If you’re a frantic, frenzied individual from the Northeast like myself, Gino’s Bakery in Florence, Italy is your cup of tea, or more appropriately, your foamy, frothy cappuccino. A diamond in the rough located in a land where a slow lifestyle is cherished and encouraged, Gino strays from Italian tradition and feeds my craving for my usual, bustling Bostonian lifestyle.

Gino, a one-man assembly line, knows his idyllic oasis that stands within a modest, vertical shaped storefront is a place meant for someone who’s not necessarily in need of a leisurely breakfast. As you take your first steps through the narrow entrance, you are enveloped by a frenzy of fast-pace enthusiasts, Gino acting as the puppeteer maneuvering the strings of the well-oiled machine. The shop owner paces back and forth behind the confines of the glass pastry case and caters quickly to those whose hands are flying in the air, pointing at the delicious pastries that float before their eyes. One second their hands are empty and the next they look down to see a croissant in their left and a cappuccino in their right; Gino has served them as speedily as they sputtered their orders at him.

Like I said earlier, Gino is a man who seeks to serve those to whom fast pace is familiar. Gino will greet whoever walks into his shop with a smile as sweet as the sugar-dusted pastries that are strewn across each other in the glass display cases. How he manages to stay so calm and composed among the chaos and craze that ensues from those crazy for his croissants baffles me. The marvelous man will swiftly craft your cappuccino with a smile on his face while simultaneously ringing you up at the register. For someone who hardly speaks or understands English, this man has made me feel more at home than anyone else I’ve been acquainted with here.

For early risers like myself, I walk into Gino’s just as the warm morning sunlight seeps into the shop’s front window. The gooey glaze that Gino has just painted onto the fresh, flaky croissants makes the pastries sparkle and shine in the glass case that is heated up by the striking sunlight. In my eyes, the perfect pastry to be paired with one of Gino’s frothy, delicious cappuccinos is the intricately designed apple and cheese danish.

Following a Florentine day full of miles upon miles of walking, weaving in-and-out of confused tourist groups, and picking up some produce from Sant’ Ambrogio market, one should reward themselves with yet another trip to my favorite hidden gem. Upon your arrival, do you choose coffee, chocolate chip, pistachio, or cream filling for the cannoli that taunts your yearning eyes through the display case? Why not all four? Split the sensational Italian desserts in order to sample all of Gino’s genius fillings that are oozing out of the golden-brown shells.