Frost Me Cafe and Bakery

While Ironside does seafood in a warehouse and other spots chase the red-sauce tradition, Frost Me carved out something different: the European-style bakery-café that Little Italy actually needed. This is where the neighborhood comes for morning pastries before the mercato run, custom celebration cakes that don't taste like fondant regret, and that specific outdoor table situation where you're simultaneously people-watching the passeggiata and pretending to work.

The croissants justify the lines—flaky in that way that sends shrapnel onto your lap, not the sad American kind that bend like rubber. Staff move through orders with the efficiency of people who've seen the Saturday morning crush a thousand times. The chai latte earns consistent praise, and the lemon blueberry cake (available by custom order) apparently makes baby shower guests forget they're eating cake from a café.

Outdoor seating faces Piazza della Famiglia, which means fountain sounds, toddler energy, and the best free entertainment in the neighborhood. It's equally viable for a weekday laptop session or weekend brunch, though the Belgian waffles trend slightly chewy according to reviewers—stick to the pastry case where they clearly know what they're doing. The salmon lox bagel gets lukewarm reviews, which tracks: this is fundamentally a bakery that happens to serve savory plates, not the other way around.

Parking is Little Italy parking—street spots are mythical, the Piazza della Famiglia garage is your friend. They take reservations, which matters on weekends when the line snakes past the fountain. Beer and wine available, vegetarian options present, and the vibe splits the difference between neighborhood staple and tourist-friendly without feeling like either is pandering.