Vaccaro's - Italian dessert in Baltimore

When in Baltimore, the locals suggested we walk around Little Italy and indulge our sweet tooth at Vaccaro's.

Vaccaro's is a local dessert restaurant that serves cakes, cookies, gelato, and so much more. There are usually long lines, but we were able to bypass the crowd on a recent Friday evening (around 9 pm).

Italian cookies, Napoleons, biscotti...so many choices!

We decided to sit down for some gelato and then get some cookies to take home with us.

A small gelato ($5.40) of Italian Cookies & Cream and Baci (Chocolate Hazelnut) with sliced almonds on top. Yes, this was the small size that we struggled to share! It was decadent, with chunks of cookies and hazelnuts in it. The gelato seemed more creamy, like ice cream versus gelato we have enjoyed in Italy. To us, the Baci was much more flavourful than the Cookies & Cream.

Small gelato ($5.40) of Amaretto and Tiramisu. Both flavors tasted like you would expect - sweet like the amaretto liqueur and rich like liqueur-soaked ladyfingers, respectively. Again, the gelato style was on the creamier side.

We opted to wait in line to get these cookies to go (takeout is much cheaper than sit-down). We chose pignoli cookies (almond flour cookies with pine nuts) and some almond cookies (almond paste with sliced almonds). Because we love almond paste, we preferred the almond cookies. They were soft in texture and flavorful in taste.

Chocolate and Vanilla Napoleon: The puff pastry layers are flaky and the custard-like filling is silky.

Though it's not a place for which we would venture out of our way, but if you're in the neighborhood, it's worth a visit. Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop is located at 222 Albemarle St (at Stiles St) in Baltimore.