By Jillian Dara As one of Boston’s two 24-hour eateries, Bova’s Bakery is a symbol of the North End ’s late-night scene . It has been since Bova’s opened in 1926, when distributors coming to pick up their bread welcomed the chance for an early morning bite of freshly baked bread. “We had to stagger the pick-up times because of the narrow streets, which is how we got our 24-hour license,” shares John Kluse, longtime manager of Bova’s.
The bakery used the license to their advantage as they gradually became known as the hotspot for shift workers, who clocked out at odd hours when most of the city was long asleep, to grab a sweet or savory bite. Though Bova’s began as a bread bakery, selling wholesale to super markets and restaurants throughout Greater Boston and some surrounding suburbs, Kluse says the bakery’s undergone “a lot of transformation in the last 30 years.” From wholesale bread to a brief deli era — “that was just chaotic,” says Kluse — to their contemporary menu that focuses on pastries, Bova’s is as famed for their day-time cannolis as they are for their late-night croissants.
Whether you’re an early riser, late night owl or something in between, here is a selection of the best pastries to order at Bova’s according to Kluse. Almond, butter, sugar and honey are used to create the Florentine cookie shell for this signature cannoli that’s filled with traditional ricotta, a recipe Kluse’s great grandfather brought over from Calabr.
