BOSTON---Eyeing cases filled with cannoli and tiramisu, the after-church crowd stands in long lines at Mike's Pastry, waiting to indulge in sugary desserts and fond memories.

To them, a visit to Mike's brings back a slower-paced era of Sunday picnics and day trips to Boston in huge, gas-guzzling American cars.

Yet part of Mike's staying power is that it also appeals to a different North End group: tourists on the prowl for history and culture.

Whether patrons stop in as part of their Sunday routine, or just happen to stop by the North End shop for a snack, they make Sundays at Mike's friendly, inviting and memorable.

For almost 35 years, Mike's has been one of the most popular destinations along Hanover Street, the heart of the North End.

Because the crowds never thin at Mike's, the restaurant opens seven days a week at 8 a.m. and stays open until at least 9 p.m. The long hours have resulted in a loyal customer base and name recognition among visiting tourists.

Joseph Valarese, a 10-year-old seated at a cozy 1950s-style table, is one such loyal customer. He proudly proclaims that Mike's is a family-run business as well as a friendly meeting place.

Seated near the door, Carmine DiMascio seems to affirm Valarese's claim.

He sips coffee with his wife Susan and son Bob, who he had brought to the store so they could enjoy the desserts and spend an afternoon together.

DiMascio makes a special trip to Mike's from his home in Hyde Park once a month.

He first came to Mike's to taste the shop's famed cannoli, which remains a high point of his visits.

Beyond the pastries, though, DiMascio's Sunday trips to Mike's bring his family together for good conversation.

Consuelo E. Donohue also chooses Mike's when her family wants good desserts.

Like many other patrons, she praised the quality of Mike's cannoli, although she said that every pastry she has ever had there has been excellent.

Still, for Donohue, Mike's biggest appeal is not the food.