Caffe Paradiso

I went for a trip to the North End in order to do some observations for a class I am taking.  Connoisseur Tom and his fiancée Jenny joined me and toward the end of our walking tour, we stopped at a coffee shop on Hanover Street called Caffe Paradiso.  It was a beautiful day outside, so the front of the shop had been completely opened up to allow it to breathe.  We wandered in and were instructed to sit anywhere.  We sat at one of the many tables.  I assume that we came in at an off hour, as most of the tables were empty.  Our waitress took our order, and the bar got to work making us our coffees.  The ambiance of the shop was nice, with a soccer game on the television and some Italian artifacts on the walls.  Our order came up pretty quickly. 

Jenny and I enjoyed cappuccinos, while Tom had an espresso macchiato and a cappuccino gelato.  I also had an almond biscotti.  The cappuccinos were nice, with solid foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon, though I think that the foam could have been a little tighter and a little less wet.  They were good though, and I enjoyed my biscotti as well.  It was a nice texture and mildly flavored, definitely a nice snack. 

Tom really enjoyed his espresso, commenting that it was made perfectly. 

His gelato was great, too.  I had a taste, and it was sweet and very creamy.  The menu said that this flavor was an award-winning gelato, and I can see why.  We had a nice stop and a nice chat, and then got our bill.  This was not so nice.  It was almost twenty bucks for three coffees, one biscotti and a gelato.  Most of this was the $6.50 gelato, but still, it was expensive for a coffee break.  The trick was that there were no prices listed on the menu, which should have been a clue.  We liked the Caffe Paradiso, and would certainly stop there again, but beware…the prices are higher than anticipated, surely catching many a tourist unawares, just know that when deciding whether or not to stop.

- Connoisseur Jon