12 1 / 2015

Review #14

VM Giordano Imports European Cheese Shop

Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union St., Rochester 14609


Rochester is known for its large public market and one of the best places to visit at the market is Giordano Imports European Cheese Shop. It’s located in the building near the Union Street market entrance and is open year round (see photo above for hours). The cheese shop has a huge variety of cheeses and a many other European imports (meats, olives, etc). They always have a variety of cheeses out for sampling. There is a counter in the back that serves bagel sandwiches for breakfast (my favorite is fried egg, herbed goat cheese, and porchetta ham) and a variety of paninis for lunch. I stopped in the Cheese Shop in October and noticed that they were offering mini cannolis - only $0.85/each. Of course I had to try them. I got a few during that trip and took some notes intending to write a review, but got lazy and never followed through. I went back this past weekend to sample them again so that I could write my review with current information. 


Shell

These little mini cannoli have a lovely shell. It is light and flaky with a mild taste - no hint of the deep fried taste that I’ve occasionally found with others. I found the shells to be a bit sweet as well. They might be made with a touch of honey, or maybe I was tasting the powdered sugar on top, but either way, I thought they were great. 


Filling

My notes on the filling are pretty simple and look like this: “great!”.  I really enjoyed the filling in these cannoli. It was a smooth ricotta filling that had chocolate chips sprinkled throughout (a huge plus for me). The filling was a bit on the sweeter side, but definitely not too sweet.


I really enjoyed these mini cannolis. In my notes from my October visit, I noted that the shell was a bit soft and I thought the balance was a bit off (needed less shell, more filling), but I didn’t find either of those things to be true the second time around. The shells were not soft, but very flaky and the perfect texture, and the balance was great. I definitely felt like there was enough filling for the amount of shell. I would LOVE to see these made in “full size” sometime! 


Overall rating: 5/5

I’ve shied away from giving a full 5/5 rating in the past, but I think these little cannolis really deserve it! I have no complaints other than that I wish they were bigger!

14 8 / 2014

Review #13

Sweet Sammie Jane’s

701 Park Ave, Rochester14607

I had the opportunity to visit Sweet Sammie Jane’s during the annual Park Ave Fest a few weekends ago. They recently moved to the Park Ave neighborhood and Park Ave Fest was a perfect time for them to show off to the neighborhood. We checked out their on-street booth and also went inside the store. They had lots of great looking treats including a vareity of French macarons, mini cupcakes, and cannoli. We picked up a couple macarons, a butterscotch blondie, and a cannoli. They offered one kind of cannoli (cheese) which were filled to order - bonus points!

Shell

I have only good things to say about the shell of this cannoli. It was crunchy, flaky, and light. It tasted good and added the right amount of texture to the cannoli.

Filling

Though we had the owner wait on us, I didn’t get to ask about the cannoli filling because the festival traffic had them very busy. I believe that it was a ricotta filling. It also had a bit of a tart taste to it which made me think that maybe some cream cheese or sour cream was also a part of the recipe. I enjoyed the flavor - the tartness was unique and made sure it wasn’t overly sweet. The filling was thinner than I prefer, but it might’ve melted a bit as we carried it around in the heat of the festival before eating. I also would’ve appreciated chocolate chips, of course. 

Overall rating: 4/5

The thinness of the filling prevented me from giving this cannoli a higher rating, but it was still very good. I will definitely return to Sweet Sammie Jane’s for cannolis and to try their other treats!

28 5 / 2014

Guest Post by Deanna
Review #12
Desano Pizza
115 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee! My sister, Gina has graciously let me share a cannoli review with you all (or shall I say y’all?). I have lived in Music City for...

Guest Post by Deanna

Review #12

Desano Pizza

115 16th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee!  My sister, Gina has graciously let me share a cannoli review with you all (or shall I say y’all?).  I have lived in Music City for the past year and a half, but I am originally from Batavia, New York.  Although Nashville is much more than country music and honky tonks, quality Italian cuisine can be a bit hard to find.  There are a few hidden gems and I am determined to find (and taste) them!  I know the majority of Gina’s readers live in or near Rochester, but if you ever visit Nashville and are looking for some quality cannoli, I can tell you where to find some!

