Authentic Italian desserts on the streetcar line

Word to the wise: It's on the northern leg of the St. Charles streetcar line, and is a nice place to round off an evening Uptown.

Step inside this tiny, welcoming ice cream parlor and you might be back in 1905 when Angelo Brocato first set up his Italian sweetshop. The Italian pastries and gelato here are utterly authentic, having been handed down through three generations of his family.

There's cream eclairs, puffs and other standards, but head for the Italian specials: cannoli, a Sicilian dessert of a pastry roll filled with sweet cream cheese; spumoni, a set of three ice cream flavors with nuts and berries; or classic Italian gelato ice cream - try the lemon ice sorbet on a hot day.

There's plenty to buy to take away, from packed ice cream to biscotti, and of course coffee.