The Rum Baba: think of an Italian Twinkie but with more (and better) filling.

Slanted presentation/cooling racks will be full on opening day.

Be on the lookout for the Cannoli Cab, Piccione’s delivery vehicle.

If there’s a more moist and more perfect pound cake to be found, please tell us where to find it.

Piccione Pastry is scheduled to open the week of April 15.