I visited Desano Pizza on 16th Avenue South in Nashville with some coworkers last week.  Desano’s menu features Napoleon style pizza with thin crust and fresh ingredients, but they also serve cannoli.  They have seven different flavors of cannoli on their menu:

  • Tadizionale (Traditional)
  • Tre Cioccolati (Triple Chocolate)
  • Nocciola (Hazelnut)
  • Cocco Cioccolati (Coconut Chocolate)
  • Tutto Bianco (“All White”)
  • Amaretto (Almond)
  • Pistachio (Pistachio)

I decided to try the Traditional cannoli and test the basics, but I can’t wait to go back and try the other flavors. 

Shell

It was difficult to try the shell apart from the filling because the cannoli was overfilled (although I did not have a problem with that!), but I managed to break off a few pieces and try it.  The shell had a good crunch to it and did not have an oily or fried taste, so I was very pleased.  The cannoli was filled when I ordered it, so the shell was fresh.  

Filling

This cannoli was made with ricotta filling and had chocolate chips as a garnish on the outside.  Much like my sister, I love chocolate chips in my cannoli, so this was a plus!  Also, as you may have read in Gina’s post about the Cannoli Demonstration we attended in December 2012, it is traditional and authentic to use chocolate chips as garnish on the outside of the cannoli as opposed to in the filling, so I was very pleased that I got my chocolate chip fix as well as an authentic cannoli.  I thought the cannoli may be too rich because of all the filling, but it was not too rich at all.  The filling was creamy and had a little bit of texture, but was not gritty.  It also had a hint of lemon which I loved and found very refreshing!

I loved Desano’s cannoli!  I thought I would only eat half of it and ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting.  I have not tried as many cannoli as Gina has, so I am not an expert, but it was truly one of the best cannoli I’ve ever had.  I would highly recommend it. 

Overall Rating: 5/5

23 3 / 2014

Review #11
Martusciello’s Bakery
2280 Lyell Ave., Rochester 14606
I visited Martusciello’s Bakery a few weekends ago to try their cannolis. They’ve been on my list to try since near the beginning of this blog and I’m glad I finally got there....

Review #11

Martusciello’s Bakery

2280 Lyell Ave., Rochester 14606

I visited Martusciello’s Bakery a few weekends ago to try their cannolis. They’ve been on my list to try since near the beginning of this blog and I’m glad I finally got there. Martuscuello’s has a wide variety of cookies, pastries, cakes, and breads. Their menu also features subs, pizzas, and calzones. Though I’ve heard rave reviews of their bread and rolls, I limited my purchase to cannolis only.

Shell

When I’m eating cannolis to review, I always try the shell on it’s own, without filling. This shell was flaky and light. In my previous review from a restaurant cannoli that used Martusciello’s shells, I wrote that it had a deep fried taste, but I didn’t notice that this time. I thought it had a good, neutral favor. It was slightly soft, but I think that’s better than being too hard and crunchy.

Filling

This cannoli was made with a ricotta filling that was smooth and creamy. It was sweet and rich and cheesy (in a good way). I thought this filling was great. It was exactly what I would expect from an Italian bakery and did not disappoint.

I definitely enjoyed Martusciello’s cannoli. It was a great combination of flavors and textures. I think the only thing that could’ve made it better is the addition of some chocolate chips!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

15 12 / 2013

Review #10
Veneto Restaurant
318 East Ave., Rochester 14607
Since this post is a bit delayed, I’m just going to do a quick mini-review. A month or so ago, my friends and I went to Veneto for dinner. Dinner was great (highly recommended) AND they had...

Review #10
Veneto Restaurant
318 East Ave., Rochester 14607

Since this post is a bit delayed, I’m just going to do a quick mini-review.  A month or so ago, my friends and I went to Veneto for dinner. Dinner was great (highly recommended) AND they had cannoli as one of their dessert specials for the evening. Of course we had to order one.

Shell
The waitress told us that they get their shells from Martusciello’s Bakery (which is going to have to be my next stop), and make the filling in-house. The shell was light and flaky, but had a bit of a fried taste to it which I don’t like very much. 

Filling
Again, the filling was made in-house at Veneto. The waitress told us it was a ricotta filling. It was very smooth and just the right amount of sweet. There seemed to also be a bit of cinnamon in the filling which reminds me of my all time favorite cannoli filling - my great aunt’s. I can’t forget to mention that I enjoyed the chocolate chip garnish as always.

