Circo’s Pastry Shop is a precious vestige of what the bakery calls “the old neighborhood” of Bushwick, a relic from a time when mom-and-pop shops were thriving there. Founded in 1945 by two bakers from Sicily, it’s still a family-operated, American Italian joint — find Nonno Nino in the kitchen, hard at work on orders — specializing in pignolata (honey balls) and cannolis, and a broader range of Linzer tarts, croissants, and cookies.
Circo’s is a goldmine for traditional Italian American baked goods. When I need a beautiful birthday cake, day-of, I can rely on the tres leches, which is light and creamy (without running over with too much liquid). When I need to order a christening cake in the shape of a giant gold cross, I can head to Circo’s. When I fly home for the holidays, I scoop a pre-wrapped cookie platter of Italian rainbow cookies and raspberry linzer tart cookies — which I call “the mother-in-law pleaser.”
There’s no dine-in seating, but it’s a fun place to take kids. The staff uses old-school, ceiling-fasted string dispensers to tie up the bakery’s blue-and-white floral motif boxes.