Andrew D.
Yelp
Ummm ... really just one thing to say about this place - the cannoli isn't just the best in the city its the best period. No trip to Gloucester is complete without picking up one or two of these bad boys. Don't get me wrong, the other pastries here are good - but they're nothing compared to the cannoli.
The sfogliatelle is nothing to sneeze at either.
But Don't just take my word for it - below are reviews from other sites I found:
(1) "The Best Cannoli In America"
Caffe Sicilia
carubio1977
Boston, Massachusetts Aug 3, 2006
1/1 found this review helpful
As a newbie to the Boston area, I've spent the last year just keeping from getting lost downtown. Having been all over Italy, I was generally disappointed with the North End's consistency of quality Italian food, especially confectionery and dessert foods.
Over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I took a day trip to Gloucester, and we ended our day with some fine food, including dessert at Caffe Sicilia. WOW! I can honestly, unabashedly say it's the best Italian dessert spot this side of the Atlantic. Phenomenal!
The owner/operator is jovial, attentive, incredibly dedicated and proud of his product - and rightfully so. Swing by and have an espresso and cannoli...and some fantastic gelato. Ciao!
(2) http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=255 (has pics)
Paul Ciaramitaro, who operates Caffe Sicilia with his wife Anna, is a gentleman you need to meet if you come to Gloucester. A former fishermen, he is a huge guy with huge enthusiasms, and his presence fills the tiny espresso and pastry shop that is his domain down near the waterfront. He holds court behind the counter, where he makes espressos for friends who drop by for morning chats among the four small tables that barely fit in the store; and he loves to show off his cornetti to newcomers. Cornetti resemble featherweight croissants, but they have a ribbon of lemon filling inside and a dusting of powdered sugar. He also makes semolina bread, elaborate cakes, spectacularly colorful marzipan candies, and a Downeast/Italian "lobster tail" pastry - ultra-thin sheaves of dough shaped like a lobster tail, sugar-dusted and filled with cream.
Mr. Ciaramitaro's gelati are delightful. He recommends the nocciola, which he tells us is hazelnut, and also the zuppa inglese, for which he has no proper English translation. "Marsala wine and fruit!" he rhapsodizes; and when we don't seem to understand quite how wonderful it is, he quickly dips spoons into the freezer case and offers us each a hearty taste. When we smack our lips and smile at its creamy sweet goodness, he beams with satisfaction, then, bursting with pride, he points us to a newspaper story displayed on the wall. "From the Financial Times ... OF LONDON!" he says, stepping over to run his finger underneath a line that says his pastries put those of New York's Little Italy to shame. "No more need be said!"
- Michael Stern