I definitely enjoyed this cannoli. It was a good combination of flavors and a great end to a great meal. I’m looking forward to going to Martusciello’s next!

Overall Rating: 4/5

16 9 / 2013

the one with the cannoli turned 1 today!
Thanks to anyone who’s read my reviews over the last year even though they haven’t been posted consistently. I hope to post at least one review a month this year.
AND I noticed at the East Ave Wegmans today...

the one with the cannoli turned 1 today!

Thanks to anyone who’s read my reviews over the last year even though they haven’t been posted consistently. I hope to post at least one review a month this year.

AND I noticed at the East Ave Wegmans today that they now have fill-to-order cannolis! (an update to my last review)

(Source: assets)

15 7 / 2013

Review #9

Wegmans
many Rochester area locations

Wegmans might not be the first place you think of when you think of cannoli, but in their extensive bakery, they feature cannolis in two sizes. They have a regular and mini size and, as you see above, they often have combinations of different garnishes in one container. I’ve seen chocolate drizzle on the shells before, but never with the chocolate curls as garnish. I had to try it. I got these from the new East Ave Wegmans.

Shell
There are good things and bad things about the shell on this cannoli. Bad news first: it’s soft. I’ve had cannolis from Wegmans several times and the shells are always soft. It is because they are made and refrigerated until purchased. Refrigeration is generally a no-no for cannoli shells, but you can understand why a place like Wegmans would have to do that. On the plus side, the taste of the shells are rather good. They are light, not oily or fried tasting, and have a tinge of sweetness to them. Other than the softness, they are really pretty good. 

Filling
Because these are grocery store cannolis, they come with an ingredient list. The first ingredient listed was impastata ricotta. I have to say that I was somewhat impressed by this. You might remember from my first post that impastata is a smoother, sweeter ricotta often used for cannolis. The filling was smooth and creamy and very good. It was a good consistency as well, not too thin or thick. 

I’ve heard others scoff at the idea of Wegmans cannolis, but I think they’re pretty good. If you can get past the soft shell (which I can), the filling is great and balances well with the shell. And of course I was a fan of the chocolate drizzle and garnish. 

Overall Rating: 4/5

15 7 / 2013

Review #8
Benucci’s Italian Restaurant
3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester 14618
(Pittsford Plaza)
This post is super delayed. I had this cannoli months ago and never published the entry. But, better late than never?
Benucci’s is a local Italian restaurant...

Review #8

Benucci’s Italian Restaurant
3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester 14618 
(Pittsford Plaza)

This post is super delayed. I had this cannoli months ago and never published the entry. But, better late than never?

Benucci’s is a local Italian restaurant that I visited a few months ago with some friends for dinner. Though I don’t remember very many specifics about our dinner (I didn’t take notes on it like I did with the cannoli), I do remember enjoying our experience, food, and sangria. When I saw that they had cannoli on the menu, I had to try it. I asked for it to go because I was too full and ate it at home. Unfortunately, the presentation didn’t travel well (which is obvious from the photo), but I didn’t think to take a picture of it before we left the restaurant. As you can see in the photo, the cannoli was topped with both chocolate sauce and caramel sauce, most of which slid off in transit.

Shell
This shell was one of the worst I’ve had unfortunately. It was very hard and too crunchy. It had a strong deep fried taste that was too much. There’s not much more to say about it - it just wasn’t good. 

Filling
The filling, however, was decent. It was a ricotta filling that was smooth, sweet, and had good flavor. It was a little thinner than others that I’ve had, as is probably obvious from the picture, but it wasn’t runny. 

Eaten together, the filling, chocolate sauce, and caramel sauce mostly overpowered the bad taste of the shell, but not completely. Also, I wasn’t a huge fan of the caramel and there was a lot of it. It definitely would’ve been too sweet if most of the caramel hadn’t come off into the container. And of course I have to mention that there were no chocolate chips, my favorite.

Overall Rating: 2.5/5
I would definitely return to Benucci’s for dinner, but would not get a cannoli again.

