The Cozy Italian Bakery That's Fed NYC Sweet Treats For Over 80 Years - Tasting Table

"New York City is world-renowned for its pastries and sweet treats, and there's no shortage of top-class bakeries across NYC working on innovative new concepts and interesting flavor combinations. But sometimes, you just want to go to a cozy, classic Italian bakery that evokes nostalgia and old-school charm. That's exactly when you should make your way to Circo's Pastry Shop, a traditional, family-owned storefront that's been serving the Brooklyn community for over 80 years."

"Circo's Pastry Shop was founded by Sebastino Circo in 1945. There isn't too much other information available about the original owner, as the bakery is really the legacy of Nino Pierdipino and Michele Vinci, who joined the business in 1968. Pierdipino, who moved to Brooklyn from Sicily in 1966, and Vinci were the best pastry chefs on staff, and they rose up the ranks quickly. Within five years, they partnered up and bought the business, and their family continues to run it today."

"One of the most popular items on the Circo's Pastry Shop menu is the freshly filled cannoli, which is created by following the same recipe Sebastino Circo and his staff used when it first opened in 1945. The pastry shop was actually the first to bring the "giant" 5-pound cannoli to New York City in the '70s, which has since drawn praise from celebrities like Alec Baldwin, TLC's "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro, and even ex-U.S. President, Ronald Reagan."

Circo's Pastry Shop opened in 1945 by Sebastino Circo and became the legacy of pastry chefs Nino Pierdipino and Michele Vinci, who joined in 1968 and later purchased the business. The Bushwick storefront retains a decades-old neon sign, original equipment, and unchanged recipes that preserve traditional Italian baking methods. Signature offerings include freshly filled cannoli made from the original recipe and the five-pound 'giant' cannoli introduced in the 1970s. The bakery produces handmade rainbow cookies, biscotti, Sicilian fig cookies, wedding cakes, and ice cream cakes. The shop remains family-run and has earned celebrity praise and community loyalty.

Read at Tasting Table