Never one to pass up an Italian pastry, I was happy to see the Pan’e Dolci Italian Bakery expand on Fort Lauderdale Beach. In fact, my waistline has been expanding right along with them. I first wandered into the bakery about a year ago. After noticing the quaint cafe I figured I’d get a nice loaf of Italian Bread. The staff (2 women) we’re about as rude as anyone in the service sector I had ever met. The concept that a customer had entered the store and interrupted their conversation really seemed to frost their biscotti. But I purchased the bread anyway. I figured, what the hell, it might be really good and well worth being treated like a bum. In short, it wasn’t.

I noticed a couple of months ago that the bakery had expanded. Pan’e Dolci now offers pizza, pastries, gelato along with the bread. So I figured I’d give it a try again. I’m glad I did. The gelato is full of all the butterfat you would expect. The biscotti are pretty damn good, despite the fact that they sometimes taste like they may have been sitting on the shelf for a few days. And the pastries are first class. But beware that they too might be a little on the stale side. I would stay away from the cannoli’s though, they fill the little buggers up with the cannoli cream and then load the shelf. Unfortunately what you get is a soggy cannoli. If they filled the cavernous treats as you ordered them, they would be much more appetizing. The fruit tarts are great. The slice of mango gives them a real Caribbean flavor. But the Rum Baba’s are a bit disappointing. To be honest, they need more rum!

Has the staff become more courteous? In a word no. The folks that work there, for the most part, still make the customer feel as if he or she is intruding on their clubhouse. Every time I stop in and get something, I end leaving thinking to myself, “why do I go back there? They are just so rude?” Well. The truth is, I do. So it must be pretty good. Oh, one more tip; bring plenty of cash. They don’t take plastic and a pastry will set you back three bucks and biscotti, if I remember correctly, are 16 clams a pound.

Pan’e Dolci
3341 East Oakland Park Blvd
Fort Lauderdale Fl 33308
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