19 2 / 2013

Review #7

Gruttadauria Bakery
1600 Ridge Road West, Greece, 14615

It’s been too long since my last review! I’ve still been eating cannolis, just lazy about writing up the reviews. But don’t worry, you haven’t missed any reviews. I’ve been getting them from places I’ve already written about.  

Last week I had plans with a friend for dinner. She was going to bring over fresh raviolis from the ravioli shop and I was in charge of dessert. I thought this would be the perfect time to try some new cannolis. I had been meaning to stop at Gruttaduaria’s for awhile now and it is conveniently on my way home from work (right off of 390). As soon as I walked in, I knew it was a great place. They have tons of different varieties of cookies as well as pastries. They also have gelato (yum!) and spumoni. I walked in scanning for the cannoli, but only saw chocolate shell in the display case. I then noticed that they fill their (plain shell) cannoli to order. Score! This is the first regular bakery that I’ve been to that offers the fill to order option. I was offered a cheese or cream filling. As you can see from the photos above, I had to try multiple varieties. I got a chocolate shell cannoli, and two cheese filled - one garnished with chocolate chips and one garnished with chopped nuts. I’m going to focus my review on the chocolate shell and chocolate chip cannoli.

Shell
The plain shell was light and flaky. It generally had a good texture, but it was a bit oily for my taste. It didn’t have a strong flavor, good or bad. It was pretty neutral. The chocolate dipped shell was also nice and flaky, though the chocolate coating made it a little waxy tasting. The flavor of the chocolate was great though.

Filling
I didn’t get a chance to ask much about the filling when I was there, but I know it was a cheese filling. I am assuming it was a ricotta filling, as it tasted much like other ricotta fillings I’ve had. It was very creamy and rich and had a great texture. It was smooth and not at all grainy like some ricotta can be. It seemed to taste a bit buttery to me, but not to the point that it was overwhelming or took away from it. Though both types of cannolis were very good, I preferred the plain shell with the chocolate chips. I like the added texture of the chocolate chips and the combination of the three parts of the cannoli.

Overall Rating: 4/5. Very good!

13 12 / 2012

Special Post - A Cannoli Demonstration
& Review #6 

Last weekend, my mom, sister, and I attended a cannoli making demonstration at the Casa Italiana at Nazareth College. Bernardina Masci, a cute little Italian lady with the best accent, was the presenter.  We received her cannoli recipe and got to watch her walk through all of the many steps of cannoli making.  And, at the end, we all got to try her cannolis!

I learned a lot about how to make cannolis and I’m really glad to have gotten to attend a demonstration before attempting to make them on my own.  I also learned a few things about traditional cannolis.  Bernardina definitely stressed that ricotta cheese, not marscapone, should be used for cannoli.  Marscapone is traditionally used for tiramisu but I’ve seen it in some cannolis and most recently in the new Ben and Jerry’s Cannoli limited edition flavor (review to come soon hopefully!).  I also learned that you can make cannoli shells and keep them (unrefrigerated) for months and use them with fresh filling.  Finally, much to my dismay, I learned that chocolate chips should NOT be in cannoli filling.  Bernardina said it was ok for them to be garnish on the ends, but the filling should just be filling.  Any loyal blog readers will know that I’m always looking for and a fan of chocolate chips.  I’ll likely continue to comment on that in future posts, because it’s what I like, but now I know that it should not be expected. 

And now a review of Bernardina’s lovely cannolis.

Shell
The shell was great! I usually don’t have amazing things to say about cannoli shells, but I was very impressed with Bernardina’s.  It was also very light and flaky.  It seemed to compliment the lemon flavor of the filling well.  Other shells I’ve tried have been very bland or overly fried, but definitely not this one. Maybe it was so good because there’s white wine in the recipe.

Filling
This was the lightest, fluffiest filling I’ve had yet.  It was very smooth, and not at all grainy.  Her recipe includes lemon zest which was a pretty prominent flavor in the filling.  I’m not the biggest fan of lemon, especially in cannolis, but I enjoyed the flavor in this case.  It seemed to add to the lightness of the filling.

Obviously I have to give this cannoli a great rating. The only reason I’m not going to give it a full 5/5 is because of the lemon.  I did enjoy it, but it’s just not my favorite. I think the charm and homemade quality definitely added to this experience.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5