If you’re interested in food-related television shows, especially those that are whipping up sweet treats, you might have heard of a little show called Cake Boss. The nomad kiddos, and I used to watch Cake Boss before bed, and it was especially a favorite of mine, and our youngest nomad. I decided that a visit to Carlo’s Bake Shop (the location for Cake Boss) was in order, and since there was food involved, everyone else was on board, too.
Carlo’s Bake Shop has grown over the years, and there are several locations now (I would guess from the success of the show), but we wanted the original store front in Hoboken where the show is filmed. Yes, I wanted some pastries, but I also wanted the “Cake Boss” experience.
We started our day with a huge brunch, knowing our next meal would be cannolis and lobster tails. We got to Hoboken in the early afternoon, and the day was beautiful. People were out in droves. We drove by the bakery, and began our hunt for parking. It took a while, but thankfully Daddy Nomad has a huge amount of patience while driving. We found a spot on the street right across from the bake shop, and parking was only $1 an hour.
There was a line out front, but it didn’t look too bad. Until I learned that was the line, part 1. Part 2 was down the road. So that the line won’t block the road, it is divided into two sections. Here’s how it works. You get in line, and wait for an employee to come give you a number. You MUST have a number to get in the bakery. If they’re busy, the line will be broke up into two parts, like the day we were there. The whole thing went rather quick though. We only waited outside for 30 minutes or so before we were in the bakery. I’m sure different protocols are in place depending on how busy they are.
Once we got inside, we found that we only had about 9 numbers ahead of us before we got to order. We looked around the cases, but I already planned what we were getting; cannolis, and lobster tails. Two things that none of us had ever had. Honestly, I had never heard of a cannoli until I saw it on Cake Boss; so it seemed fitting. Something I noticed while inside waiting, everyone was taking pictures. I don’t think this is a place favored by the locals much anymore; I’d say it’s a tourist spot mostly. Our wait was probably 10-15 minutes inside before our number was called. The people at the counter were quick, and on top of it.
After we got our pastries, we decided to walk the couple of blocks to Pier Park. I head read online that it is a great place to see the Manhattan skyline, and BOY OH BOY was it. Beautiful spot. We took a seat, enjoyed our sweets, and marveled at Manhattan. The park is lovely, and there are plenty of places to stroll along the water, and enjoy the scenery.
Our cannolis, and lobster tails were good. All five of us agreed that the cannolis were better. Again, none of us had ever had either before. We also decided that we want to try some cannolis from another place to compare; preferably a little Italian hole in the wall bakery. We’ve had a place recommended for us to try out in NYC that fits what we’re wanting. I’m thinking a Cannoli Competition is in order.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience. A gorgeous day out in the sunshine with my favorite fellas; going some place that we’ve never been, seeing things we’ve never seen, and trying food we’ve never had. That’s a perfect day for this gal. And, if you’re a fan of Cake Boss, I’d recommend a stop by Carlo’s Bake Shop, just to say you’ve been there. Make sure to check out the Walgreen’s across the road; it’s the fanciest one that we’ve ever seen.
