This North Station Italian Cafe Serves Nutella Croissants and Top-Tier Espresso

No one necessarily asked, but Vittorio Wurzburger will have you know there have never been any proper Neapolitan cafes in Boston until now. His shop, Kicco Italian Coffee, is opening next to North Station at the end of August at 1 Nashua Street, and he is confident there’s never been another coffee shop like it. “It’s the first real Neapolitan coffee shop in Boston,” Wurzburger says. “Roughly 90 percent of the food products are made in Italy and shipped here daily. There’s nothing in Boston like this.”

Cafe-goers can expect some of the usual fare — customizable espresso drinks, for example — but guests can anticipate proper Italian offerings, too. Wurzburger says to expect croissants with Nutella, pistachio, or almonds, in addition to Italian cakes and pastries. Focaccia, pizza, and sandwiches are on deck, too. And he says everything, except for produce and dairy, is prepared in Italy, by Italian chefs, using Italian ingredients, then shipped to Boston.

Wurzburger is neither a stranger to cafes, nor to coffee. The cafe’s name is a play on the Italian word for bean, “chico.” His family from Naples has been roasting coffee since 1892, and used to call him chico as a nickname. He’s the president and CEO of La Casa del Caffè, Inc., a one-year old business used to bring his family’s coffee, Caffè Kenon, into the country. Like any good Italian, he is particularly proud of his espresso machinery. He’ll serve up three different blends on dual espresso machines, one of which is a Leva made by La San Marco Leva — quite a popular brand in his hometown of Naples.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of terrific coffee shops all throughout the Boston area. But, Wurzburger says for Italian coffee, no one can beat Kicco. “I want to present Italian culture how it really is,” Wurzburger says. “Everything is Italian. Even the bottled water.”